THE JERSEY

It seemed fitting that Doug crossed paths with British racing star Alex Dowsett, in his Movistar kit, on his route to Evans Cycles in Waterloo. Endura has supplied the Spanish team with riding kit for the past three seasons, and the Movistar jersey design was used as the basis for the RideLondon jersey, with Dowsett himself playing a role in its development through providing feedback. While many British cycling clothing firms produce their kit in factories in Eastern Europe or Asia, Endura’s RideLondon kit was designed and handcrafted at its Livingston HQ. Like almost all pro team jerseys these days, the RideLondon jersey has seamless sleeves, which fit closely to your body and eliminate any flapping. It has a full-length zipper, three rear pockets plus an extra pocket for old gel wrappers. The RideLondon jersey is available now from Evans Cycles for £49.99 (men’s and women’s sizes), along with men’s bib shorts, women’s shorts, casquettes and socks. www. evanscycles.com

After the descent, I join the A24, which conjures past memories of motor-paced training, hacking along the dual carriageway for mile after mile in pursuit of speed and ever-shifting (and equally elusive) concepts of success. Though there is no motorbike for me to follow today, I must ride like one, for I have spent longer climbing stairs on foot than climbing hills on pedals recently in the service of Her Majesty’s Postal Service, and this has taken the sting out of my climbing prowess.

I muster what I can for Box Hill and find it favours me more than the steeper climbs earlier in the route. The five per cent average gradient is forgiving enough for me to get away with a mixture of enthusiasm and muscle memory – in lieu of any real ability. But the cumulative efforts of the day so far – the early start, the stop-go format, the time spent on public transport, not to mention