Wiggins unveils new Prudential RideLondon Surrey 46 sportive

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Bradley Wiggins has announced details of a new 46-mile sportive event that will run alongside the Prudential RideLondon Classic professional race, the women's Grand Prix criterium and the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 sportive, as part of a weekend festival of cycling on the weekend of July 30-31.

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 46 will be held on Sunday, July 31 and covers a 46-mile route on traffic-free roads, starting at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in east London immediately after the last start wave of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100. It will finish on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace just like the professional race.

The new event has been created specifically for new and younger cyclists to encourage them to enter mass participation cycling events. The public ballot entry system for the ride is now open at www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk and will close when 15,000 riders have registered or on 28 April 2016 or whichever is the earlier. Applicants will be informed whether they are successful in the ballot before the end of May 2016. The cost of entry is £39.

Wiggins met riders from Greenhouse Sports and TeachFirst charities at the unveiling of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 46. The young riders have been provided with new bikes and will be coached and supported as they train for the 46-mile event on Sunday 31 July. He also spent time with wounded and injured Servicemen from the Invictus Games Foundation who will be taking part in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100.

"This is a fantastic event for new and young riders. 46 miles is still a challenge but it's also a great introduction to cycling on traffic-free roads, and it's a wonderful way to ride your first sportive. And nothing beats riding up The Mall and crossing the line in front of Buckingham Palace," he said.

"Prudential RideLondon has truly inspired tens of thousands to get on a bike and ride. I hope that my career inspires this generation that anything is possible and to aim for the stars. I believe this festival of cycling is the most successful legacy of London 2012 and it’s amazing to see it grow and grow each year."

Following his success on the track at the World Championships, Wiggins is due to return to road racing this week with Team WIGGINS at the Settimana Internazionale di Coppi e Bartali stage race in Italy. He will also ride the Tour of California in May as he prepares for the team pursuit at the Rio Olympics in August.

Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC) won the breakaway sprint to take the victory at the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic in 2015. The Luxembourg rider dashed to the line beating Mike Teunissen (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Ben Swift (Team Sky).