Subscribe to L2P News London, UK. 7 June 2010
Scott Sunderland, one of the world's top cycling coaches, is to ride The London-Paris 2010.
Sunderland is returning to the road after recently leaving Team Sky where he was senior sports director. He chose to leave to spend more time with his young family.
Stephen Roche (left) and Scott Sunderland
Sunderland, who lives in Belgium, said: "I rode The L2P last year and enjoyed the challenge and the atmosphere enormously. I'm looking forward to cycling and relaxing with old and new friends.
"My youngest son has some challenging health issues and this summer we are concentrating on family life – cycling will be a big part of that."
Australian-born Sunderland is known as "the Sir Alex Ferguson of cycling" after helping Carlos Sastre to Tour de France triumph in 2008. He joined Team Sky in 2009.
Sunderland said that it was a pleasure to work with Team Sky and to be there at the beginning to help establish a new team. He added: "It'll be exciting to watch the build up to the team's Tour de France debut while I'm riding with The L2P peloton. In my role as Ride Captain for The L2P, I'll be passing on a few pro team tips."
Sunderland has always been admired and respected for his toughness and determination. As a boy from the New South Wales bush, Sunderland worked double shifts in an abattoir to fund his early cycling career. He competed in the world's biggest events until suffering horrific injuries in the Amstel Gold World Cup race in 1998. He sustained a double blood clot on the brain and after five hours of neurosurgery to save his life, Sunderland fought his way back to fitness and competitive racing.
The London-Paris 2010, (June 24 - 26) staged by HotChillee, the global media, marketing and events company, is the UK's premier cyclosportive. It is recognised as the closest the amateur rider can get to the Tour de France experience.
The ride covers 550km in three days with a rest day in Paris. The Daily Telegraph recently ranked The L2P as one of the world's top 25 events, alongside the London and New York marathons. The event has also been named in the top ten of adventure events for women.
Sunderland will be riding alongside Tour winner Stephen Roche, Olympian Rebecca Romero, ex-pro Magnus Backstedt, former Formula 1 world champion Nigel Mansell and ex-England rugby captain Will Carling.
This year's L2P partners are adidas, Science in Sport, Specialized, Cyclevox, Sigma Sport, Mavic, Ambrosia, Map My Tracks, DHL, C37 and Sportique.