OLYMPIC AND WORLD CHAMPIONS TO RIDE SUNDAY'S SKY FREEWHEEL CARNIVAL
Want a chance to win a trip to the World Cup in Manchester and a TV worth £300 ? complete with 12 months subscription to Sky TV? Then you must identify British Cycling?s ?Hidden Heroes? on the course during London?s Sky TV Freewheel this Sunday (September 21).
Triple Olympic Gold medallist Chris Hoy is just one of the world and Olympic champions taking part in this second annual cycling carnival on the closed roads of the Capital.
Also on their bikes celebrating British cyclists? success in Beijing, will be women?s Olympic sprint champion Victoria Pendleton, team pursuit gold medallist Ed Clancy, team sprint gold medallist Jamie Staff and world BMX champion Shanaze Reade.
They will be joined by cycling Mayor of London Boris Johnson, riding the 12-kilometre course which stretches from Buckingham Palace on The Mall via the Thames Embankment to Tower Hill.
And all on closed roads, not a smelly motor vehicle to be seen. Last year an estimated 60,000 cyclists of all shapes and sizes and abilities took part when this huge family event was organised for the first time.
?What a brilliant event for Londoners of all ages and cycling abilities to take part in,? said Hoy, ?It?s fantastic to be involved with a day that encourages more people to get on their bikes around London. Personally I can?t wait to cycle down the Mall.?
British Cycling superstar Shanaze Reade said: ?This is going to be a great day whether or not you are an experienced cyclist. There?s no better way to see the capital than on a bike and with no traffic in the way, it is the perfect chance for those with less confidence to enjoy themselves.?
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Central point will be The Mall, scene of last year?s Tour de France Grand Depart. All along this leafy boulevard there will be a series of cycling activities and events taking place. And refreshments will be available.
British Cycling Go Ride coaches will be passing on cycling skills, and the public will have the chance to win a GB cycling team jersey in a test against the GB cycling team in the Sky Sports Sprint Challenge.
And the Sky Sports Mountain Bike Demo team will be showing off stunt riding. There will even a Sky TV Band striking a few chords in the St James Park bandstand. It seems the sky is the limit on Sunday.
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: ?The aim of Sunday?s event is to celebrate cycling and encourage people in London to use it as a way of getting around and making the most of the city.
?Many Londoners own bikes but aren?t using them regularly. I?m sure that the involvement of such fantastic cyclists from British Cycling, whose achievements were cheered on by millions of us during the Beijing Games, will only serve to inspire more Londoners to get involved and take part in this great free event.?
The course will be open from 09.30 to 17.30hours.
Riders can join the course at any point and although the event is free, you are asked to register in advance by email, go to www.london.gov.uk/freewheel
Keith Bingham joined the Cycling Weekly team in the summer of 1971, and retired in 2011. During his time, he covered numerous Tours de France, Milk Races and everything in-between. He was well known for his long-running 'Bikewatch' column, and played a pivotal role in fighting for the future of once at-threat cycling venues such as Hog Hill and Herne Hill Velodrome.