It's time to dust off that rusty racer - the Tour of Britain comes to London next week as the capital hosts the final stage of the nationwide cycle race.
As the Tour of Britain website reports:
The 2006 Tour of Britain will consist of six stages starting on Tuesday 29 August in Glasgow. The Tour then takes in new routes in the Northwest, Yorkshire and the West Midlands, before a brand new fifth stage in the Southeast ending in Canterbury, the finish city of the first stage of the 2007 Tour de France.
The sixth stage is an exciting new route through London, taking in the Royal Parks and some of the capital’s best-known landmarks. The final stage finishes with a thrilling 20-lap chase around The Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace.
But it's not just about watching sweaty bikers racing round St James' Park - "London's biggest bike party 'Bike Fest 06' will provide entertainment and an excellent opportunity for both cyclists and non-cyclists to find out more about cycling in London"
Sounds great, but we can't help suspecting it's all just so the Queen has something to watch out of her bedroom window.
Image courtesy of Shields Photography's Flickr stream.
