Mark Cavendish returns to London for 2015 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic

Mark Cavendish will be on the start line when the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic returns to the capital on Sunday, August 2 as the culmination of the two-day Mayor of London’s cycling festival.

Cavendish will be joined by five other members of his Etixx - Quick-Step squad, the first top team to sign up for the men’s pro race, which will feature 25 teams of six riders.

The category 1.HC race offers the largest prize money pool of any one-day race, according to the organisers, and will be televised live by BBC Sport.

Cavendish said: “I can’t wait to ride this year. After only two years, this race is already an event every rider wants to win and you can’t beat racing in front of British crowds. After missing out in 2014 I was determined to ride in 2015.”

Ride for Heroes

Speaking of Mark Cavendish, the Manx Missile is headlining the publicity push for the Hero Ride, a fund-raiser for Help for Heroes that involves a number of rides finishing in Windsor on June 21.

Cavendish, a patron of Help for Heroes, said: “The Hero Ride is an amazing opportunity to cycle alongside our injured men and women and to hear their inspirational stories. I’d urge anyone who has ever thought about doing something life-changing or challenging to sign-up and cycle alongside these amazing people.”

For more details see the Hero Ride website.

2015 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic route

But back to Cav's day job. This year the 200km Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic starts at Horse Guards Parade in central London before going out through the capital to Kingston upon Thames into Surrey and the climb of Staple Lane in the Surrey Hills.

The peloton then races through Dorking before taking the southern loop and the ascent of Leith Hill, the highest point in Surrey. There will be three circuits of the northern loop (one more than 2014) through Dorking and up the testing climb to Ranmore Common.

The race then heads to the switchbacks of Box Hill then through Leatherhead, Oxshott and Esher before the riders race back through Kingston upon Thames to 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 1km to go marker before Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and the final sprint along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace and the finish line.

The full route of the race is available on the Prudential RideLondon website.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: "Once again the capital's streets will be packed with roaring crowds as they cheer on some of the world's top cyclists, including our very own Mark Cavendish, who will no doubt race up The Mall faster than a rocket.

The Mayor's cycling festival offers "something for everyone from the uber-competitive professionals, to the committed daily commuter, to families looking for a fun day out," he added.

The weekend's other attractions include the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 sportive; the Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle; the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix; and the Prudential RideLondon Handcycle Classic.

Brompton world championships

The festival will host the 10th Brompton World Championship as part of the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix races in St James’s Park on Saturday 1 August.

The Brompton World Championship will take place at 17:00 on Saturday 1 August, immediately after Prudential RideLondon FreeCycle, when 70,000 riders are expected to enjoy the freedom of cycling on traffic-free roads through Westminster, Camden and the City.

Racing the iconic London-made folding bikes, riders will ride a circuit that starts on The Mall, takes in Horse Guards Parade, and passes Buckingham Palace before finishing on The Mall.

A Le Mans start will see 575 smartly-dressed competitors from around the world make a mad dash to unfold their bikes before setting off on the circuit.

Previous winners include Roberto Heras, the three-time winner of the Vuelta a España, and the British racing cyclist and writer Michael Hutchinson. The rules require smart dress and no lycra is permitted.

For more details of all the weekend's activities see the Prudential RideLondon website.