More than 30,000 cyclists ride from London to Surrey and back again

Scores of amateur cyclists have gummed up 100 miles of road around London and the commuter belt in the annual 2012 Games legacy race.

The Prudential Ride London event – the brainchild of former Mayor Boris Johnson – saw around 30,000 people mount their bikes at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this morning before peddling to Surrey and back. 

Supporters lined the streets of the capital to cheer the cyclists who were blessed with clear skies and hot temperatures.

But it was a grim forecast for motorists who were told to expect mammoth road closures as the event booted cars off their route which criss-crossed the city. 

Drivers moaned of ‘chaos’ as a sea of bikes clogged up the start point in Stratford, east London, and blamed cyclists for quadrupling journey times.

One disgruntled driver tweeted: ‘Absolute joke. Did you consult residents before closing a major road with no notice?

A cyclist in a recumbent bicycle tackles a corner at Pebble Coombe, near Headley and Box Hill, during today’s ride

 Supporters lined the streets of the capital to cheer the cyclists who were blessed with clear skies and hot temperatures

A horde of cyclists clad in lycra race down the Mall as 30,000 people mounted their bikes at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this morning

A number of celebrities took part in the Prudential Ride London event including singer Lemar (left) and Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson (right)

‘A 45-minute diversion for a 10-minute trip. Stratford was chaos. Couldn’t get into Canary Wharf. The roads are for everyone, not just for cyclists!’  

Some 100 miles worth of tarmac has been closed as cyclists take on three separate routes of 100, 46 and 19 miles long.

Footballer David Seaman, singer Lemar, Love Island star Laura Crane and deputy Labour leader Tom Watson were among the famous faces on the course today.

And England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson reportedly looked exhausted as he crossed the finish line earlier. 

The sportsman, who completed the 100-mile course in four hours and 42 minutes said: ‘I went out too fast over the first 20 miles and thought “oh, this is going to be hard” – and it was! It was still enjoyable, though – it always is.’

A professional race of around 160 competitive riders was held alongside the amateur event. They did several laps of Box Hill in Surrey before zooming back to the Mall in central London.

Yet the supposed spectator event was slammed by fans who moaned that road closures prevented them from getting to the route.

One disappointed spectator tweeted: ‘What a complete mess this year’s event is. Ruined all the good viewing points in Dorking and how are people supposed to go and watch the laps around Box Hill when the roads have been closed since 5am? A joke.’ 

The Prudential Ride London event – the brainchild of former Mayor Boris Johnson – saw around 30,000 people mount their bikes at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this morning before peddling to Surrey and back

Some 100 miles worth of tarmac has been closed as cyclists take on three separate routes of 100, 46 and 19 miles long

A sea of bikes snake through sprawling Richmond Park to the backdrop of the city of London during today’s Prudential Ride London event

Amateur cyclists pass through Wimbledon in south west London as they peddle to Surrey before turning around and finishing on the Mall

Cyclists grit their teeth and pump their legs as they battle uphill in Wimbledon. The event closed the roads to cars to make sure the riders could complete the route unimpeded, leading to complaints from motorists