Ride London 2015
2nd August 2015
The men's professional race at the Ride London weekend, the Prudential Ride London Surrey Classic, took place today. It was the climax of the London cycling festival, which included traffic-free cycling for members of the public of all ages, a women's criterium race, and a chance for amateurs to ride 100 miles on the same course as the professionals.
Ride London Surrey Classic
In the Ride London Surrey Classic, there was an early break of five riders - Peter Williams (One Pro Cycling), Erick Rowsell (Madison Genesis), Sander Helven (Topsport Vlaanderen), Lander Seynaeve (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), and Riccardo Stacchiotti (Nippo Vini Fantini). They had a lead of more than 4 minutes at one point. They were joined by Gerts Floris (BMC).
As the peloton closed in on the break, Philippe Gilbert and Rohan Dennis attacked on the last ascent of Box Hill, and took a number of other riders with them, making a new, larger front group. However, that breakaway group didn't survive.
After more attacks, a breakaway group of eight formed, including Ben Swift (Team Sky), Sep Vanmarcke and Mike Theunissen (Lotto Jumbo), Leigh Howard (Orica GreenEdge), Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC), Kenneth van Rooy (Lotto Soudal), Kristian Sbaragli (MTN Qhubeka), and Fernando Gaviria (Etixx Quick Step).
Sep Vanmarcke went clear on his own, only to be caught by Swift, Drucker, and Theunissen with 2km to go.
The four racers rolled under Admiralty Arch together, onto The Mall. Vanmarcke led out the sprint, but it was Drucker who was first over the line to win the Ride London Surrey Classic, with Theunissen second, and Ben Swift third.
Events on Saturday 1st August
On Saturday 1st August, 70,000 people, many of them children, took advantage of traffic-free roads in central London to ride their bikes, in an event known as FreeCycle, reports Peter Walker in the Guardian. Later on Saturday, the women's criterium race was won by Italian Barbara Guarischi, after a big crash at the end of the penultimate lap, as the bell was sounding.
Amateur Ride London event on Sunday 2nd August
Before the professional race on Sunday 2nd August, 25,824 amateur cyclists tackled the course in almost perfect conditions, with sunshine and very little wind.