Ford RideLondon Classique 2024
Press Release Sunday 26th May 2024 | Words by RideLondon, Images by Chris Maher
WIEBES SEALS OVERALL FORD RIDELONDON CLASSIQUE TITLE WITH THIRD STAGE WIN
Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) underlined her complete dominance of the UCI Women’s WorldTour 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique by winning the third and final stage of the race in London today to complete a hat-trick of wins at this year’s event, plus the overall General Classification victory.
Wiebes sprinted to a famous victory on The Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace, finishing ahead of Charlotte Kool (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) and world champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx – Protime). The sprint came at the end of a 91KM final stage which featured eight fast and furious laps of a central London circuit.
Remarkably, the victory continues Wiebes’s streak of never having been beaten at the Ford RideLondon Classique. She won on her first appearance at the race in 2019, when it was a one-day race, then won all three stages the last time she took part in the race in 2022 – a feat she has now matched in 2024.
Wiebes also won the Sprints Classification, while Danish champion Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) finished safely in the peloton to confirm her victory in the Queen of the Mountains classification.
Kool, last year’s Ford RideLondon Classique winner, finished second overall in the General Classification 25 seconds back on Wiebes, with Kopecky third overall at 26 seconds.
Post Race Reaction from key riders on Stage 3 London
Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime), the 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique champion. Wiebes won the third and final stage of the race in London today to complete a hat-trick of wins at this year’s event, plus the overall General Classification victory.
“I am happy and also happy that Lotte finished again on the podium and also in the General Classification, so that makes it even better. Always hard to try do the same again, hat-tricks are always hard to do, really happy to be unbeaten in RideLondon and I will enjoy this. Hope team comes back next year, as I love this race. I want to thank my team-mates for all the work they did. I’m really happy with my team-mates.”
On how Stage Three panned out, including the crash and how it affected the team:
“Only Barbara [Guarischi] was involved in the crash, I was lucky as they touched my back wheel and I was able to stay upright so that didn’t affect us too much because we anyway would save Barbara for the last part of the race and that was much chaos into the last corners. But I found Lotte [Kopecky] at one point and then she went and I went quick afterwards.”
Lizzie Deignan (Trek – Lidl) On being overall Best British Rider at this year’s event:
“It’s a complete bonus. I aimed to be a great team-mate to Clara, and it’s a by-product of that, nothing else.”
“I’m proud. We have a strong collection of British women at the moment so to still be able to pull that off as a bonus is cool.”
Lizzie Deignan (Lidl – Trek) reacts to the conclusion of the 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique.
“Really happy. I mean, you always want more if you don’t win the race, but I think we had a pretty clear winner in this race. Lorena Wiebes is the fastest sprinter in the world, and they [Team SD Worx – Protime] were dominant and deserved to win.”
Eleonora Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) on defending her Best Young Rider jersey from 2023:
“I’m happy about this! It is the time I can go for youngest rider. I won this jersey last year, so this race is quite lucky for me!”
On how Stage Three panned out:
“It was totally different because it was all flat, so a lot faster and the position in the bunch was really important. We managed quite well, and the final sprint we tried for Chiara [Consonni], so it was a bit different. Personally I prefer the previous Stages!”
How teamwork played a part:
“The positioning was really important. Unfortunately we lost one yesterday in the crash, so we were only four. So we lost an important part for us. I was sorry about that.”
Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) on winning the Queen of the Mountains Competition:
“I’m really happy right now! It was a hectic race today. I hoped to do a bit more, but in the end I’m really happy to come away with this prize.”
On claiming her first international jersey:
“It’s really nice. I’m really happy about it.”
Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) On racing for the first time on The Mall:
“It’s a nice stage to be racing today, so I am excited! It’s going to be a really good experience”
“We are going to go for some fast racing and I’m going to be a key lead rider for one of our fast riders.”
Former British National Champion Alice Towers (Canyon//SRAM Racing) On her team’s performance at the 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique:
“We’ve tried to race really aggressively over the weekend. We certainly didn’t want to leave it to the sprinters every day, we gave it a good go, it hasn’t worked out so far but we’ve picked up some good results along the way and are happy with the way we raced.”
Press Release; 25 May 2024
WIEBES WINS AGAIN ON STAGE TWO OF FORD RIDELONDON CLASSIQUE
Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) has won Stage Two of the UCI Women’s WorldTour Ford RideLondon Classique in Maldon, making it two wins out of two in this year’s race.
The 143KM stage, which started and finished in the Essex town of Maldon, came down to a reduced bunch sprint with Wiebes once again proving to be the fastest rider in the race, after also winning yesterday’s first stage in Colchester.
Last year’s Ford RideLondon Classique champion Charlotte Kool (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) was second in the sprint with world champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx – Protime), who led out her team-mate Wiebes, finishing third.
Dutch star Wiebes now has a provisional 20-second lead go into tomorrow’s third and final stage in central London after picking up 10 bonus seconds with the victory and a further six seconds in today’s Queen of the Mountains competition. In a dominant display, Wiebes also leads the Sprints Competition.
