The Olympic Road Cycling Road Races take place on 28 July (men’s) and 29 July (women’s), the opening weekend of the Olympic Games.
The Road Races will begin on The Mall, before the riders head south-west through the city, past thousands of households and businesses, enabling fans to see world-class cycling action from their front door. They will then cross the Thames at Putney Bridge and continue out of London through Richmond Park and past Hampton Court Palace.
The Surrey section of the course weaves through Walton-on-Thames, Weybridge, West Byfleet and Dorking before the cyclists tackle several circuits of a challenging loop around Box Hill (nine for the men’s Road Race, two loops for the women’s equivalent). The riders will then head north through Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher and return over Hampton Court Bridge, through Kingston and Richmond Park, on their way back to The Mall for a dramatic finish against the backdrop of Buckingham Palace.
View the Road Cycling Road Race route map
Find out more about watching the Olympic Cycling Road Race
This page is designed to keep you informed about the London 2012 Games in your area and provide you with the information you need to plan ahead for the Games.
Local travel information
Road closures
In order to safely deliver this world-class sporting event, we must secure the route, make sure it is clear of any vehicles and prepare the route in a manner which optimises athlete safety. This protects both competitors and spectators and will involve extensive road closures and parking restrictions in affected areas from the early hours of the morning until late in the evening on event days.
On Saturday 28 July, roads will close at the following times:
The Mall to Richmond Park: 3am
(local authority areas affected by closure: Westminster City Council, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London Borough of Wandsworth, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames)
Richmond Park to Box Hill: 4am
(local authority areas affected by closure: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Elmbridge Borough Council, Woking Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council)
While the majority of roads in Richmond will close from 4am on Saturday 28 July, the east – west route from Kingston Bridge to Hampton Court Road, south of Hampton Court Green, will remain open until the Kingston closures are in place from 6am
From Box Hill to Kingston: 6am
(local authority areas affected by closure: Mole Valley District Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames)
On Sunday 29 July, roads will close at the following times:
The Mall to Richmond Park: 5am
(local authority areas affected by closure: Westminster City Council, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, London Borough of Wandsworth, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames)
Richmond Park to Box Hill: 6am
(local authority areas affected by closure: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Elmbridge Borough Council, Woking Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council)
From Box Hill to Kingston: 6am
(local authority areas affected by closure: Mole Valley District Council, Elmbridge Borough Council and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames)
After the events have finished, roads will remain closed for some time to ensure they are safe and secure for public use. Barriers and banners will need to be removed; traffic islands and road signs reinstated; roads thoroughly cleaned, crowds dispersed; security checks completed and stewards stood down before roads can be reopened safely.
Roads will be reopened in stages, starting with the most important roads first and we expect roads to be fully open again by late evening on each event day. We will, of course, work hard to reopen them as soon as possible, minimising the impact, but factors such as size of crowds, security needs and speed of the riders will all play a part in determining reopening times.
More detailed information about closures will be provided nearer the time.
If you live near Box Hill, find out how you local area will be affected.
Transport
London 2012 is aiming for 100% of ticketed spectators to travel to competition venues by public transport, walk or cycle so rail and London Underground services may be busy on event days. You can minimise disruption to your journey by planning your travel in advance.
Many bus services will operate a more frequent service and there will be some diversions and service suspensions. Detailed information will be available closer to the Games.
For more information about local travel and transport visit:
What will happen and when?
27 July Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
28 July Men’s Olympic Road Race
29 July Women’s Olympic Road Race
12 August Olympic Games Closing Ceremony
For more information
To find out more about the Games and how it will impact your local area, please visit the related links on this page.
If you have any questions that you would like us to answer, please contact us at inyourarea@london2012.com
Get involved
From the Olympic Torch Relay and Local Leaders programme to the London 2012 Festival there are millions of ways to join in with London 2012. Events are taking place across the UK from now right until the end of the Games.
Find out how you can join in and see what’s happening in your local community.
