Some of the world's best cyclists will take to the roads of London this weekend for the inaugural RideLondon.

But a leading female cyclist has been critical of the organisers' decision to host an elite men's road race but not an equivalent for women.

"It doesn't fulfil the Olympic legacy," said Britain's Helen Wyman, the European cyclo-cross champion.

Organisers said it was logistically difficult to hold two elite road races in the first year of the event.

RideLondon cycling festival

Saturday, 3 August, 09:00-16:00 BST: Eight-mile ride through central London, where the roads will be closed for up to 50,000 people to take part.

18:30: Women's criterium - a city centre loop for professional women cyclists.

Sunday, 4 August, 06:00-17:00: A 100-mile ride from London to Surrey and back for amateur riders.

12:45: A UCI Europe men's international professional road race

But they added that the schedule would be reviewed after a post-event debrief this year.

Rather than a road race, women will have a criterium on Saturday (at 18:30 BST) - one of four events which form the two-day cycling festival, which forms part of London's Olympic legacy.

Around 100 female riders, including Olympians Laura Trott, Dani King and Jo Rowsell, as well as Wyman, will compete on a special 1.3 mile street circuit, known as a criterium, around Buckingham Palace and St James's Park.

The men will be in action on Sunday, in the 140-mile Surrey Classic (12:45 BST), which will feature around 150 of the world's top male cyclists.

Slovakia's Peter Sagan, who beat Mark Cavendish to win the green jersey for the points classification at the Tour de France, will take part, as will British veteran rider David Millar.

The festival opens with an eight-mile ride through central London, where roads will be closed for up to 50,000 people to take part.

Then on Sunday, around 20,000 thousand amateur cyclists - including celebrities such as three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker - will take part in a 100-mile challenge from Surrey to the capital.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Wyman, 32, added: "It's unfortunate, it's a shame that they have a criterium (a short circular race) for the women but a really impressive road race for the men.

"Cycling became really big in the last two or three years because of what Bradley Wiggins and Lizzie Armistead have done. People who are new to the sport don't see inequalities so why enforce these inequalities by not treating men and women as equal?

"It's reinforcing the idea that women's cycling is not really a professional sport when it genuinely is. It's really sad."

Last month, a number of female cyclists signed a petition, which currently has more than 70,000 signatures, to resurrect the women's Tour de France, which was held between 1984 and 2009 before sponsorship problems contributed to the event's demise.

However, it was recently announced that from next year the Tour of Britain would have a five-day international women's race, a first step towards a full women's version.