CYCLISTS competing in the 2018 Prudential RideLondon events geared up to raise more than £13m for charity, setting a new European record for a one-day cycling event.

The challenges, which include the hotly-contested Prudential RideLondon-RideSurrey 100, beat the previous year’s record of £12.75m, bringing the total raised for charity to more than £66 million in the first six years since the world’s greatest festival of cycling was launched.

Celebrating the legacy for cycling created by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 starts in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, then follows a 100-mile route on closed roads through the capital and into Surrey countryside, with leg-testing climbs and a route made famous by the world’s best cyclists at the London 2012 Olympics.

It finishes on The Mall in central London, shortly before 150 professional cyclists race in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on a similar route.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’d like to pay tribute to every cyclist who helped raise this record-breaking amount of money for charity at 2018 Prudential RideLondon.

“Their efforts will help some fantastic charities make a real difference to people’s lives.”

Denise Turner-Stewart, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for community safety, fire and resilience, said: “I’m delighted this record-breaking sum has been raised for good causes and I’d like to thank all riders who played a part in achieving such a fantastic total.

“We’re now looking forward to welcoming Prudential RideLondon to Surrey again next year.”

The inaugural Prudential RideLondon in 2013 saw 16,000 riders raise more than £7 million and the next year 20,709 finishers broke the £10 million barrier. In 2015, a total of 25,564 finishers raised more than £12 million, setting a new fundraising record for a cycling event in Europe that has been broken year on year.

In 2018, riders battled through heavy rain and strong winds but still managed to raise a quarter of a million pounds more than the £12.75m raised in 2017.

Mike Wells, group chief executive of Prudential, said: “I would like to congratulate all the riders who took part and helped make this yet another record-breaking year for fundraising.

“Prudential RideLondon is the world’s greatest festival of cycling and we want to achieve even more in 2019.”

A team of more than 450 riders raised almost £300,000 for charity of the year Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Tim Johnson, chief executive at Great Ormond Street Hospital children’s charity, said: “We were thrilled to be charity of the year for the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 in 2018.

“It was such an impressive sight; seeing a team of more than 450 incredible riders cycle through the streets of London and Surrey to raise nearly £300,000 for us.

“This fantastic amount raised will help to fund vital accommodation for the parents and families of the most seriously ill children who come to Great Ormond Street Hospital for specialist treatment.”

Macmillan Cancer Support raised more than £500,000, making the charity the most successful fundraisers from the event for the second year running. Alzheimer’s Society, British Heart Foundation and Prostate Cancer UK were among the many other charities that raised six-figure sums.

Eleanor Hoare, challenge events programme manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: “To have raised more than £500,000 from 2018 Prudential RideLondon is just brilliant.

“We know the hours of training and fundraising that go into taking part in the event and every member of Team Macmillan should be so proud of the difference they’ve made to the lives of people living with cancer in the UK."