Redbridge Council Leader conquers RideLondon
Published: 1 June 2022
If you happened to be out cheering on the participants in last Sunday's RideLondon event, you might have spotted a familiar face amongst the thousands of cyclists peddling the streets of East London and Essex.
The Leader of Redbridge Council, Cllr Jas Athwal, joined the 100-mile event as Redbridge played host to the world's greatest festival of cycling for the very first time.
RideLondon involves several different races at varying levels and is one of Europe's most successful fundraising cycling events, with riders raising almost £80 million for charity since the first RideLondon in 2013.
Cllr Athwal is a keen cyclist who regularly embarks on weekend training runs in the Essex countryside, where he can sometimes clock up anything between 50 and 60 miles in a single session.
What makes Cllr Athwal's achievement even more remarkable is that he cycled an additional 14 miles from his home address in Mayfield, Ilford, to the RideLondon starting point in the Mall, Central London.
Speaking after RideLondon, Cllr Athwal said: "Taking part in RideLondon was incredible; it was tough cycling over 100 miles, but the atmosphere was fantastic, especially when riding through Woodford. The crowd made the event really special, and I hope even more local people join in next year.
"Cycling is a fun, healthy way to travel, and I hope hosting RideLondon here in Redbridge helped inspire local people to take up cycling as a hobby.
"As a council, we're committed to supporting our neighbours to live healthy lives, and offering free cycling training is one way to make it easier for people of all skill levels to begin biking."
Redbridge Council is encouraging more residents to cycle, whether it's to work, school, the shops, or as part of a fun family outing. If you live, work or study in the borough, training is available to assist you in building your cycling confidence on our streets.
