The second annual Ride London visits Kingston twice this weekend – but the return of the world-class cycling festival has divided opinion amongst residents and businesses.
Kingston will be the only town cyclists visit twice as they make their way to and from Surrey Hills during the weekend event on August 9 and 10. To celebrate, Memorial Gardens will hold a bike festival and the Ancient Market Place will have a seaside themed event including a giant sandpit and beach stalls alongside cheering spectators.
But with 26 rolling road closures across the borough including Kingston Bridge and Portsmouth Road, some residents have complained the Olympic legacy event now in its second year, will cause too much disruption.
Coombe Road resident Carl Kember, 76, whose road will be closed most of the day, said he had suggested a brochure detailing diverted bus routes, but town centre managers Kingstonfirst and Kingston Council had not followed through. He added last year race marshals had little knowledge about how residents could get about. But businesses who suffered from poor sales last year are beginning to get behind the annual addition to the Kingston sporting calendar, according to Jerry Irving from Kingston Chamber of Commerce.
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