A 55-year-old cyclist collapsed and died of a suspected heart attack on yesterday's Prudential RideLondon 100 sportive. Emergency services and an air ambulance attended the scene at Leith Hill, near Dorking in Surrey, but the man was pronounced dead at around 11am.
A statement from the organisers on Sunday evening confirmed the incident and expressed condolences with the man's family: "It is with deep sadness that we confirm the death of a participant in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 today.
"A 55-year-old man collapsed on the lower part of the ascent of Leith Hill and, although he received immediate medical attention and an air ambulance attended, the death was confirmed at the scene. Our immediate concern is for the family of the deceased and no further details will be released at this time. We would like to express our sincere condolences to his family and friends."
The incident brought the ride to a standstill at Leith Hill as organisers moved quickly to divert cyclists while emergency servces attended the scene.
Yesterday's tragic incident follows the death of a Dutch rider on this year's Marmotte sportive. Ronald van den Eijnden, 51, died from heat exhaustion as temperatures reached 42 degrees on the course.
More than 25,000 amateur cyclists completed the RideLondon 100 sportive yesterday. Now in its third year, RideLondon is one of Europe's largest mass-participation cycling events, offering cyclists a chance to ride through London and the Surrey Hills on closed roads.
The 100-mile sportive is followed by the RideLondon Classic, a 200km professional race attracting a strong field including Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish. Team BMC's Jean-Pierre Drucker took the win this year, with Ben Swift finishing in third place in a sprint finish on the Mall.
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