On Saturday morning with the sun shining, cyclists gathered at Rosslyn Park Rugby Club. Setting off in small groups of around 15, the cyclists made their way along the well signed route to Box Hill. The scenic route took cyclists through leafy Richmond Park, the largest of the Royal Parks in London, before passing the historic Hampton Court Palace. Shortly after this, cyclists reached the first refreshment stop at Pyrford Village.
Once fuelled up and refreshed, cyclists cycled through quieter country roads before taking on the North Downs climbing up and over Coombe Bottom. After descending, the route continued to undulate all the way to Dorking. From here it was a short ride to lunch and the bottom of the infamous Box Hill which the Olympic cyclists will tackle up to nine times in July 2012!
The cyclists started with the legendary Box Hill zig zags and once they reached the summit they were provided with spectacular views from the top. Some cyclists completed more than one loop of the Box Hill zig zags – and several even completed an impressive 8 laps!
Once the cyclists had finished Box Hill, it was then time to make their way back to Rosslyn Park cycling via Oxshott and Esher before cycling past Hampton Court Palace again and back through Richmond Park. The first cyclist crossed the finish line just before 1pm, followed by a steady stream until 5.30pm. They were presented with a medal, had their photos taken and enjoyed celebratory drinks at the rugby club.
Enormous thanks to everyone who made this event possible – all the cyclists and their generous supporters. Thank you also to out fantastic volunteers who helped throughout the event. Thanks also to CITY AM and On Your Bike for supporting the CARE Gold Bike Ride. Thanks also to Rosslyn Park Rugby Club, Pyrford Village Hall and Friends Life Sports and Social Club and finally to the sportswear brand Zoca, a long-term supporter of CARE, for donating a fundraising prize.
Thank you to everyone who took part and we hope you had a fantastic day and see you again in 2013!
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