Over £2500 raised for Royal Marsden Cancer Charity

After several weeks of training the 4th August finally arrived. I was dropped off at 6am at the southern entrance of the Rotherhithe Tunnel, closed to traffic for the day, and cycled 6 miles to the start of the ride in the Olympic Park. I found my starting bay and along with 499 other riders of the 27,000 participating in the sportive and we waited patiently for our 8am start.

Perfect Weather

We were blessed with perfect weather, dry, not too hot, no wind and this made the day so much better. London is wonderful to cycle through if there is no traffic and the lights can be ignored as we sailed through town passing so many iconic sites. Through central London, Hampton Court Bridge, beautiful Richmond Park and out to the Surrey Hills. The first 48 miles were pretty flat, held up only by numbers of cyclists on the narrow lanes. The second half included Leith Hill and Box Hill and is much more challenging! However, I am pleased to say I managed them without walking, so I think my training paid off. The last 15 miles or so were difficult because of a couple of painful areas of my anatomy – my feet!

It was great to arrive at The Mall to be welcomed by a large crowd, which included my family, and everyone in festive mood. My cycling time was just over 7 hours and I felt surprisingly good the following day!

I was cycling in memory of my late wife Pauline, collecting for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity. Thanks to all those members who supported me. The just giving site is still open should you wish to contribute using the button below.

The total raised so far is £2500.

Before the ride I swore this would be my last one, the training was a little tedious but the day was amazing and the ballot for 2020 is now open……