Richmond landmarks to star in Olympics opening (From This Is Local London)

MAP: Richmond landmarks set to star in London 2012 Olympics cycling road race

11:00am Thursday 10th February 2011 in News By Christine Fleming

“An outstanding opportunity to showcase Richmond as a ‘must see’ part of London.”

That was how council leader Lord True hailed the news the borough will be a key player in the opening weekend of the 2012 Olympic games.

The games committee unveiled the official Olympic cycling road race route today, which showed many Richmond landmarks would feature en route.

Competitors starting at the Mall will race through Richmond Park, Twickenham, Teddington and Bushy Park, and past Hampton Court Palace, as they make their way round a 15.5km circuit from central London to Box Hill and back.

Lord True, said the arrival of the world class athletes would put Richmond firmly in the spotlight.

He said: “This is great news.

“This is a huge opportunity for our area with TV audiences worldwide already being estimated in the hundreds of millions.”

Originally the route was meant to pass through north London, but the international cycling federation asked for more hills to be included to make it a more technically challenging course.

Residents in the borough, who are keen supporters of cycling and even have their own cycling champion, were delighted at the news.

Paul Luton, rides coordinator at community group Richmond Cycling Campaign (RCC), said it was a fitting tribute to cycle-loving residents.

He said: “It just adds to the buzz really and I think everyone will be thrilled about it.

“It will certainly be good for the visibility for cycling in Richmond.”

Simon Lillistone, cycling manager for the Olympic committee, said he thought the news would give the whole area a real boost.

He said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I hope they will be as excited and enthused about it as us.”

More than 2m people lined the streets when a stage of the Tour de France visited England in 2007, and organisers hope there will be a similar effect next year.

Mark Camley, chief executive of the Royal Parks, said the organisation was delighted to be playing such an important part in the games.

He said: “The Olympic cycling road races promise to deliver an electrifying start to the London Olympic and Paralympic games, so it’s great that they will pass through Richmond and Bushy parks, bringing with them the excitement of London 2012.

"Combining the beautiful surroundings of the Royal Parks and the greatest show on earth, spectators are set to have an unforgettable experience.”

A test event will be held in mid-August this year to allow people to get used to road closures, and to give competitors the chance to cycle the route under race conditions.

The sections of the race in Surrey will be unticketed, allowing anyone to watch for free.

The road race is provisionally scheduled to take place on July 28 and 29.

The men’s race, which is 250km, will take place on the Saturday and lasts about six hours, with 145 riders.

The women’s race, which is 140km, takes place on the Sunday and will last for about three-and-a-half hours, with 67 riders.