Both rides - one for up to 20,000 amateur and club riders and another involving the top international professional men - will start in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and run through London and Surrey before returning to the capital to finish along The Mall.

Unlike last year's Olympic Cycle Road Race, the outbound route will not pass through the borough. However, cyclists will be making an appearance on the return leg, going along Wimbledon Park Side, Tibbet's Ride, Putney Hill and over Putney Bridge via the High Street.

Wandsworth's transport spokesman, Councillor Russell King, said: "The Olympic Cycle Road Race was a fantastic event and we have every hope that this year's RideLondon cycling festival will be equally exciting.

"I hope it encourages people of all ages and abilities to take to two wheels - with the Barclays Cycle Hire scheme about to expand into the borough there couldn't be a better time.

"Having professionals in one race and up to 20,000 people taking part in a mass participation ride - many of who will be doing so to raise money for various charities - RideLondon promises to be a huge spectacle, and one which residents can witness first-hand.

"Council officers have been liaising with organisers of the events to agree the route and ensure related disruption is kept to a minimum - but nearby transport routes will obviously be affected by the inevitable road closures on the day."

With support from the council, organisers will be keeping residents informed of associated transport issues in due course. Already confirmed is that the A3 will not be affected this time, as riders will go over it - ensuring greater access to and from Putney than was possible during the Olympic event.

The route through the borough has been announced as early as possible to give members of the public and local businesses and organisations sufficient advance warning.

Double Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott joined organisers to announce details of four RideLondon cycling events yesterday morning (February 7).

The four events making up the two-day cycling festival are:

• The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 on Sunday, August 4. Open to amateur and club riders, it attracted more than 55,000 registrants for about 20,000 places. Anyone unable to secure a place may still be able to take part through one of the many charities with guaranteed entries, or teams of four (men, women or mixed) from the same organisation can enter the Business Relay, where each team member will ride around 25 miles. Details of charity places and the Business Relay are on the Prudential RideLondon website at www.PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk.
• The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on Sunday, August 4. This race is for elite men's professional riders and follows a 140 mile route that includes the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 route plus three ascents of Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey and even steeper than Box Hill.
• The Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix on Saturday, August 3, will feature the world's best women, junior and hand cyclists in action on a circuit in and around St James's Park.
• The Prudential RideLondon Freecycle on Saturday, August 3. This eight-mile mass participation ride is free to enter and open to cyclists of all ages and abilities.

The two day festival of cycling is being held across the weekend of August 3 and 4. It is part of the post 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy and aims to give a major boost to the number of active cyclists in the UK, while attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to London and Surrey.

Highlights of the weekend's action and live coverage of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic will be shown by the BBC.

For more information about the various events visit www.PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk.

February 8, 2013