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14/8/11: London-Surrey Cycle Classic Comes To Dorking

 

Sunday 14th August saw Mark Cavendish and 150 other riders come through Dorking in the test event for the 2012 Olympic road race.

Starting and finishing on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace, the race headed out through South West London  into Surrey, passing through Dorking before the centrepiece of the race, a multi-lap circuit of Box Hill. Two laps this time, although next year the men's race will be taking it on nine times!

There's been a good buzz about the Olympics coming to town ever since the route was announced at the beginning of the year, and the test event coming through was going to a good first indicator of how well supported the race will be next year.

And Dorking didn't disappoint. With crowd barriers lining both sides of West Street and the High Street all weekend, and the roads closed from 6am in the morning, there was a slightly eerie, quiet feel to the town first thing in the morning. By 10am though, 30 minutes before the race was due through, the roadside was a line of people as far as the eye could see in both directions, and a real party atmosphere was developing.

With keen cycle fans mingling happily with local families, the excitement started building as the race convoy started coming through - police motorbikes, TV cameras, and then a helicopter hovering down the A25, the final clue that the riders were on their way. The first four breakaway riders whizzed past to a roar of cheers, and then a few minutes later, the noise reached a cresendo as the 150-strong peleton stampeded up West Street in a blur of colour.

And then after a few minutes to catch our breath, the crowds were left to wander around and browse the shops in a traffic-free Dorking for the rest of the morning, whilst we folded up our bunting - until next year, when the party will be even bigger. Put the weekend of 28-29th July in your diary if you want to join the fun.