Wimbledon is set to come to a standstill as thousands of cyclists ride through the borough to the sounds of celebrations.
The Ride London Festival of Cycling takes place this weekend with more than 20,000 cyclist expected to pass through Merton with central roads through Wimbledon closed to traffic all Sunday.
Four events, two on Saturday and two on Sunday, are due to be held across the capital and in parts of Surrey as part of the post 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy which aims to give a major boost to the number of active cyclists in the UK.
The Olympic Road race and time trials last year missed Merton, passing through neighbouring Kingston and Putney so the event marks the first time the borough has seen international cycling competition.
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 starts on Sunday and will see 20,000 amateur and club riders cycling the 100-mile course starting at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park before headng through 12 London boroughs and parts of northern Surrey and finally finishing on The Mall.
In celebration of the event passing through Merton, Love Wimbledon will be hosting a street party on Wimbledon Hill Road between the Worple Road junction and St Georges Road junction.
Street entertainment will take place from 11am to 5pm Sunday with balloon twisters, massages, free bike security marking, a steel band orchestra and a ‘bicycle ballet’ dance performance planned throughout the day.
There will be a number of road closures in the local area as a result, with Worple Road, Wimbledon Town Centre, Wimbledon Hill Road, Wimbledon High Street and Wimbledon Parkside shut from 7.30am to 7.15pm.
Also on Sunday will be the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic, where 150 of the world’s top cyclists compete on the same route as above.
Spectators can expect to see top British talent such as Ben Swift and David Millar take on international talent in the race, that will be nearing its final stages when the riders fly through the streets of Merton.
Organisers expect cyclists in the Surrey 100 to arrive in Wimbledon at 9.40am and looping back at 4.25pm, with the professionals in the Surrey Classic due to make an appearance between 5.35pm and 6.05pm.
Drivers are being advised to avoid driving in areas around the route if possible and parking along the route will be suspended throughout the day.
For more information visit PrudentialRideLondon.co.uk.
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