Beer garden of 2012 London Olympic

The men's and women's cycling road races, on the opening weekend of the Games, could produce Britain's first gold medallist with Tour de France multiple stage winner Mark Cavendish likely to be the big home hope.

Both events start and finish outside the Queen's central London residence of Buckingham Palace with spectators likely to throng the route through leafy south-west London out into the Surrey countryside.

The London-Surrey Cycle Classic test event next month will be a good advance opportunity to find a prime vantage point.

"We have the opportunity for thousands of people to engage with this, on their doorstep, in the local park, in the pub beer garden and all sorts of other places along the route," said LOCOG cycling manager Simon Lillistone.

"It is a fantastic opportunity for people to actually see an Olympic event first-hand and hopefully link into what London 2012 is here to do and really inspire young people."

Hampton Court, the palatial home of 16th century Tudor monarch Henry VIII, will be the base for the men's and women's time trials on Aug. 1 next year.

The men will also do a loop through the royal Bushy Park which - always allowing for the vagaries of the British summer - offers the potential for picnics while watching the riders.

The marathons pass a string of London landmarks and parts of the triathlon course and race walking will also be fantastic free opportunities for those who get there early enough.

The ticketed sections along the northern edge of the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park for the Aug. 4 and 7 triathlons were an early sell-out in the British public ballot but other areas inside the Park are open to all.

Top spectator spots identified by British Triathlon, who are also running a free test event next month, include the Wellington Arch/Hyde Park Corner area, the south side of the Serpentine Bridge and around Buckingham Palace.

The archery ranking rounds at Lord's cricket ground on July 27, likened improbably by those within the sport to Formula One qualifying without the noise or frenzy, caused some excitement when they were listed as non-ticketed events.

That could score as a bullseye for the freebie hunter although the rounds, in a part of the cricket ground used as a training area, are more likely to be behind closed doors.

Organisers are still considering the options but could make a limited number of tickets available to local residents and schoolchildren as well as athletes' friends and family.

"You'd get to see the world's best but it's really just a load of people standing in a line shooting arrows, rather than the excitement of a head-to-head," said Archery GB spokesman Peter Jones.