The road cycling program has four events, an individual road race and an individual time trial for men and women.

The road race will span approximately 250km for the men and 140km for the women. The men's and women's races will begin on The Mall, with Buckingham Palace providing an iconic backdrop. From here, the riders will head south-west through the city, crossing the Thames at Putney Bridge and continuing out through Richmond Park and past Hampton Court Palace. The course incorporates several circuits of a challenging loop around Box Hill (nine for the men's Road Race, two loops for the women's equivalent), before the riders head north back towards The Mall for the finish.

The Time Trial will be contested individually against the clock over a distance of 44km for men and 29km for women. Riders set off at 90-second intervals and the rider with the quickest time of the day is the winner. They will start on the driveway to Hampton Court Palace and finish outside the Palace grounds on Hampton Court Road.

London 2012 Storylines:
The men's road race will feature a very strong field including British hope Mark Cavendish, 2010 Tour de France runner up Andy Schleck and Canadian hopeful Ryder Hesjedal, who finished seventh in the 2010 Tour de France.  Spain's Alberto Contador will miss out on the Olympics after being handed a two-year ban for doping infractions.  Contador is considering an appeal.

Canada's Outlook:
Canadian Clara Hughes will look to claim the title "Canada's most decorated Olympian" all to herself in London next summer. Hughes, who won her first two career Olympic medals in cycling at the Atlanta 1996 Games before turning to long track speed skating, returns to cycling in London 2012 with her sights set on another podium finish in the road cycling events.

In the men's road race, Canadian Ryder Hesjedal significantly raised his profile last season, garnering international attention when he finished seventh in the 2010 Tour de France.  It was the best result by a Canadian in the prestigious event in more than 20 years.  He finished fourth in two of the stages. In Beijing 2008, Michael Barry recorded Canada's best ever finish in the men's road race in a non-boycotted Games, placing eighth (Steve Bauer won silver in Los Angeles 1984).  

Also in Beijing, Svein Tuft recorded a seventh place finish in the time trial, the best Canadian result in that race since Stockholm 1912.  He also won the World silver medal in the time trial in 2008.  

International Athletes - At a Glance:

Men

Mark Cavendish – Great Britain

• Won five stages of the 2010 Tour de France and finished second in the points classification awarded for sprints
• Won gold at 2011 UCI Road World Championships
• Considered the most successful British rider ever in the Tour de France

• Finished second overall in this year's Tour de France, but wore the yellow jersey for six stages
• Has won the young rider classification of the Tour de France three straight years (2008-10)

• Competed in both track and road cycling in Beijing 2008, winning gold in the track points race and finishing sixth in the individual road race
• Three-time overall World Cup champion, including 2010
• Won silver at 2011 UCI Road World Championships