RED HOOK — Red Hook's popular nighttime bike race is heading to London for the first time this summer, expanding its worldwide audience to a third international city, organizers said.
The Red Hook Criterium will debut its London race on July 11 at the Greenwich Peninsula with about 350 riders speeding through the challenging course, founder David Trimble said.
The Crit, which launched eight years ago in Red Hook, expanded to Milan, Italy, in 2010 and three years later began hosting the annual race in Barcelona.
"This will mean we'll have four different races in four different countries," Trimble said.
The high-intensity race took place at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on April 25. The Barcelona and Milan races are scheduled for Sept. 5 and Oct. 10 respectively.
London's Red Hook Crit will be similar in many ways to the Brooklyn race, Trimble said. As done in Red Hook, the event will take place at night and riders must use track bikes. There will also be a separate women's competition organized for bikers.
The race will be billed "Red Hook Crit London," one way "to spread the brand of the neighborhood," Trimble said.
The Crit is partnering with a London-based company called FACE Partnership, which will be producing the race in the city.
Registration for the race open on June 10.
