LEWISTON — This year’s reigning Tour de France winner, Alberto Contador, will join the slate of riders at this year’s Dempsey Challenge.

“The lineup will be unprecedented for a noncompetitive event,” said Mark Turcotte, a spokesman for the challenge. “Alberto Contador is the premiere cyclist in the world right now.”

The challenge, which benefits the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing in Lewiston, is scheduled for Oct. 2 and 3.

Contador, who is from Spain, will join pro cyclists and Tour de France veterans Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner and Kevin Livingston in the charity bicycle ride. The bicycling events are scheduled for Oct. 3. They will begin and end at Simard-Payne Memorial Park in Lewiston.

Cyclist George Hincapie, who rode in last year’s inaugural challenge and had planned to ride this year, announced Friday he had to pull out of this year’s challenge because of an unforeseen scheduling conflict.