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Lorena Wiebes (NED) of Team SD Worx Protime (NED) celebrates after crossing the finish line after winning Stage Three of the Ford RideLondon Classique

It's a hat-trick of wins for Lorena Wiebes!

Summary

  • Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx - Protime) underlined her complete dominance of the UCI Women's WorldTour 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique by winning the third and final stage of the race in London today to complete a hat-trick of wins at this year's event, plus the overall General Classification victory.
  • Wiebes sprinted to a famous victory on The Mall, in front of Buckingham Palace, finishing ahead of Charlotte Kool (Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL) and world champion Lotte Kopecky (Team SD Worx - Protime). The sprint came at the end of a 91KM final stage which featured eight fast and furious laps of a central London circuit.
  • Remarkably, the victory continues Wiebes's streak of never having been beaten at the Ford RideLondon Classique. She won on her first appearance at the race in 2019, when it was a one-day race, then won all three stages the last time she took part in the race in 2022 - a feat she has now matched in 2024.
  • Kool, last year's Ford RideLondon Classique winner, finished second overall in the General Classification 25 seconds back on Wiebes, with Kopecky third overall at 26 seconds.

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19:00

And that's a wrap for the 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique!

Scott Sunderland, Ford RideLondon Classique Race Director, said the 2024 edition of the UCI Women’s WorldTour race exceeded his expectations following the final stage on The Mall.

Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) continued her remarkable run of form to win her third stage of this year’s race, having won on Stages One and Two, to seal the overall General Classification - a feat she also achieved in 2022.
 
Today’s stage on The Mall follows two days in Essex – as well as forays into Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire for the first time – with Stage One starting in Saffron Walden and finishing in Colchester, and Stage Two starting and finishing in Maldon.
 
And Sunderland said the event is three days to remember. “We’re very happy with how the event has rolled out, I’ve talked with all the different cities, stakeholders, sponsors, everybody involved is super happy with how things have gone, exceeding expectations in some cases, which is always nice to hear,” he said.
 
“And especially the teams and riders, they’ve had a great three days. The crowds have been out to support, we have seen schoolchildren as well, and everyone was so friendly. It seems like the whole of Essex is loving cycling. Obviously here in London the whole atmosphere is alight with cycling at the moment, so people are feeling warm and fuzzy.
 
“This is the third year of the race being a stage race and I think it’s working great. We came up with a new concept, we’re working with a lot of new people, we’re third year in, so I think we’ve actually nailed a lot of things as an organisation. I think we’ve been able to fine-tune from last year to this year and things are pretty much running seamlessly, so I am very happy.
 
“In 2024 we were able to go into Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire for the first time as well as Essex, so just being able to tweak little things to make it even better is very rewarding.”
 
One change to the format in 2024 saw bonus seconds available for riders cresting the tops of three Queen of the Mountains points on Stages One and Two in Essex.
 
The change allowed for more competitive sprinting between riders as they tried to secure those vital extra seconds to climb the overall classification.
 
“Having bonus seconds on the climbs is more for the punchier riders,” Sunderland said. “The classics style riders, as we’ve seen, enjoy these moments and at the moment Wiebes can do everything – she would probably win up Alpe d’Huez [in France] if the Tour de France was on tomorrow!
 
“SD Worx-Protime, the world’s strongest team, have prioritised this event which is great for us to hear. They brought two of their biggest riders and two of the world’s best racers and to have [world champion Lotte] Kopecky leading out Wiebes, is a sight to behold. Add to that Lizzie Deignan, Pfeiffer Georgi and last year’s winner, Charlotte Kool, and we have had a stellar line-up in 2024.
 
“We are very happy with the race and I am looking forward to the future.”
 

Reporting from the road is Owen Rogers

Owen is a sports journalist who specialises in women's road racing. He is no stranger to the UCI Women's WorldTour, having reported on the world’s biggest races at home and abroad.

Alongside Owen’s commentary are updates from the Ford RideLondon Classique Media Team.

 

17:49

Superb lead-out by Kopecky

Lotte Kopecky worked so hard for her Team SD Worx - Protime team-mate once again with another superb lead-out. What a finish to this year's Ford RideLondon Classique!

 

17:48

It's a hat-trick of wins for Wiebes!!!

Another superb demonstration of sprinting and she lifts her arms in celebration as she crosses the Finish Line! It's three in a row for the sprint superstar.

Lorena Wiebes (NED) of Team SD Worx Protime (NED) celebrates after crossing the finish line after winning Stage Three of the Ford RideLondon Classique on Sunday 26th May 2024.
 

17:42

We're set for a bunch sprint

Along the Embankment as one great, colourful, seething mass of bikes and humanity and the peloton is set for a bunch sprint! Will any late attacks be allowed clear? Will Team SD Worx-Protime allow it? Will any team allow it? I don’t think so!

 

17:37

Less than half a lap to go!

