The dates have been confirmed for the third edition of the Prudential RideLondon Olympic legacy event, which will take place on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 August 2015, while the ballot for much sought-after places on the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 opens next month, on Monday 18 August.
Organisers say that the online ballot, which you can enter via the event's website, will close on Monday 5 January 2015 or once 100,000 entries have been received, whichever is earlier.
Some 80,000 entries were received for this year’s event, which will see up to 30,000 riders take part, within four weeks of the ballot opening.
Full details of the 2015 route will be released after evaluation of next month’s second edition of Britain’s biggest sportive on 9 and 10 August, which has a slightly different route from the debut last year but still starts at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and finishes on The Mall, taking in the Surrey Hills on the way.
The weekend also features the Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle on 8 miles of closed roads in Central London, plus the women’s and men’s races, the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix and the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic,
Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Tens of thousands of cyclists turned out for the inaugural Prudential RideLondon as Londoners of all ages and abilities got on their bikes.
“It is fantastic news that the event is not only returning this year, but in 2015 as well, adding another world-class event to London’s sporting line-up.”
David Hodge, leader of Surrey County Council, added: "With leg-sapping climbs, people cheering riders on and a route made famous by the Olympics, this year's event again promises to be truly special while also showcasing Surrey's amazing countryside and boosting our economy.
“I'm sure it will inspire many more people to get on their bike with the aim of emulating the professional and amateur cyclists in next year's London Marathon on wheels."
Add new comment
12 comments
The Olympic Legacy is that 12 months before the date of the 2015 Ride London, the same as this year, hotels within an easy bike ride of the Olympic Park have already DOUBLED their room rates for the night before.
Last year we got a room at normal rates because they didn't realise there was an event that far ahead.
Olympic Legacy means profiteering and normal London greed.
"Olympic Legacy"?
We i.e. those of us who don't live in London & the South East ( yes, yes, there are people who live in other parts of the country - sorry - you didn't know there were other parts?) were told that the millions spent on the Olympics was for the benefit of all of us, there would be an Olympic legacy for us all. The legacy is surely about carrying that wave of Olympic euphoria on after the event to get people involved in sport who were not previously. This does not mean that the only route you can ride is that of the Olympic road race, or that roads must be closed.
Since there's a velodrome in Manchester that pre dates the one in London I think there would be every point in having an Olympic legacy ride from Norwich to Manchester, two places with which, incidentally, I have no connection.
Going through Caterham will never happen, whilst the current lot are in charge in Surrey.
That's where the leader of Surrey County Council lives!!
I think it's intended to be like the London Marathon - same thing every year.
They could vary the route - take them down into Kent and bring them back via Yorks or Toys for a bit of entertainment. Lovely run then along the Pilgrim's Way, through Woldingham, Caterham to sort the men from the boys.
Don't tell anyone, but I've discovered that you can cycle in both London and Surrey without having to apply to do so. What's more, it's free.
Free, but not car free. I think you are missing the point. Try cycling 100miles in the primary position and running red lights all the way and report back to me when you are done.
Fair point well made, bikeboy76. My ever-increasing cynicism for the sportive scene stopped me from fully checking out the details. Closed roads FTW.
<crawls back into hole>
Can't do anything else for a couple of years as RideLondon and Surrey council have an agreement to run the event through there for 5 years (6 in total), being that 2015 will be the 3rd year, There will be at least 3 more Surrey versions
Not to particularly support the Surrey NIMBYs, but it's a bit of a shame they're yet again doing London - Surrey - London.
Ps. And yeah, I appreciate the clue's in the title
And the whole point is that it's an Olympic Legacy. Not much point having an Olympic legacy ride from Norwich to Manchester.
I was meaning London into another county and back, but I'm not really sure what Olympic Legacy means beyond it being something that exists as a result of the Olympics. The important part is surely the mass participation cycling event on the closed roads of the capital. The significance of the exact route is fairly irrelevant. That is unless we're still hung up on Box Hill being something exceptional.
To be fair, it is for people who don't do this sort of thing all the time. It's more like the cycling equivalent of the London marathon than a regular sportive. Significance of the route is that a large chunk of the route follows the Olympics road race.