Battling heavy rain and strong winds a group of Crystal Palace fans and players laced up their shoes, put on their helmets and took to the streets, all for a good cause.

Mark Newlands, who alongside more than a dozen others raised more than £10,000 for the Palace for Life Foundation said the RideLondon event was something to savour.

“It was a fantastic experience, I really enjoyed it and I was really proud to have worn a Palace shirt and to raise money," he said.

"I met a few Palace fans along the way and heard a few shouts of ‘Eagles’ so that was really nice.

"Knowing that you’re doing it for a good cause really helps.”

Charlotte Ferguson, who coaches at the foundation and is a goalkeeper for Palace Ladies, decided to take on the challenge two years after having spinal surgery that nearly ended her career.

“As a female member of staff at the foundation, I really wanted to do this as it’s usually the male members of staff that do these challenges," she said.

“It was an interesting experience and I’m just glad I got to the finish line.

"At 80 miles I got really bad knee pain and I knew I just needed to stay on the bike and I made it.

“I’m really proud of myself, to come back from surgery, it’s an even bigger achievement. I’ve had help from people at the club, like Dr Zaf, so I need to thank him, he’s a big part of why I’m here and why I wanted to do this.”