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Olympic stars line up at Salford event

29/ 8/2008

OLYMPIC gold medal winner Chris Hoy heads the line up for the Salford Nocturne cycling event on Saturday 30 August.

The sprint hero will be joined by fellow Olympians Geraint Thomas and Ed Clancy who smashed their own world record to claim Olympic glory in the team pursuit.

With other members of the British Cycling team joining the celebrations as VIP guests the event will provide the first opportunity to welcome home the cycling stars.

Salford based Hoy is already looking forward to the homecoming celebrations.

He said: "The Salford Nocturne is shaping up to be an exciting event. It should be a lot of fun, and a good opportunity to celebrate the success of the team following Beijing."

The event will provide an exciting mix of elite racing and entertainment, with a programme including the Cycling Weekly Support Race, Geoff Thomas Foundation Corporate Challenge, Folding Bike Race, and Elite Criterium.

Geraint Thomas and Clancy will feature in the elite event, taking on the best of British on a stunning course around the Lowry in Salford Quays.

Hoy will swap the pressure of the Olympic Velodrome for a more light hearted challenge as he takes part in the pro celebrity roller racing in which he will be up against the likes of former England footballer Geoff Thomas.

The roller racing will also be open to the public and will be one of the main attractions in the start/finish area in the main plaza in front of the Lowry.

Spectators will be invited to try and beat a 500m sprint time set by Hoy, with the closest contenders set to receive their prizes from the Olympic champion.

Roller Racing will be open from 3pm, with the main race programme commencing at 6pm.

Full details of the Salford Nocturne can be found at www.salfordnocturne.com.