The organisers of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic have announced 22 of the 25 teams that will be taking part in the inaugural edition of the Olympic legacy event on Sunday, August 4th. Included in the list are seven WorldTour ProTeams, including British Sky Procycling, as well as five Professional Continental teams from the second division, with the remaining three teams to be announced after the Tour de France.
“There has been huge interest in the event from the top teams,” said race director Mick Bennett. “The route, which is a variation of that used for the Olympic Road Cycling event plus three circuits of Leith Hill, together with extensive coverage on BBC and international TV, has been a big draw.”
As well as Team Sky, Belkin Pro Cycling, Cannondale, FDJ, Garmin-Sharp, Orica-GreenEdge and Vacansoleil-DCM will be present on the start line and - with ProConti team Sojasun - a total of eight teams from this year’s Tour will be in the race. Not yet included is the Omega Pharma-Quick Step team of British champion Mark Cavendish - who won the race’s predecessor in 2011, which was run as an Olympic warm up event.
The Manx Missile’s team may be one of the three that is to be announced but, if it is not, he may ride as part of the Great Britain National Team, as he did in 2011.
Among the ProConti teams to be invited is the MTN-Qhubeka team of Milano-Sanremo winner Gerald Ciolek, who will look to challenge former teammate Cavendish in the expected sprint finish, while the British contingent at German team NetApp-Endura will also be keen to perform on their home roads.
The nine Continental teams invited represent the cream of the British domestic peloton, as well as An Post-Chainreaction from Ireland, and the new Synergy-Baku team from Azerbaijan, which features a strong British influence.
The 1.1-ranked 225km (140 mile) race will be based on the course ridden in last year’s Olympic Games, including one ascent of Box Hill, with the extra challenge of three circuits based on the climb of Leith Hill to the south. It will start at the newly named Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and finish on the Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace, as the Olympic road races did.
The day before the elite men’s race, on Saturday, August 3rd, the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix will see the cream of the British women’s peloton race a criterium circuit around St James’s Park, finishing on the Mall.
Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic (1.1)
UCI ProTeams
Belkin Pro Cycling Team (Ned)
Cannondale Pro Cycling (Ita)
FDJ (Fra)
Garmin Sharp (USA)
Orica GreenEDGE (Aus)
Sky Procycling (GBr)
Vacansoleil DCM (Ned)
UCI Pro Continental
Champion System Pro Cycling Team (Chn)
MTN Qhubeka Cycling Team (RSA)
Sojasun (Fra)
Team NetApp Endura (Ger)
Topsport Vlaanderen – Baloise (Bel)
UCI Continental
AN Post Chain Reaction (Irl)
Joker Merida (Nor)
Madison Genesis (GBr)
Node4 Giordana Racing (GBr)
Rapha Condor-JLT (GBr)
Synergy Baku Cycling Project (Aze)
Team IG Sigma Sport (GBr)
Team Raleigh (GBr)
Team UK Youth (GBr)
National Team
Great Britain