British Cycling chief executive Ian Drake is set to ride the 10th Brompton World Championships, which takes place on 1 August as part of the weekend-long RideLondon cycling festival.

The Brompton World Championships is a unique event, centred around the eponymous and ubiquitous Brompton folding bike – a 16-inch wheeled bike which folds into an incredibly small package, a common sight on railway station platforms throughout the country.

The championships plays on the bikes’ extraordinary origami-like fold, with the 575 riders beginning with a Le Mans-style start in St James Park, sprinting to their folded machines and unfurling them before eight manic criterium-style laps of the royal park.

The event imposes a strictly no Lycra rule, with participants in all categories encouraged to wear shirts, ties and jackets, with a separate competition for the best-dressed male and female.

Previous winners of the championships include multiple British time trial champions Michael Hutchinson and Julia Shaw and four-time Vuelta a Espana winner Roberto Heras.

Drake is no stranger to the event, having competed in the eighth edition in at Goodwood back in 2013, claiming 36th place.

“The Brompton World Championships is a fantastic, unique event which really showcases the fun and enjoyment people get from cycling in all its forms.

“Taking part in the event two years ago was a great experience, and I am looking forward to being part of such an exciting, entertaining spectacle again this weekend in London.”

Stay tuned to British Cycling to see if Drake can better his 2013 performance.