Team Sky’s Ben Swift has unveiled the route of the Financial Times London Cycle Sportive in partnership with Access Sport.
Swift, a former world champion on the track, revealed a route that ends at the Herne Hill Velodrome, the track cycling venue at the 1948 Olympic Games.
The London Cycle Sportive offers three routes of 50km, 100km, and 100 miles, and all of them finish at the famous circuit in south east London.
Herne Hill is not the only Olympic ‘venue’ included on the route declared by Swift, a sprinter with five victories in cycling’s elite UCI WorldTour on his palmares.
The Surrey climb of Box Hill, one that played a central role in the Olympic road races of 2012, will also feature. Participants in the London Cycle Sportive will have their times recorded.
“I am excited to be part of such a great sportive,” Swift said. “No matter which distance you go for the route is really impressive but not for the faint hearted, so make sure that you do enough training to get around the course on the big day.”
Swift recommended hill reps as a preferred training method for riders set to tackle the 100km and 100-mile routes, and even riding Box Hill beforehand.
The route will take riders from the south London start point past Dulwich College, towards Crystal Palace via College Road, before embarking on a speedy descent towards South Norwood Country Park.
Each of the three routes skirts the edge of the North Downs, which offer commanding views of the Surrey and Kent countryside. Riders on the 50km loop will loop back to the Herne Hill Velodrome at this point.
Riders on the longer distances will head towards the North Downs and the climb of ‘Titsey Hill’, before descending Tandridge Hill.
The Roman Road to Blindley Heath carries the riders past Godstone, before heading west and past the Outwood Windmill on a route that meanders below Reigate in the shadow of the North Downs.
Riders on the 100km medium route will head north west in the direction of Brockham, joining the A25 before Dorking. A fast right turn on the cycle path next to the A24 will take the riders to Box Hill.
Those tackling the longer route will cycle through a maze of quiet Surrey Lanes south of Reigate in a section of the route intended to offer gentle respite before the ascents of Pitch Hill in the direction of Shere
The climb of Combe Bottom and a route north towards Ockham awaits the riders on both of the longer routes, before a turn south to Effginham and the less challenging climb of White Down to Ranmore Common above Dorking. Riders tackling the 100-mile route will take a left turn for a decent ot West Humble en route to Box Hill and joining the medium route.
Both the longer routes then return to South London via Banstead Heath and drop down through Chipstead Bottom to Coulsdon before joining the main road through Purley and Croydon, passing the Selhurst Park football ground via Crystal Palace and heading back to the velodrome.
“No matter which distance you go for all riders can look forward to an amazing finish at Herne Hill Velodrome,” said Swift. “There is sure to be a great atmosphere as supporters gather in the event village in the centre of the track, making this London sportive stand out from all the rest.”
Feed stations dotted along the routes will offer energy food and Vita Coco Coconut water.