With no Queen of the Mountains points on offer tomorrow, Danish champion Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) all but confirmed victory in this classification on today’s stage. Despite not picking up any points on the stage, the nine points she collected on Stage One will be enough to win the prize, as long as she finishes tomorrow’s stage.
Post Race Reaction from key riders on Stage 2 Maldon to Maldon
Stage Two winner and overall race leader Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime)
“Yeah, it was all good until the crash, when Lotte [Kopecky] and Femke Gerritse were involved and, actually, I was kind of involved, I didn’t crash but we had to chase back; but then I also felt I had good legs and then I went for the other QoM sprints to get some seconds [back] and the plan was to not go for the last one. Then the girls did really good throughout the whole race with controlling and then Lotte did a really good final.”
How much did that crash affect the race for you?
“It didn’t affect me too much but I was a little worried about Lotte and Femke Gerritse, it took some time before they were back in the peloton, and I came back in… and I was like, ‘Is this the peloton?’ and she was like, ‘No!’ and then she was chasing me back. It’s never nice to crash.”
Was it the plan to win two of the QoM stages?
“Yeah that was the plan because the climb was not too hard, and it’s always nice to go into the last stage with more seconds and that you don’t really have to do the intermediate sprints there.”
Thoughts On Stage Three in London tomorrow:
“I’m now 20 seconds in front [provisionally] and I think there’s 16 seconds in total to get tomorrow so I hope I can just focus on the final sprint.”
Charlotte Kool (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL), who finished second after a reduced bunch sprint in Maldon, reacts to the Stage Two results and looks ahead to tomorrow.
“It felt really good. The climb was hard but I managed to pace it very well, and in the final the team did a great job putting me in the best possible position.”
“I got a bit boxed in and that was not ideal, but then I managed to still pass on people and then on the corner getting into it I knew I had to fight until the line.”
Asked about the Importance of teamwork?
“It’s really important the whole way, it’s not only in the final. They [her team-mates] always put us in a good position.
“They save a lot of energy for me and that makes a difference to get over those climbs because it’s not an easy stage at all.
“And if I’m on a bit of a gap they are always immediately there to close the gap and be around me.”
“Mentally, it helps me if they are always around me, I don’t need to think, I just follow them.”
On Stage Three:
“We found out yesterday I had a puncture in the last 15km so that was no ideal, so I’m glad today I felt really good again and technically tomorrow is the stage that fits me the best so we are really looking forward to that stage.”
British rider Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) On Stage Two:
“It was fun! I really enjoyed it. It was aggressive and dynamic racing. We had a good time.”
On being Best British rider again:
“It’s a nice surprise, I never really thought about it. I was just going for the final sprint to try and take some seconds away from anyone competing against Clara [Copponi], really, so it’s a nice by-product!”
Looking ahead to Stage Three she said:
“Tomorrow is a real sprint, obviously. It’s a totally different race. It’s a circuit race, we don’t have many of those. It’s going to be a tough, hard day, but Clara is in great shape and we still believe in her for the podium.”
Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility), who all but confirmed victory in the Queen of the Mountains Classification today, said:
“It feels really good to know that I have the jersey tomorrow, but I’m also looking forward to more than just finishing tomorrow, I want to go out there and make a party.
“It’s going to be crazy to have a criterium in the middle of London, it is going to be wild. I think it is going to be one of the biggest experiences of my life.
“I was very worried when Lorena [Wiebes] won the first two QoMs and thought, ‘OK, this is it’. I was just not strong enough to win points from the bunch and I didn’t know until I crossed the Finish Line that she [Lorena] did not win the last one, so I was very happy and relieved to know I had done it.”
“As a team, we tried to get points on the first QoM but I was not strong enough, when they started sprinting I felt the lactic [acid] and had no legs for the sprint, unfortunately, but I was good enough to get enough QoM points yesterday so I am just happy about that.”
Press Release; 24 May 2024
WIEBES SPRINTS TO VICTORY IN COLCHESTER
Wiebes (SD Worx – Protime) wins Stage One of the Ford RideLondon Classique! The sprint specialist bided her time and produced an explosive finish to claim victory.
She came out on top ahead of Letizia Paternoster (Liv-Alula-Jayco) and Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek).
The Dutch rider goes into tomorrow’s 143KM stage, which starts and finishes in Maldon, wearing the race leader’s jersey. She also leads the Sprints Classification.
Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) will wear the Queen of the Mountains jersey after winning a maximum nine points in the competition during today’s stage after being part of the day’s main breakaway alongside Lea Lin Teutenberg (Ceratizit – WNT Pro Cycling Team).
Post Race Reaction from key riders on Stage 1 Safron Walden to Colchester
Stage One winner Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime)
“I am really happy to finish the teamwork off. The girls worked really hard for it today, so we had to finish it off.
“The teamwork was really important because Femke Markus and Christine Majerus they controlled the breakaway all day long, it is really important to have them in a race like this and also in a team. Then it was up to us to have a good lead-out and then Barbara Guarischi and Lotte Kopecky took over in the final straight and they delivered perfectly.”
“It is really important to time your sprint well on this type of finish and the girls did really well to lift me at the right point so I could open my sprint at a good moment.”
