THE ONLY WAY IS

Tens of thousands of riders will line up in London on 29 May as the UK's biggest sportive returns with a brand new route

- Simon Richardson

It doesn't matter where you are in the world, there is something special about riding on closed roads. All the biggest sportives offer this experience, from the Etape du Tour in the French mountains to Etape Caledonia's lap of Loch Tummel in the heart of Scotland. The chance to ride in these amazing locations, on closed roads, is bucket-list material.

Will the closed roads of Essex slot RideLondon back into the pantheon of great events? A county not known for its hills, cycling folklore or stunning scenery but rather boy racers in souped-up hatchbacks. Can it host an inspiring day's riding for 25,000 people this summer?

Originally run in 2013 as an Olympic legacy event, RideLondon weekend hosted a men’s WorldTour road race, a women’s crit, a family-focused Freecycle, and of course the sportive that saw cyclists enjoy closed roads out to the Surrey Hills and back. Surrey Council decided to pull its backing in 2020 so Surrey’s loss is now Essex’s gain.

New programme, new parcours

As if to help with the transition, and move on from the old format, the organiser, London Marathon events, has come up with an entirely new route – not to mention a new programme of races for the duration of the weekend. Even the sportive’s start and finish locations have moved from the Olympic Park and The Mall.