In its edition of September 27, 2013 the Herald reported ‘Farnham residents shared the love for national heroes Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish on Saturday, lining the streets in their thousands as the Tour of Britain cycle race flashed through Elstead, Frensham, The Bourne and Farnham town centre en route for an electric conclusion to the stage in Guildford’.

In fact, Mark Cavendish won a thrilling sprint on the cobbles of Guildford High Street to win that stage of the Tour.

Cycling fever had hit Surrey the year before when the world’s best cyclists battled for Olympic glory on Surrey’s roads and many residents from Farnham joined the hundreds of thousands of people who watched the three events live, especially in the Dorking, Box Hill and Hampton Court areas. The ‘Surrey’ cycling events started and finished in the Mall in London.

The Olympics, the Tour of Britain – two major cycling events the town could relate to within a short space of time - the Farnham Charity Bike ride and COVID were all motivating factors towards a boom in cycling in the Farnham area.

And whatever happened to the champion of that day’s cycle race through Farnham and Guildford?

Mark ‘the Manx Missile’ Cavendish went on to win cycling immortality earlier this summer, as the 39-year-old put off retirement and beat near-impossible odds to secure his 35th stage victory in the Tour de France to surpass the legendary Eddy Merckx in cycling's greatest race.

Competitive road cycling is still going strong in Farnham, with the British Cycling-affiliated Farnham Road Club enjoying a busy schedule of time trial events on the A31 loop between Bentley and Alton, Frensham, and elsewhere in the region.

This article is part of a series by Farnham Sports Council chair David Gill celebrating the 50th anniversary of the dissolution of Farnham Urban District Council.