Philippe Gilbert (BMC Racing Team), who showed an impressive return to form to win the Grand Prix Cerami in Belgium on Wednesday, is the latest big name confirmed for the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic on Sunday 2 August.
Gilbert, who fractured a tibia in La Fleche Wallonne in April, had been out of competition since abandoning the Tour de Suisse in June. The 33-year-old Belgian sprinted to the line in the one-day GP Cerami, beating Danny van Poppel (Trek Factory Racing) and fellow Belgian Tom Boonen (Etixx – Quick-Step), who will also ride in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic.
Gilbert, a former World Road Race Champion, won two stages of the Giro d’Italia in May, despite his injury and is widely considered one of the best Classics riders in the pro peloton. In his 12 years as a professional cyclist, he has won Liège-Bastogne-Liège, La Flèche Wallonne and is a three-time Amstel Gold champion.
“If anyone can animate a race, it’s Gilbert,” said Mick Bennett, Race Director of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic. “He showed he’s the man in form with that great win at GP Cerami and his team BMC is also in fantastic form, winning the team time trial in the Tour de France last week. He had a stunning ride in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic last year and knows the route.”
Twenty-five teams of six riders will contest the 200km race, which this year starts on Horse Guards Parade in St James’s Park and offers the world’s largest prize fund for a one-day race.
Also confirmed are Sir Bradley Wiggins with his team WIGGINS; Mark Cavendish – the Manx Missile – and his Etixx – Quick-Step team; top sprinter Andrè 'The Gorilla' Greipel (Lotto Soudal) who has won three stages of this year’s Tour de France; defending champion Adam Blythe (Orica-GreenEDGE) and Rohan Dennis, the fastest man in Tour de France time trial history (also from BMC Racing Team). BBC Sport will televise the race live, with coverage distributed worldwide.
The third edition of the race, rated Category 1.HC on the UCI Europe Tour, will start at the iconic location in central London before going out through the capital to Kingston upon Thames, Hampton Court and then over the River Thames into Surrey. After 57km of racing, the first challenge the riders will face is the 2.4km climb of Staple Lane in the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The peloton will then race through Dorking before taking the southern approach to the ascent of Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey. With a further three circuits (one more than last year) of a loop through Dorking and up the testing 6.7% climb to Ranmore Common, this year’s race is set to be a true classic.
The riders will then race up the famous zigzags of Box Hill, through Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher before returning back through Kingston upon Thames. From there the peloton heads towards central London, through Raynes Park, Wimbledon, over Putney Bridge and alongside the River Thames through Chelsea. The closing stages of the race go through Parliament Square and up Whitehall to the famous 1km-to-go marker from Trafalgar Square through Admiralty Arch, where the riders will start the final sprint along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace and the Finish Line. See the route map and profile here.
The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic is the fifth and final event of Prudential RideLondon, the world’s greatest festival of cycling. More than 95,000 riders will participate in the five events over the weekend of 1-2 August.
An extensive communications campaign is underway to help businesses and the public plan ahead and get around on the day. This includes a leaflet drop this month to 1 million+ residents and businesses along the route, drop-in sessions for local people and community access plans.