2023 Women's WorldTour event returns for three days of racing that finish in central London
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Final day of racing for 2023 RideLondon Classique will have full circuits in central London(Image credit: London Marathon Events Ltd)
Route map stage 1 of 2023 RideLondon Classique(Image credit: London Marathon Events Ltd)
Stage 2 route map of 2023 RideLondon Classique(Image credit: London Marathon Events Ltd)
RideLondon Classique, May 26-28, ushers in the first of two Women’s WorldTour stage races to the United Kingdon, with the 2022 edition returning for a second year in its three-day format. There are two stages across Essex and then the final day of racing with circuits in downtown London for a total of 378.8 kilometres.
Stage 1 on Friday takes the peloton from King Street in Saffron Walden in north-west Essex for 149.7km of rolling roads in an east-bound direction to the historic city of Colchester. Wedged between intermediate sprints, the first one on a short 30km loop that brings the peloton back through Saffron Walden, are three queen of the mountains climbs. After the second sprint in Mistley, the roads flatten for the final 25km to the finish on a slight uphill in front of Colchester Castle.
Maldon is the base for stage 2, with 137.1km that use largely flat, open roads for a loop around Abberton Reservoir and finish with three laps back in the start city. The final circuits include three climbs to the west on the North Hill (1.5km at 5.2% average gradient) and then head to the short, steep Market Hill ascent (8.2% gradient) which launches riders the final 500 metres and the finish line.
Central London returns Sunday for a refresh on the circuit used in 2022. This time out, the peloton will make eight full laps for a total of 92 kilometres with the start and finish now next to St James’s Park along The Mall, the red-carpet styled road surface connecting Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square.
“This is a day for the pure sprinters who will be looking to add a famous win on The Mall to their palmares,” said Scott Sunderland, race director of the RideLondon Classique.
Famous landmarks scattered along the route include Piccadilly Circus, Parliament Square, Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, St Paul’s Cathedral and the River Thames when the race passes along the Victoria Embankment. Two intermediate sprints will be up for grabs on laps three and six for valuable bonus seconds and points.
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Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).
