The RideLondon Classique's new three-day event will take place in Essex for the first two stages of the event set to take place from May 27-29 in 2022.
Organisers have revamped the former one-day event into a new three-day race that will make its return as part of the Women’s WorldTour next year. It will become the second top-tier stage race held in the UK and is position directly ahead of the The Women’s Tour on the calendar.
"Essex will host stages one and two of the new three-day road race, part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour, which will be held from 27 to 29 May, and is once again set to attract the world’s best teams and riders," organisers confirmed on the event's website Tuesday.
RideLondon has been held as a one-day race and was added to the inaugural Women’s WorldTour calendar in 2016. It downgraded to a 1.Pro status in 2020, due to conflicting events on the Women's WorldTour calendar, however, it was then cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It returned to the Women's WorldTour calendar this year but organiser were forced to cancel the event again due to the pandemic.
The UCI announced the events that will make up the 2022 Women's WorldTour in June, with RideLondon Classique set for May 27-29, however, no other details were published at that time.
"The last two editions of the event in 2020 and 2021 could not take place due to the pandemic so we have been working with stakeholders to confirm the new format and routes for 2022," event director Hugh Brasher said at the time.
Former champions of the one-day race includes inaugural winner Kirsten Wild, who won in 2018 and 2018. Coryn Labecki (née Rivera) won in 2017 and Lorena Wiebes won the last edition held in 2019.
Organisers confirmed that the first two stages of the 2022 edition will take place in Essex. Its RideLondon-Essex 100-mile challenge in partnership with Essex County Council will be held on May 29 and start in London, travel to Essex, and finish in central London.
