The following is taken from the event website:  www.greatbikeride.com/globalbicyclerace/

The Concept

To encourage 2012’s world tourers and world record attempters to start from the same place at the same time. The riders, press, and public at large can then compare progress and experiences as the challenge unfolds. Few constraints will be put on the riders; they’ll simply follow the Guinness World Records criteria for a circumnavigation. Route choice is down to each rider, they just have to travel 18,000 miles (29,000 km) around the world carrying GPS trackers so we can follow their progress.

Where and when?

The start/finish will be in Greenwich Park, London – the prime meridian and home of Greenwich Mean Time. The winner should ideally finish just before the start of the 2012 Olympics (27th July). To this end the race will start 160 days before the Olympics on Saturday 18th February 2012.

How?

Based on Guinness World Record’s rules for Fastest Circumnavigation by Bicycle, participants will start together in London and race around the world returning to the same point to finish. Live tracking on the race website should be gripping and accompanied by reports of conditions from the riders. Winners may claim the Guinness World Record currently held by race organiser Vin Cox (163 days).