Tour of Britain kicks off at Crystal Palace Park

The rejuvenation of Crystal Palace Park as a major sporting venue will gather pace this weekend as it hosts the prologue for the UK's biggest ever cycle race - the Tour of Britain.
 
The race comes as the London Development Agency (LDA) prepares to submit an exciting masterplan for the regeneration of the park to Bromley Council.

If given the go ahead, the park will enjoy a £67million makeover including the restoration of original fountains and the construction of new sunken gardens, greenhouses and a cricket pavilion.

Since 2004, the LDA has fought to ensure major sporting events such as the athletics Grand Prix and the London Youth Games continue to be held at this world famous venue.

Now, the Tour of Britain will join the park’s long sporting history, with 96 riders setting off at one minute intervals around the 1.6 mile route.

A full day of events is planned for Sunday 9 September to celebrate the start of the Tour. From 09.30am onwards, everyone can get involved in the festivities, with a Grand Prix ride for amateur riders, a Women's Grand Prix and a Junior Race.

LDA Chief Executive Manny Lewis, who will present a winner's jersey, said:

"Bringing the Tour of Britain to Crystal Palace not only proves that the park is a fantastic venue for premier sporting events, but showcases its huge potential in aiding the regeneration of the surrounding area. We want to see the park restored and rejuvenated into a fantastic destination for people to visit."

After the London Prologue the Tour of Britain will cover a further 950 kilometers, passing through the South of England, Somerset, the West Midlands, the North West and Yorkshire before finishing in Glasgow on Saturday 15th September.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Mayor of London and the LDA rescued Crystal Palace Park's sports facilities with Sport England in 2004. The LDA took responsibility for the swimming pool and athletics facilities at the National Sports Centre in March 2006.
2. The LDA is in ongoing dialogue with a range of community representatives, organisations and sports associations to ensure it shares its ideas and developments on a regular basis.
3. Londoners continue to show an increasing enthusiasm for cycling - for both recreation and transport. London-wide cycle journeys have increased 83 %since 2000, with an estimated 480,000 cycle journeys across the capital every day.
4. The London Development Agency works to improve quality of life for all Londoners and drive sustainable economic growth.

-Ends-

For media enquiries: please contact Rachel Clark at the LDA Media Team on 020 7593 8616 or email rachelclark@lda.gov.uk.