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Olympic champions back new 115-mile sportive around London

New ride aims to raise money to promote sport for children in disadvantaged areas

This September will see the inaugural edition of a new sportive that will take cyclists on a 115-mile loop around the countryside surrounding London, while raising funds for Access Sport, a charity that seeks to encourage youngsters in deprived areas to engage with sport.

Organised by Andy Cook Cycling, the Ride Around London, to be held on Sunday 25 September, is being promoted by Olympic champions and Access Sport ambassadors James Cracknell and Rebecca Romero and takes in several venues that will be used in the London 2012 Games.

It starts, however, at the last surviving venue from the 1948 Olympics – Herne Hill Velodrome. From there, the route heads southwest into Surrey, going up Box Hill, which will feature in the 2012 road race, then to Windsor Great Park, host to that event in 1948 and past Eton Dorney, where the rowing medals will be decided next summer.

Riders will then head into the Chilterns before returning to the capital, with the finish at the new Lee Valley White Water Centre, the venue for the Canoe Slalom competition next year.

Cracknell, who won gold in the coxless fours at Sydney in 2000 and Athens in 2004, and who is still recovering from an accident last year that almost claimed his life while cycling in America, said: “Ride Around London is a cycling event with a difference.

“It’s an exciting challenge that allows you to be part of creating a sporting and cycling legacy as funds raised go to build better access to sport for kids in disadvantaged areas in our great capital city. I cannot wait for it to kick off.”

Rebecca Romero, who won rowing silver at Athens before switching to track cycling to claim gold in the individual pursuit at Beijing, said: “The children in the communities we work in really need support and this event can be the start of making that happen for years to come”

Money raised through the event will enable Access Sport to continue its work in promoting sport including cycling to children in deprived parts of the capital. The charity, whose supporters, drawn from a range of sports include cyclists Bradley Wiggins and Jody Cundy.

The charity works with some 130 sports clubs including Tower Hamlets Cycling Club, Cycling Club Hackney and and BMXtreme in Newham and, with the support of Mayor of London Boris Johnson and British Cycling, is leading an initiative to develop five new BMX clubs in the five Olympic Host Boroughs – Greenwich, Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest.

Another of the charity’s supporters, Shanaze Reade, winner of world championships in the team sprint and BMX and who is targeting both events at London 2012, said: “BMX is my life and passion. I was a young kid when I got into racing so I am right behind Access Sport and Briitsh Cycling’s project to create five new BMX clubs in East London – there definitely needs to be better tracks in London”

Organisers stress that the number of places on the event is limited, making early sign-up vital, and you can register for the Ride Around London on the Access Sport website.

 

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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stevefisher | 13 years ago
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looks like fun but

will there be parking at the beginning,
and will there be transport for bike and cyclist between the finish point and the start

events like this with separate start and finish points across a large city create a few logistical difficulties for those that might want to take part

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Oaky replied to stevefisher | 13 years ago
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@ stevefisher: If only the entrants had with them some means of transport that could propel them the 10 miles or so from the finish back to the start!  39  1

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