A cyclist died from heart failure while taking part in Sunday’s RideLondon-Surrey 100 event, according to organisers.
Robin Chard, 48, from Bicester in Oxfordshire, suffered a cardiac arrest about 25 miles into the 100-mile course, at Kingston in west London, RideLondon said, adding: “Although he received immediate treatment from fellow riders and medical personnel at the scene, he died later in Kingston hospital.”
Chard is the third participant in three years to die following a heart attack during the event.
In a statement released by the organisers, his wife, Vickie, said: “Robin was doing something he loved to raise money for Cancer Research UK, a cause that was very important to him after losing his father, his mother’s partner and my mother to cancer.”
“I’d like to thank everyone who has helped and supported Robin and me, especially the event stewards, the event team and the amazing staff at Kingston hospital.”
The organisers added: “Everyone involved in Prudential RideLondon would like to express our sincere condolences to Robin’s family and friends.”
Chard wrote on his JustGiving page about his personal connection with cancer.“So you can see it’s a bit of a personal crusade, but I’m not riding a white charger, just a bike 100 miles in and around London,” he wrote.
One online tribute read: “Uncle Robin, so incredibly proud of your efforts in the Prudential 100 bike ride today in London,” the Evening Standard reported.“Sadly, he didn’t make it to the end but he passed away raising money for a charity close to his heart.
If anyone can still donate in his memory I know how much he would appreciate it.”
Separately,  two cyclists were seriously hurt in crashes during the event, in which nearly 27,000 people cycled a closed-roads loop out of London, into the Surrey countryside and back.
The crashes, which required air ambulances to take cyclists to hospital, caused long delays on the course.
One of those hurt was seriously injured after hitting a tree.
Organisers put in place two detours to try to clear the crowds, including a major re-route to miss out the Box Hill climb in Surrey.
Organisers said 33 riders were taken to hospital overall, with seven still there, of whom three were seriously injured.
The event was part of a weekend of cycling activities in and around the capital.
As part of the 100-mile ride cyclists left the Olympic park in Stratford, east London, and headed to Surrey before returning for a finish on the Mall.