Brompton World Championship returns to RideLondon for 2018: Entries now open

The 2018 Brompton World Championship will return to the Prudential RideLondon festival for a fourth consecutive year, taking place on Saturday July 28.

The annual folding bike race will comprise eight laps of a circuit around St James's Park totalling 16 kilometres, starting on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.

According to the event's organiser, riders from 26 nations took part in the 2017 event making it a truly international one.

For those unfamiliar with the event, riders start lined up on foot for a Le Mans-style run to their machines, and then deftly unfold them before riding off.

Riders are strongly discouraged from wearing Lycra, and instead donning business attire – or fancy dress if you desire – in keeping with Brompton's status as a commuting bike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JksYSv9Og-8

Registration for the 2018 event opened on Monday (January 22) and is open until February 12. Entry is limited to 550 riders, and costs £50.

Like the RideLondon Surrey 100 sportive, entry is by a ballot system with the successful applicants chosen at random. Entrants will be notified whether they are successful or not by February 12.

>>> Ballot for 2018 RideLondon-Surrey 100 now open: how to guarantee your place

The winner of the event will receive a special one-off World Championship edition Brompton.

This year's race will be the 13th edition. Prior to the championship taking place at RideLondon it has been hosted by Barcelona, Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex.

Twelve countries now hold an annual Brompton national championship, with the male and female winner of each getting an automatic entry into the world championship.

Unai Alvarez Mosquera (Spain) won the men's 2017 world championship, with Elspeth Huyett (USA) claiming the women's title.