Stamford Bridge, Chelsea's iconic football ground, Craven Cottage, home of Fulham FC, and the Kia Oval, one of the world's most famous cricket grounds, are just some of the sporting venues sports fans can enjoy on a new self-guided Barclays Cycle Hire route.  Running along the river from Hammersmith in West London, through Battersea Park to Kennington in south London, the ride uses mainly quiet roads which are especially suitable for leisure cyclists and tourists.  

Tracing the River Thames, the route also follows part of the Oxford and Cambridge university boat race, one of the oldest sporting events in the world.  There is even the chance to relive the London 2012 Games by peddling along a section of the Olympic Cycling Road Race route.  

Cycle hire users can pick up a free copy of Transport for London's (TfL) "Explore London with Barclays Cycle Hire" map at central London Tube stations and London Overground stations. Other popular routes in the new colour-coded guide include: Quirky London, London's secret gardens, Saturday markets and Independent shops and markets.  

Nick Aldworth, General Manager for Barclays Cycle Hire at TfL, said: "From famous football grounds to quirky Saturday markets, our self-guided cycling routes are a great way to see London differently this summer.  With docking stations along the ride you can dock your Barclays Cycle Hire bike when you want to take a break to admire the fantastic sports venues and sights.  It's the perfect way to discover London."  

Ron Gourlay, Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club, said: "Stamford Bridge is famous the world over as the home of Chelsea FC and we're very happy to open our home to the cyclists of this new route to enjoy a tour of our stadium, experience our museum and dine in one of our restaurants."  

Sarah Brookes, Communications Director at Fulham Football Club, said: "Craven Cottage is steeped in history, from the wonderful listed facade designed by Archibald Leitch, the beautiful bronze statue of the first £100 a week footballer Johnny Haynes, to the Cottage itself, there is so much to see. The café at Craven Cottage is a great place to relax and unwind either at the end of a leisurely cycle ride, or as a resting point before continuing the journey along the route."  

Richard Gould, Chief Executive at Surrey County Cricket Club / the Kia Oval, said: "Barclays Cycle Hire has been one of the best innovations in London transport over recent years and we are delighted to be so well served by docking stations.   "The Kia Oval was where the first FA Cup Final was staged, where England scored their first ever goal and where England scored their first ever try. It seems very appropriate therefore that people should combine a visit here with trips to Craven Cottage and Stamford Bridge, important and historic venues in their own right."  

People can hire Barclays Cycle Hire bikes from as little as £2 for 24 hour bike access which includes unlimited journeys under 30 minutes. Users simply need to go to a docking station with a credit or debit card and touch the screen to get started. There is no need to book, simply hire a bike, ride it, and then return it to any docking station across the capital, ready for the next rider.  

Large parts of southwest London are now accessible by Barclays Cycle Hire after the area covered by the scheme expanded by more than 50 per cent in December 2013.

For more information visit www.tfl.gov.uk/barclayscyclehire  

  • The Sporting Sights cycling route was created by British Cycling, the other routes in the new map were supplied by the London Cycle Blog
  • There are currently over 10,000 Barclays Cycle Hire bikes across London with over 19,000 docking points available. The scheme, which is already the second largest cycle hire system in Europe, last month celebrated 30 million journeys since its launch and remains an affordable and enjoyable way to travel around London
  • The Tour de France - the world's largest annual sporting event - returns to London on Monday 7 July. After two stages in Yorkshire, around 200 elite cyclists will travel from Cambridge, through Essex, into London before a spectacular finish on The Mall. The Tour de France will draw people onto the streets of London from near and far, and help to inspire more people to take up cycling in the capital
  • The Tour de France is followed by two more exciting cycling events in London - Prudential RideLondon on 9 and 10 August and the Tour of Britain, which takes place between 7 and 14 September and traditionally finishes in the capital