Another Great Cycle Spectacle Passes Through Guildford Borough

Published on: 5 Aug, 2013
Updated on: 5 Aug, 2013

Sunday’s mass cycling event that passed through parts of Guildford borough has been hailed a success by the thousands who took part.

Waiting patiently at Gomshall for the professional riders to pass. All pictures by Paul Bridgland of the Best of Guildford.

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 cycle event attracted some 16,500 cyclists. They tackled a 100-mile route that snaked its way out of London into Surrey and then back.

These pictures were taken in Gomshall by Paul Bridgeland and show how local people came out to watch, just as they did last year during the 2012 London Olympics.

A motorcycle cop has a chat to a young onlooker.

A motorcycle cop has a chat to some young onlookers.

Paul said: “This was a very positive spin-off of last year’s Olympic games – an event introduced by London Mayor Boris Johnson.

“Having checked the times on Google we realised that we had missed the first (amateur) event of cyclists which passed by at approximately 8.30am – well the front runners at least.

Here the come through Gomshall!

“However, the professional event was due to pass Newlands Corner at 2.20pm – and using my wife’s estate agent’s knowledge of all the back roads in Guildford we managed to navigate our way from Merrow to Gomshall avoiding the A25.

“Overall we thought the turn-out of spectators was surprisingly low, but as someone pointed out it wasn’t the Olympics! Having said that it meant we got a great view and were treated to all the same routines as last year … helicopter in the sky, endless stream of happy police motorcyclists slapping hands as they passed, hooting, whistling, entourages of support vehicles and then of course the professional cyclists.

And more…

“It really was just like the Olympics last year – a great way to make a Sunday afternoon more interesting and hopefully something that will now continue for years to come.”

All dressed up for some fun!

One of those who took part in the amateur ride was Becky Willson from Guildford, who is the engagement officer for Travel SMART, a Surrey County Council initiative that provides funds in Westborough and Stoke, as well as other parts of the county, so that people can enjoy more travel choices and help them to cut carbon, calories and cost.

Of the steep climb up to the top of Box Hill, Becky said: “It wasn’t too difficult – because the road surface is really good.”

She added that the event went off well despite the large number of cyclists taking part. “I thought that with so many riders there may have been problems with bunching, especially going up hills, meaning that I would have to get off my bike and walk. But that didn’t really happen at all.”