Cycle race in the West End

Central London is to be turned into a racetrack for the world's greatest cyclists.

Teams from the Athens Olympics and Tour de France will race on a one-mile circuit from Big Ben to Trafalgar Square, via Whitehall, Northumberland Avenue and the Victoria Embankment.

The capital is to hold the final stage of the five-day Tour of Britain, with 96 riders competing for a ?60,000 prize, on Sunday 5 September.

They also hope a large turnout will boost the capital's bid for the 2012 Olympics and the Mayor's attempts to bring several stages of the 2006 Tour de France to London.

A Formula One demonstration in Regent Street last month attracted 500,000 people.