Ride London Classique

27-29 May, Essex and London

- James Shrubsall

The Classics specialists and T all-rounders of the women's peloton will be eyeing up the honours at a revised and extended Ride London Classique women's race as top-level racing returns to the capital this weekend after a two-year hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new three-day Women's World Tour stage race forms the centrepiece of a re-worked Ride London festival following the cancellation of the men's London-Surrey Classic in 2020 and 2021 and the subsequent loss of support from Surrey County Council.

Now taking place in late May rather than its former August date, the race takes riders over two stages in Essex and a final circuit race in the heart of London. Many of the peloton's one-day specialists return to racing after their Spring Classics campaign, making for an event with much more depth and quality.

Race director Scott Sunderland explained that the route has been designed as a sort of Classics stage race. The opening stage around Maldon and the Essex coast has been designed for the cobbled Classics specialists, stage two from Chelmsford to Epping is suited to the climbers of the Ardennes, and a final-stage circuit race in London was inspired by the kind of courses seen in the World Championships.

"If the weather wants to be dirty, it will be really tough racing," he added.