On when she sensed victory:
“When Barbara took over and started her lead-out I had a feeling this could be good because she timed it really good.”
Rebecca Koerner (Uno-X Mobility) will wear the Queen of the Mountains jersey after winning a maximum nine points in the competition during today’s stage.
“I would have hoped to have more riders up there, but either way we got into a really good corroboration and we had a nice day out!
“I managed to get the QoM points so I’m really happy about that.”
Going on to say about Stage Two tomorrow:
“We will have to see who is keen to go for the QoM points tomorrow.”
“For someone to get more points than I have they would have to win all of the QoM points tomorrow, so I think my chances are pretty good, but we will to see how it turns out tomorrow!”
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (UAE Team ADQ) returned to reclaim her Best Young Rider jersey, which she also took home in 2023.
“I’m happy to wear this! It’s the last year for me in the young version, so I’m happy!”
Results after Stage 3 of the Ford RideLondon Classic 2024
Overall Classification
1. Lorena Wiebes (NED, Team SD Worx-Protime)
2. Charlotte Kool (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL)
3. Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx – Protime)
Sprints Competition:
Lorena Wiebes (NED, Team SD Worx-Protime)
Queen of the Mountains:
Rebecca Koerner (DEN, Uno-X Mobility)
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini
Best Young Rider:
Eleonora Camilla Gasparrini (ITA, UAE Team ADQ)
Best British Rider:
Lizzie Deignan (GBR, Lidl-Trek)
Best Team:
CERATIZIT WNT Pro Cycling Team (GER)
Stage One (Saffron Walden-Colchester, 159km)
1. Lorena Wiebes (NED, Team SD Worx-Protime) 4h06’27”
2. Letizia Paternoster (ITA, Liv AlUla Jayco) Same time
3. Clara Copponi (FRA, Lidl-Trek) Same time
Stage Two (Maldon-Maldon, 142km)
1. Lorena Wiebes (NED, Team SD Worx-Protime) 3h33’26”
2. Charlotte Kool (NED, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) Same time
3. Lotte Kopecky (BEL, Team SD Worx-Protime) Same time
Stage 2 Podium in Maldon, Wiebes, Kool, Kopecky.
Stage Three (Central London, 91km)
1. Lorena Wiebes (NED, Team SD Worx-Protime) 2h08’47”
2. Charlotte Kool (NED, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) Same time
3. Lotte Kopecky (BEL, Team SD Worx-Protime) Same time
For immediate release: Friday 14 June 2024
FORD RIDELONDON TO GO AHEAD WITHOUT CLASSIQUE IN 2025
Image Credit; Chris Maher
• UCI moves Classique to a date that is impossible for London to host
• Event Director and London Marathon Events CEO Hugh Brasher calls it a “sad day for professional women’s cycling”
• Mayor of London’s festival of cycling will go ahead on Sunday 25 May 2025 with the largest one-day cycling event in the world featuring more than 50,000 people cycling in events in London and Essex
The Ford RideLondon Classique will not take place in 2025 after the UCI moved its position on the UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar to a date when London cannot host the event.
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of Ford RideLondon and CEO of organisers London Marathon Events (LME), called it a “sad day for professional women’s cycling”, after revealing there was no option but to cancel the professional women’s event that has been described as the “marquee event” for the world’s top sprinters.
Brasher said: “We were extremely surprised to be informed by the UCI on 26 March 2024 that the 2025 Ford RideLondon Classique had been moved on the UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar from the last complete weekend in May [23-25 May] to a new date a week later [30 May-1 June]. 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.”
“Major events in London, one of the world’s biggest capital cities, are planned many years ahead and 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.”
“The UCI will not reverse this decision or allow two Women’s WorldTour events to take place on the same weekend.”
“Therefore, sadly, it will not be possible to stage the Ford RideLondon Classique in 2025. It is a very sad day for professional women’s cycling.”
“The Classique was one of the higher profile events on the UCI Women’s WorldTour, taking place in one of the world’s most influential cities with extensive sponsorship support and live coverage on BBC TV and internationally. Many teams and riders cite the event as one of their top races of the year.”
“RideLondon is the most successful legacy event from the 2012 Olympic Games and we are delighted that none of the other events that make the day the world’s largest one-day cycling event are affected.”
The Ford RideLondon Classique is known as the world’s number one stage race for sprinters.
British star Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek) said after this year’s race which was held between May 24 and May 26: “The Ford RideLondon Classique has the best riders in the world, the best sprinter in the world (Lorena Wiebes), and it’s attracting the fastest female cyclists in the world.”
“There aren’t that many races on the calendar anymore that are completely suited to sprinters, and I think that the Ford RideLondon Classique is a bit of a marquee event in terms that the best sprinters come here wanting to prove they are the best sprinter in the world. It’s a great opportunity for them. It’s a bit like the Champs-Elysées [which is the iconic finish on the final stage of the Tour de France in central Paris].”
“It’s brilliant to race such a well-organised race. It makes a huge difference to the staff, to the riders, we couldn’t have asked for more from that perspective.”
