TWICKENHAM PHOTO SPECIAL: Cycling countess takes Bushy Park by storm

You don't see many members of the Royal family in lycra, especially down the road from Twickenham in Bushy Park.

But, Sophie, The Countess of Wessex, cut a sporty and confident figure as she took to the saddle yesterday (July 6) to lend her support to a big charity cycle ride.

Her Royal Highness, 56, the wife of Prince Edward and mother of two teenage children, joined visually impaired and sighted cyclists braving the afternoon showers for a tandem cycle ride.

The Countess, whose family home is in Bagshot, Surrey, took the role of 'pilot' while the charity's Centenary appeal manager Monica Smith was riding behind her as her 'stoker.'

As they stopped for a breather near the Diana Foundation, one onlooker cheekily shouted "come on, push harder."

But the Countess appeared relaxed and happy as she laughed and joked with her fellow cyclists.

The Countess, who has become a close companion and confidante to Her Majesty The Queen since the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, is Patron of the charity Vision Foundation.

The cycle ride marks the launch of Vision Foundation's new initiative called See My Skills to tackle unemployment among blind and partially sighted people.