RideLondon Classique 2024: the most important facts in brief
- Date: 24 to 26 May 2024
- Distance~ 390 kilometres
- StartSaffron Walden, GoalLondon
- Profilethree slightly undulating stages
- UCI category: Women's World Tour
- OrganiserLondon Marathon Events
- Premiere: 2013, 9th edition
- Last year's winnerCharlotte Kool
The RideLondon Classique has a short but chequered history behind it, which has not all been upwards. Originating from a side event of the London-Surrey men's race, the women's competition developed from a one-day race after the coronavirus pandemic into a three-day stage race outside London. The race was downgraded to the UCI ProSeries several times because it could not guarantee sufficient live coverage. However, the race currently has World Tour status again.
These are the favourites for the RideLondon Classique 2024
Last year, Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) won the first and third stage as well as the overall classification. Chloe Dygert (Canyon//SRAM) won the centre stage. In the end, it was the bonus seconds that gave Kool the overall victory ahead of Dygert and Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek).
However, none of the three women on last year's podium are doing well this year. Sprinter Kool is still waiting for her first win of the season, while 35-year-old Deignan has had to largely subordinate herself to the strong and younger competition in her own team. However, without Elisa Longo Borghini, Elisa Balsamo or Shirin van Anrooij in the team, the Brit is likely to find herself in the captain's seat at her home race. And Dygert? The time trial world champion has only competed in three road races so far this season in Belgium in March, is concentrating on the Olympic Games and will not be on the island.
But SD Worx - Protime will be back in full force. Led by Lorena Wiebes and Lotte Kopecky, the biggest question is likely to be which of the two will take the overall victory and whether the competition can avoid a one-two finish. Candidates for this are Pfeiffer Georgi from Kool's dsm team, Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco), Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM), Cedrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling).
In the bunch sprints, if there are any, Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ), Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek) or the 20-year-old Finn Anniina Athosalo could also be successful.
RideLondon Classique 2024 - this is the route
Little has changed on the route compared to last year. The stage locations are the same as last year. The race begins in the county of Essex, halfway between London and Cambridge, in the small town of Saffron Walden. The course leads over many small hills towards the North Sea coast to Colchester, where the day ends on an uphill finishing straight. Day 2 leads around Maldon again.
After a short approach, the route leads over a circuit that also includes the toughest climb of the race. The final stage in London awaits on Sunday, for which the organisers are hoping for a sprint royal in front of Buckingham Palace on the flat eight-lap course. A total of almost 400 kilometres await the riders over the three days.
Stage 1 | Friday, 24 May | Saffron Walden - Colchester | 159.2 kilometres
Stage 2 | Saturday, 25 May | Maldon - Maldon | 142.6 kilometres
Stage 3 | Sunday, 26 May | London - London | 91.2 kilometres
RideLondon Classique 2024: TV broadcast & live stream
The race cannot be seen live on German television. There will be a recording of the first two days on Eurosport 1 following the Giro d'Italia (from 17:45). If you want to watch all the stages in a live stream, Discovery Plus (with a paid subscription) is the place to go.
