Where To Watch The Prudential RideLondon

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Cycling through Wandsworth, Putney Chiswick and Wimbledon this Sunday

Prudential RideLondon returns over the weekend of 1-2 August with participants racing through Putney, Wandsworth, Chiswick and Wimbledon. With 95,000 riders participating in five events, the festival offers spectators a good choice of places to enjoy the action with the chance to cheer on the superstars of cycling, including Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Andre 'The Gorilla' Greipel, Laura Trott and Dani King, or support friends and family taking on the challenge of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100.

On Sunday 2 August Putney Bridge, Chiswick Bridge, Battersea Bridge, Albert Bridge and Chelsea Bridge will all be closed to vehicles, while Wandsworth Bridge will be closed with access for residents only from 7am to approximately 7.30pm or 2.30pm in the case of Chiswick Bridge. Hammersmith Flyover, the A4 up to Hogarth Roundabout and the A316 along Burlington lane will also be closed between 7am and 2.30pm.

There are three events taking place on Sunday. More than 25,000 amateur riders will start at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 6:00-9:00am in the mass sportive that last year raised a record-breaking £10 million for charity. Thirty top handcyclists will race from Kingston upon Thames to The Mall in the Prudential RideLondon Handcycle Classic and the final event of the festival sees 25 teams of the world’s top men race in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic, starting in Horse Guards Parade at 13:30 and televised live on BBC TV. The field is packed with big names including Sir Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Andre Greipel and defending champion Adam Blythe. 

Prudential Ride London Routes 2015

There will be a steady stream of amateur riders along the route in the western section in Hammersmith and Chiswick until about midday. The professional riders are expected at Hogarth Roundabout at around 1.45pm.

X Factor winner Sam Bailey and sports stars Jonathan Edwards, Darren Gough and Sally Gunnell are among the famous faces taking on the challenge of the 2015 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 on Sunday 2 August.

They'll be among the 25,000 riders racing through Wimbledon town centre, up Wimbledon Hill Road, through Wimbledon Village and across to Putney before crossing Putney Bridge towards the finish at the Mall.

Joining Bailey (left) in Team Telegraph will be Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards who won gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the triple jump. Since his retirement from athletics, Edwards has become a keen cyclist and will make his Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 debut this year. Completing the Team Telegraph line up are TV presenter Jenni Falconer, BBC presenter John Inverdale and Welsh rugby legend Shane Williams. 

1992 Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell will captain the Daily Telegraph’s Team 50. The former 400m hurdler is the only female British athlete to hold the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles simultaneously. This will be the second time Gunnell has ridden the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 after she completed the inaugural event in 2013. 

Retired England cricketers Darren Gough and Allan Lamb are both riding the sportive for the first time in support of the charity Help for Heroes, while rugby union is well represented in Rugby World Cup year with three members of the 2003 World Cup winning team: Matt Dawson, Martin Johnson and Simon Shaw. Dawson will be riding for the third time in support of the charity Beating Bowel Cancer and Shaw makes his debut riding in support of the charity Action for A-T.

Alongside the stars of sports and entertainment will be tens of thousands of fundraisers, many riding for very personal reasons. JJ Chalmers will be riding for the charity Get Kids Going! on a recumbent trike, as part of  a trial of recumbent cycles for invited riders. JJ was injured by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) in Afghanistan in 2011 while serving with the Royal Marines, suffering injuries to his arms, legs and face. JJ’s long road to recovery culminated in his participation in the 2014 inaugural Invictus Games, winning bronze in the 4x100m mixed relay. A keen sportsman before his injuries, JJ has continued to use sport as a vital part of his rehabilitation and is determined to inspire others, particularly children with disabilities, to lead an active life and not let physical disabilities hamper their opportunities. 

Alan Warner will be riding to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity who have helped support his family since his daughter Zoe was diagnosed with a brain tumour. The tumour was four centimetres in diameter when first discovered in October 2010 and Zoe endured several operations to remove it over the next four years. Since March 2014 all MRI scans have been clear and Zoe is now able to enjoy a healthy and happy life. She is also a keen cyclist and won a bronze in the National Youth Circuit Championships in 2014, inspiring her dad to get out on his bike for charity. 

The previous day, Saturday 1 August, head to St James’s Park to line the route for the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix events. The magnificent setting sees riders start on The Mall before racing towards Buckingham Palace, through two tight turns onto Birdcage Walk before taking a 90-degree left-hand turn into Horse Guards Road. The final left turn at the end of Horse Guards Road brings them back onto The Mall for a spectacular finish facing Buckingham Palace.

Racing begins at 5pm with the Brompton World Championship Final as 500+ riders in an extraordinary range of outfits (no Lycra allowed) open the programme with the scramble of a Le Mans-style start to unfold their bikes and race eight laps of the circuit. 

Next up at 6pm are the professional women, including British double Olympic champion Laura Trott out to regain the title she won in 2013 and taking on last year’s winner Giorgia Bronzini (Italy). The women’s race will be televised live on BBC2.

The evening’s programme finishes with a chance to spot the stars of the future with youth races for girls (19:05) and boys (19:50).

August 1, 2015