The inaugural London Sports Writing Festival is currently underway, and this Sunday sees a packed programme of sessions focusing on some of the best current writing in the world of cycling.

Garmin's David Millar, who announced this week that he plans to retire at the end of next season, will be among the speakers, as will former pros Charly Wegelius and Rob Hayles, as they reveal the less glamorous side of life behind the scenes of pro cycling's peloton.

Sunday's opening session promises to be an inspirational one, as Tim Lewis discusses his book charting the unlikely rise of the Rwandan cycling team in the aftermath of civil war and genocide.

Ned Boulting and Richard Moore will follow with a lighter look at the history of cycling in Britain, while the evening sessions will offer tips for aspiring cycling writers in the company of writers including Daniel Friebe, Jeremy Whittle and William Fotheringham.

The event is being hosted at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, and tickets for Sunday's sessions are currently available from the event website: www.londonsportswritingfestival.com.

Sunday's cycling-themed sessions in full are:

Sunday 20 October, 12.15pm - 1.15pm: THE LAND OF SECOND CHANCES: THE IMPOSSIBLE RISE OF RWANDA'S CYCLING TEAM

Tim Lewis' book charts the truly incredible story of the Rwandan cycling team as they overcame impossible odds to inspire a nation. In this session, Tim will talk about some of the people behind the team's success - from Adrien Niyonshuti, a member of the Rwandan cycling team who was just seven years old when he lost his family in the 1994 genocide that tore Rwanda apart. Almost twenty years later Adrien embarks on a mission to represent his country at the Olympics. Then there's Jock Boyer, the coach of Team Rwanda. One of the top American cyclists of all time, Jock recognised the innate talent for endurance that the Rwandans possess. Working with Tom Ritchey, the visionary inventor of the mountain bike and the U.S. money man looking to recover from a profound personal crisis, between them they transformed the fortunes of this nation's cycling team. Daniel Friebe is in the chair.

3.00pm - 4.00pm: ON THE ROAD BIKE: The Search for a Nation's Cycling Soul

Ned Boulting and Richard Moore consider how Britain became so obsessed with cycling. From the velodrome at Herne Hill to the Tour of Britain at Stoke-on-Trent via Bradley Wiggins, Chris Boardman, David Millar (and David's mum), Ken Livingstone, both Tommy Godwins, Gary Kemp (yes, him from Spandau Ballet) and many, many more. A lively look at the austere, nutty soul of British cycling.

4.30pm - 5.30pm: DOMESTIQUE: LIFE IN THE PELOTON

Not all professional cyclists live the life of a glamorous superstar. Join Charly Wegelius ('Domestique: The Real-Life Ups and Downs of a Tour Pro') and Rob Hayles ('Easy Rider: My Life on a Bike') as they discuss the harsh reality of what being a professional cyclist really entails with Sky's Orla Chennaoui.

6.00pm - 7.00pm: THE CYCLING ANTHOLOGY PRESENTS...

This is a golden age of cycling writing and the Cycling Anthology showcases the finest talents. Editors Lionel Birnie and Ellis Bacon are joined by top writers Daniel Friebe, and Jeremy Whittle to discuss some of the stories that have dominated this year, and offer a sneak preview of the latest edition of The Cycling Anthology which will be published at the end of the month. A perfect opportunity for budding cycling writers to gain some inside knowledge into this ever more popular area of publishing.

7.30pm - 8.30pm: PROJECT RAINBOW

The thought of a British World Cycling Champion was deemed for many years unthinkable. Then Rod Ellingworth came up with a 4 year plan. It was called Project Rainbow and the idea was to help Mark Cavendish become World Champion. It worked. Ellingworth's recently published book of the same name has received widespread praise. This session will be hosted his co-writer William Fotheringham as he welcomes Rod Ellingworth and Garmin's David Millar to the closing event of this year's festival.

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