WIGGINS TOPS THE BILL AT CLASSIC

The legendary Sir Bradley Wiggins, Britain’s most decorated cyclist, will line up on the start line of the third Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on Sunday 2 August, part of the Mayor of London’s annual festival of cycling.

 

It will be Wiggins’ first race on UK roads following his sensational performance at the Olympic velodrome earlier this month, when he set a new UCI World Hour Record of 54.526km.The winner of the 2012 Tour de France, four-time Olympic gold medallist and six-time track world champion will lead out his newly-formed team WIGGINS. 

 

Twenty-five teams of six riders will contest the 200km race, which this year starts on Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park and offers the world’s largest prize fund for a one-day race. Also confirmed is Mark Cavendish - the Manx Missile - and his Etixx – Quick-Step team. BBC Sport will televise the race live, with coverage distributed worldwide.

 

“It’s always fantastic to race on home roads and this race is very special,” said Wiggins. “My team is really looking forward to it. I was amazed how many people were out watching last year in that appalling weather. The whole Prudential RideLondon festival shows how much cycling has grown in this country.”

 

“Every race wants Wiggins,” said Mick Bennett, Race Director of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic. “He now has rock star status and generates massive excitement wherever he races. We expect hundreds of thousands of spectators to line the route to cheer him on. His team is packed with great athletes likely to feature in the Team Pursuit in the Rio Games next year and they should perform well in a race of this nature.”

 

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Huge crowds will once again line the capital’s streets this August to roar on some of the world's top cyclists. I’m sure British fans will be shouting even louder at the sight of former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins shooting past our grand landmarks.

 

“London continues to showcase its ability to host world-leading sporting and cultural events, and Prudential RideLondon is yet another one of our superb showpieces that helps to attract tourists, drive the economy and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds on to their bikes. It’s a festival of cycling that caters for everyone, whether you are a top professional, a committed daily commuter who loves riding their bike or a family looking forward to a leisurely day’s cycling along some of the capital’s most famous streets.”

 

Richard Walsh, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Localities and Community Wellbeing, said: “Sir Bradley is a cycling superstar so we can expect huge crowds on the route in Surrey again – and perhaps he will inspire a future icon of the road to emulate his incredible achievements on the bike.”

 

The third edition of the race, rated Category 1.HC on the UCI Europe Tour, will start at the iconic location of Horse Guards Parade in central London before going out through the capital to Kingston upon Thames, Hampton Court and then over the River Thames into Surrey. After 57km of racing, the first challenge the riders will face is the 2.4km climb of Staple Lane in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 

 

The peloton will then race through Dorking before taking the southern approach to the ascent of Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey. With a further three circuits (one more than last year) of a loop through Dorking and up the testing 6.7 per cent climb to Ranmore Common, this year’s race is set to be a true classic. 

 

 

The riders will then race up the famous zigzags of Box Hill, through Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher before returning back through Kingston upon Thames. From there the peloton heads towards central London, through Raynes Park, Wimbledon, over Putney Bridge and alongside the River Thames through Chelsea. The closing stages of the race go through Parliament Square and up Whitehall to the famous 1km to go marker from Trafalgar Square through Admiralty Arch, where the riders will start the final sprint along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace and the finish line.

 

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic is the fifth and final event of Prudential RideLondon, the world’s greatest festival of cycling. More than 95,000 riders will participate in the five events over the weekend of 1-2 August.

           

Fat Buddha helps St. Cuthbert's with 'Dine and Donate' fundraising

 

Diners in a Durham restaurant not only had a good time but raised money for one of the City charities during a 'Dine and Donate' deal during May.

 

Fat Buddha Durham, in the Walkergate area of the City centre, got together with St. Cuthbert's Hospice to raise money during May.

Bob Senior and Kay Welsh toast a successful 'Dine and Donate' month

 

 

During the month customers of the Durham based Asian bar and kitchen were offered the ' Early Buddha' menu that would donate five pounds to the Hospice.  Some 175 people took up the offer of great food and adding to the funds of a very well respected local charity.

 

" The hospice has done a great job for the people surrounding the City for years and we were looking at some way to help them.  Not only did the diners have a delightful meal in great surroundings but they also helped to raise money and awareness of the work that St. Cuthbert's does." said Managing Director of Fat Buddha Bob Senior.

 

Fat Buddha has been in Durham for over eight years and now has a sister restaurant in Newcastle with another in Sunderland opening during the summer.

 

Kay Welsh, Senior Donor Development Fundraiser  at the Hospice was delighted to collect the cheque from the restaurant fro £875:

 

“We are grateful to each and every one of the diners who came along to Fat Buddha and helped raise this money. Of course we’d also like to thank Bob and his staff for thinking of us in this way. It created great interest as well as much needed funds. Fat Buddha served us up a treat.”