Ford RideLondon Classique 2024
Ford RideLondon Classique returns for 2024 with the world’s best UCI Women’s WorldTour teams
The world’s best teams and riders are returning to take part in the Ford RideLondon Classique. This is a UCI Women’s WorldTour race, between Friday 24 May and Sunday 26 May. The riders will tackle three stages starting in Essex and finishing on the Mall in front of Buckingham Palace.
The race started back in 2013 as a one-day circuit race in central London. Three years later it was upgraded to Women’s WorldTour status. Finally in 2022 it expanded to become a three day stage-race and always attracts a strong field.
Stage one Saffron Walden to Colchester, Friday 24 May 2024
Stage One will start in the medieval market town of Saffron Walden, in north-west Essex, and finish in the historic city of Colchester, which was the first capital of Roman Britain. See the route on RidewithGPS
Having left Saffron Walden the race will head west through Littlebury towards the picturesque village of Elmdon. After just 8km of racing the riders will approach Hertford Lane and the first QoM point of the race. This is sure to be an animated point, as riders attempt to secure much needed points and the QoM jersey. The race will then enter Cambridgeshire, passing through Great Chishill – highest point in the county – before the riders arrive in Hertfordshire.
In 2024, the race will pass through some notable towns and villages in the county. These include Barley, Barkway and Buckland, before heading down a closed section of the A10. Riders will exit before the market town of Buntingford, continuing onto Hare Street, Great Hormead, Brent Pelham and Pelham Gate. They then cross back into the eastern border of Essex. The second QoM point will also arrive on Cambridge Road after 18km of racing.
Riders will head easat through the county, passing Clavering, Newport, Debden and Thaxted. At the 74km mark the riders will enter Finchingfield, which welcomed riders of the 2014 Tour de France. Halstead hosts the first sprint of the day at 88km with vital points on offer to secure another of the leaders’ jerseys.
Whoever finishes the day in the Q0M jersey will be finalised on Sandy Hill, in Wormingford before the race winds to a conclusion through Dedham, Mistley (and a second Sprint point) and finally Colchester.
Stage two Maldon to Maldon, Saturday 25 May 2024
Maldon will host Stage Two. The historic market town, situated on the Blackwater estuary on Essex’s east coast, has welcomed the race for three consecutive years.
Having set out from Promenade Park, the race heads east through Goldhanger and Tolleshunt D’Arcy. Looping west the race enters Tiptree after 28km, known for its production of preserves and jams!
The riders will continue onto Braxted and Beacon Hill before the first of three loops of a smaller circuit. The race will pass through Witham at 41km and loop towards Little Baddow; the first QoM points of the day. Passing through Woodham Walter, the race passes through Maldon and head towards Wickham Bishops and Sprint Number One at 74km.
The two further loops of the smaller circuit follow, with QoM and Sprint points at the same points before a finish in Maldon High Street.
Stage three London, Sunday 26 May 2024
The race will culminate with the showpiece Stage Three in central London, which is an iconic stage targeted by the world’s best sprinters.
Charlotte Kool (Team DSM, now Team DSM-firmenich) secured the overall Leader’s Jersey and her second win of the race on The Mall last year.
Ford RideLondon Classique teams
The 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique will welcome the strongest and most competitive field of elite teams in its history.
Headlined by the world’s leading team in 2023, Team SD Worx-Protime, the 2024 field will include four of the top five teams from the 2023 end-of-season rankings with Lidl-Trek, Canyon/SRAM and UAE Team ADQ. Team DSM-firmenich PostNL – who have won every edition of the Classique since 2022 – will also return and attempt to secure a third successive crown.
In total, eleven UCI Women’s WorldTour teams and nine UCI Continental teams will compete in the 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique. Amongst the latter are four teams from Great Britain and Ireland: Lifeplus-Wahoo, DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK, Doltcini O’Shea and Torelli.
DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
We’ll be keeping an eye on the DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK, who are sponsored by Hampshire-based Handsling Bikes. The team are riding on Handsling’s A1R0evo, this is their UCI approved carbon, aero frame. The team have expanded over the winter and are tackling a tougher race calendar this year.
Take part!
The Classique takes place in tandem with London’s largest annual cycling festival, RideLondon, which includes the RideLondon-Essex 100-mile sportive. If you’d like something a little shorter, there’s also a 30 and a 60 mile option. London will also host the FreeCycle ride. This will allow families to safely ride around some of London’s iconic landmarks, free from motorised traffic.
