There will be no RideLondon Classique in 2025, after organizers were forced to cancel following a date change by the UCI.
Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events and event director of Ford RideLondon, lamented the cancellation of the professional women’s cycling event, calling it a “sad day” for the sport.
UCI changed dates for event without consultation
“We were extremely surprised to be informed by the UCI on March 26 that the 2025 Ford RideLondon Classique had been moved on the UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar from the last complete weekend in May 23 to 25 to a new date a week later May 30 to June 1,” Brasher said in a statement. “There was no consultation or prior warning. And the news came despite LME previously being advised by the UCI that there would be no changes to the calendar until 2026.”
A longstanding race in London
Since its debut in 2013, RideLondon has served as a legacy of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, featuring both amateur and professional cycling events on closed roads. Initially, the professional men’s event, the London–Surrey Classic, ran until 2019 through the Surrey Hills.
Concurrently, the festival included a professional women’s event, originally known as the RideLondon Grand Prix. It is held on a central London circuit with The Mall as the finish line. The race was then renamed the RideLondon Classique in 2016. It was also integrated into the UCI Women’s World Tour. The race became renowned for offering an equal 100,000 euro in prizes as the men’s race.
“Major events in London, one of the world’s biggest capital cities, are planned many years ahead. It is impossible for the Ford RideLondon Classique to take place in central London on the new dates proposed unilaterally by the UCI. Alternative dates at this late stage are impossible,” Brasher said. The UCI will not reverse this decision or allow two Women’s WorldTour events to take place on the same weekend.”
Important stop on Women’s WorldTour
The Classique, a prominent event on the UCI Women’s WorldTour has strong sponsorship and live BBC TV coverage.
British rider Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) spoke highly about the 2024 race. “The Ford RideLondon Classique has the best riders in the world. And it’s attracting the fastest female cyclists in the world,” she said. There aren’t that many races on the calendar anymore that are completely suited to sprinters. I think that the Ford RideLondon Classique is a bit of…
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