She’s used to being the best in the world in the boxing ring, but double Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams OBE admitted she enjoyed being on a level playing field during the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 46.

Adams teamed up with Prudential and Teach First as part of the PruGOals campaign to ride the route, and passed on her tips and advice to youngsters from diverse backgrounds as part of the build up to the day.

The 34-year-old from Leeds rode along The Mall at the end of Sunday’s race, alongside some of the pupils she has helped inspire during the PruGOals programme.

Adams said she loved every minute of the experience, and hopes she has given youngsters the inspiration to push themselves to attempt new challenges.

“It was really tough; hard work but I enjoyed it,” said Adams. “It’s been really nice to have this opportunity with Prudential RideLondon to go around with the kids and do 46 miles.

“It was quite hard. There were a couple of hills that really tested my leg strength but I managed to get through.

“But it’s been really good fun. I’ve been up to see the kids and tried to inspire them. They’ve been asking a lot of questions wanting to know what it was going to be like on the ride. So I’ve just been giving them tips, and I’ve been enjoying the time with them.

“I have really enjoyed working with Prudential. It has been a challenge for me to do something that I have never done before, which was good fun. It just shows that anybody can get on a bike to find something new, and take up a new challenge.

“It was nice to know that I was in the same boat as everyone. We were all there at the start line, nervous together and getting ready to race. It was good.”

This weekend saw the fifth edition of Prudential RideLondon, which has developed into a world-class festival of cycling since it’s inception in 2013.

With the world’s best professional cyclists descending on the capital, plus the chance for the public to cycle around central London themselves on closed roads, the event attracts plenty of people from different backgrounds.

And Adams added how the thousands of people who lined the streets to cheer on her and her fellow cyclists gave a special quality to the day.

“It’s special because it’s one of the only days of the year that you can actually get on the bike and ride when there is no traffic, and you get to see the whole of London,” she added.

“The atmosphere has been really good; especially coming down the home straight with everybody cheering, giving the riders more confidence and a little bit of an energy boost as well.”

Nicola Adams OBE cycled with students and teachers from the educational charity Teach First at Prudential RideLondon as part of the PruGOals programme. For further information on PruGOals visit www.prugoals.co.uk