The 25-rider strong London Green Cycling Club successfully cycled two of the stages of last year’s Tour de France, starting out in York last Thursday (July 30), riding through to Cambridge and then into the capital for the conclusion on Sunday.
Among the amateur cyclists were LWARB chief operating officer Wayne Hubbard, Dan McCartney of DCLG and Peter Daw a former climate change policy manager at the Greater London Authority.
The group aimed to raise tens of thousands of pounds for causes nominated by each of the team, ranging from charities helping people with mental health issues such as Wandsworth & Westminster Mind and the As You are Centre, through to charities working to protect the capital’s wildlife such as London Wildlife Trust.
Donations are still being accepted, but at the time of writing the riders had attracted around £25,000 in donations, with several more thousands of pounds coming in corporate sponsorship.
North London-based waste firm Powerday sponsored the team on the ride and has supplied branded shirts for each of the 28 riders to wear along the route. Riders have also been backed by environmental services and technology companies Glendale Services and Webaspx.
Recovery
Speaking this week, after having made a quick recovery from the ride, Wayne Hubbard, chair of the LGCC thanked all of those who had donated so far, the back-up team who had given up their time to support the riders along the route including Charles Croft, managing director of London Reuse Limited and Lisa Pooke of the Greater London Authority.
He also highlighted the challenges faced by the team along the route including the climb to the summit of Cragg Vale, one of the most renowned cycling climbs in the country, as well as tackling Holme Moss which peaks at 524 metres.
“Stage two was a very hilly ride, and included the longest hill any of us have ever done,” he explained. “That was a bit of a shock. The ride was relentless all day and ended with a climb called ‘The Jawbone’.
“Our hardest day was day three from Cambridge into London, coming off the back of a hilly day on day two. It was flat but very long – tough and long.”
London
Reflecting on the final day of riding – the 100 mile RideLondon route starting at the Olympic Park in Stratford out through the Surrey countryside via Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher before re-entering London and concluding on The Mall – Mr Hubbard said that the crowds who had turned up to cheer on the cyclists helped keep the LGCC going.
“RideLondon was brilliant, an absolute joy from start to finish. We all put in really good times. Going through the streets of London without any cars is a real privilege and everyone was really friendly.”
Asked if the team would consider future challenges, Mr Hubbard said that they remain open to the prospect. “We are going to have a chat about what next. It would be a waste to come this far and not do something else.”
To donate visit the London Green Cycling Club website. Riders are raising money directly for their charities but are also raising money as the LGCC. Any team donations or sponsorship will be divided between each of the named charities.
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