The Tour de France Grand Depart was named London's top sporting visit attraction in this year's edition of the annual Visit London Awards, held at the 02 stadium last week.
A judging panel made up of political, corporate and media bigwigs decided that the spectacular Tour kick-off deserved to be singled out as the best sporting event for spectators in the capital. As we reported early last week, spectators at the Tour in London spent an estimated £88million, boosting the city's income, in addition to generating £35million worth of publicity. The Tour is chalked in to return to the capital in 2011.
In third spot was the ambitious Rapha Condor Smithfield Nocturne, the night-time criterium through London's historic market held in June. This is a stunning achievement for the event's organisers, the Face Partnership, who are also the people behind the popular Revolution track series. The event was picked out for its innovation and originality.
?We?re over the moon. The event was a fantastic opportunity for us to work in London, our home city and superb venue for cycling," said Face Partnership's Fran Millar. "We look forward to making the Rapha Condor Smithfield Nocturne bigger and better next year.?
To have two ambitious bike events win accolades at this level shows that when the right organisation is in place, cycle racing can really pull the crowds in. As an exciting and accessible sport that can be brought to the heart of a city, cycling is unrivalled.
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