Celebrity line-up for IG Markets Hot Lap

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Posted Thursday 15th September 2011 –

IG Markets, sponsors of the Tour of Britain gold jersey, is to launch the inaugural IG Markets Hot Lap on Sunday 18 September, the final day of the Tour of Britain. Over 50 amateur cyclists have signed up to ride the famed time-trial course in the heart of London, including seventeen sporting and media celebrities who are to captain the three person teams in support of the Prostate Cancer Charity.

The IG Markets Hot Lap will kick off in the wake of the professional time-trial that takes place during the morning and only a couple of hours before the final stage of The Tour of Britain which starts later the same afternoon. The circuit is 8.8km and weaves between some of London’s most famous landmarks. There is every incentive to raise funds for the charity as every £100 buys the team a one second reduction on their overall time.

IG Markets Hot Lap

Among the celebrities that will captain the teams are sporting stars Chemmy Alcott, Britain’s leading Alpine skier; Shirley Robertson, a double Olympic Gold medallist sailor and CNN & BBC presenter; Tasha Danvers, Olympic Bronze medallist hurdler; Nick Dempsey, Olympic bronze medallist and Windsurf World Champion; Ben Saunders, the polar explorer and ex-footballer Mark Bright.

These athletes join BBC Casualty actor Tristan Gemmel, BBC Radio London’s Robert Elms, Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp and household TV presenters such as Sky News anchor Dermot Murnaghan and ITV’s cycling presenter Ned Boulting, among several others. Together the celebrity participants have won four Olympic Medals, scored 167 League and Cup goals, conquered the North Pole and had ten Top 10 hits (including Spandau Ballet’s chart topping hit ‘Gold’ that was released in 1983).

Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of The Tour of Britain said: “The IG Markets Hot Lap will give riders the unique experience of riding a professional time trial on The Tour of Britain’s equivalent of the Champs-Élysées. This is a unique chance for these riders to cycle on closed roads at the heart of London, while raising money for a very worthy cause.”

The full list of celebrity captains are –

  • Chemmy Alcott, Britain’s No1 skier and three Winter Olympian
  • Dermot Murnaghan, Sky News anchor
  • Gary Kemp, Spandau Ballet singer
  • Graham Bell, BBC Ski Sunday presenter and five times Olympic skier
  • Greg Whyte, Olympic Sports Scientist
  • Mark Bright, footballer Crystal Palace/Sheffield Wednesday
  • Matt Barbet, Channel 5 News presenter
  • Ned Boulting, ITV4 cycling presenter
  • Nick Dempsey, 2004 Athens Olympic Bronze medalist and Windsurfing World Champion
  • Orla Chennaoui, Sky News Olympic presenter
  • Robert Elms, BBC Radio London presenter
  • Shirley Robertson, Two time Olympic Gold medalist (2000 and 2004) and presenter
  • Tasha Danvers, Olympic Bronze medalist in 400m hurdles in Beijing 2008
  • Tristan Gemmel, BBC Casualty actor
  • Ben Saunders, Polar explorer and youngest person to go unsupported to the North Pole