EXCITEMENT is building as thousands of cyclists are set to take Essex roads for London’s biggest cycling event which will come to the county for the first time.

The RideLondon Classique has a new three-day format with a trio of exciting stages for the world’s best female cyclists.

Full details of the event have been revealed as the three stages will take place between Friday, May 27 and Sunday, May 29.

The opening stage starts and finishes in Maldon, featuring two laps of the Abberton Reservoir on the outskirts of Colchester and passing Tiptree.

Scott Sunderland, race director at RideLondon, said: “We were looking for stages that were different and have their own character.

“Maldon is near the coast and has a lot of open space, with beautiful roads and the potential for wind.

“If the weather is dirty, windy, and wet, then this stage could make for some tough racing.

“It’s one that will be suited to the powerful riders and the strong sprinters. It’s going to be a very dynamic stage.”

RideLondon have recommended that the best place to watch stage one is Promenade Park in Maldon with riders rolling out from the park at 11am on Friday, May 27.

Another place to watch is Maldon High Street or Market Hill which will provide a perfect place to watch the stage come to a finale with riders set to pass by on three occasions.

RideLondon was created in 2013 by the Mayor of London as a legacy event from the 2012 London Olympic Games.

A professional women’s race has been part of the event from the outset, first as the RideLondon Grand Prix between 2013 and 2015 and then, once it had been adopted into the UCI Women’s World Tour calendar, the RideLondon Classique from 2016 onwards. The event was always a one-day race until 2022.  

The Classique is just one element of RideLondon 2022, with four mass participation events also taking place on Sunday 29 May.

An estimated 25,000 people will take part in three challenge rides, the RideLondon-Essex 100, 60 and 30.

For more information, visit ridelondon.co.uk.