Canyon//SRAM Racing, Team dsm-firmenich-PostNL, Lidl - Trek, Team SD Worx-Protime and UAE Team ADQ, which is working for sprinter Chiara Consonni, are all at the front. Liv AlUla Jayco's Paternoster has been off the back for a mechanical issue, and had to fight her way back.

 

17:29

One lap to go!

There’s been some panic for Lidl - Trek’s Clara Copponi, who needed a bike change, but she glided back through the cars to the peloton.
 
The winning margin in the two previous editions of the Ford RideLondon Classique stage race were 11 seconds in 2023 and 19 in 2022.

Can Wiebes better that today? Only if she wins the stage and Paternoster is third or lower.
 
All together! Any attacks coming? I reckon there will be!

 

17:15

Result of the second intermediate sprint - it's a cruel sport!

Oh well, that didn’t last! Rysz and Souren’s lead was obliterated by those teams wanting the time bonuses, with the riders catching the leaders just metres from the line.

Result of the second intermediate sprint:

1. Ally Wollaston (AG Insurance – Soudal Team)
2. Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco)
3. Clara Copponi (Lidl - Trek)

 

17:06

28 🏁

Souren and Rysz are going very well together, their lead has increased hugely and is now well over one minute. It sounds like Oro has been caught so there is clear air between the the bunch and their prey, though it looks like our escapees will take the bonuses at the end of this lap.

 

16:56

27 seconds 👀

The gap is growing as the riders finish the fifth lap. Rysz and Souren have a lead of 27 seconds. And there is a further rider in pursuit, Angela Oro of BePink - Bongioanni is 24 seconds back, with the peloton a further 15 seconds behind.
 
There were no points or bonus seconds on this lap, but there are next time round, will they be allowed to take them?

 

16:48

39km 🏁

And now the VolkerWessels Women's Pro Cycling Team riders have been set free, with Scarlett Souren joining Rysz at the front of the race. The pair have a lead of only 13 seconds, as they negotiate the almost dead turn at Bank station in the heart of London’s financial centre.

 

19:00

And that's a wrap for the 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique!

Scott Sunderland, Ford RideLondon Classique Race Director, said the 2024 edition of the UCI Women’s WorldTour race exceeded his expectations following the final stage on The Mall.

Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx – Protime) continued her remarkable run of form to win her third stage of this year’s race, having won on Stages One and Two, to seal the overall General Classification - a feat she also achieved in 2022.
 
Today’s stage on The Mall follows two days in Essex – as well as forays into Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire for the first time – with Stage One starting in Saffron Walden and finishing in Colchester, and Stage Two starting and finishing in Maldon.
 
And Sunderland said the event is three days to remember. “We’re very happy with how the event has rolled out, I’ve talked with all the different cities, stakeholders, sponsors, everybody involved is super happy with how things have gone, exceeding expectations in some cases, which is always nice to hear,” he said.
 
“And especially the teams and riders, they’ve had a great three days. The crowds have been out to support, we have seen schoolchildren as well, and everyone was so friendly. It seems like the whole of Essex is loving cycling. Obviously here in London the whole atmosphere is alight with cycling at the moment, so people are feeling warm and fuzzy.
 
“This is the third year of the race being a stage race and I think it’s working great. We came up with a new concept, we’re working with a lot of new people, we’re third year in, so I think we’ve actually nailed a lot of things as an organisation. I think we’ve been able to fine-tune from last year to this year and things are pretty much running seamlessly, so I am very happy.
 
“In 2024 we were able to go into Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire for the first time as well as Essex, so just being able to tweak little things to make it even better is very rewarding.”
 
One change to the format in 2024 saw bonus seconds available for riders cresting the tops of three Queen of the Mountains points on Stages One and Two in Essex.
 
The change allowed for more competitive sprinting between riders as they tried to secure those vital extra seconds to climb the overall classification.
 
“Having bonus seconds on the climbs is more for the punchier riders,” Sunderland said. “The classics style riders, as we’ve seen, enjoy these moments and at the moment Wiebes can do everything – she would probably win up Alpe d’Huez [in France] if the Tour de France was on tomorrow!
 
“SD Worx-Protime, the world’s strongest team, have prioritised this event which is great for us to hear. They brought two of their biggest riders and two of the world’s best racers and to have [world champion Lotte] Kopecky leading out Wiebes, is a sight to behold. Add to that Lizzie Deignan, Pfeiffer Georgi and last year’s winner, Charlotte Kool, and we have had a stellar line-up in 2024.
 
“We are very happy with the race and I am looking forward to the future.”
 

16:38

Halfway, four laps done and four laps remaining

Canyon//SRAM Racing and Liv AlUla Jayco lead the race across the line, but the bunch is tightly packed, no one letting their rivals go too far!

 

16:32

50km to go

We’re into the final 50km of the 2024 Ford RideLondon Classique and it’s no change among the bunch. No one has been allowed to get up the road just yet, with Team SD Worx-Protime ever present in every move and always on or near the front of the peloton.
 

16:25

Result of the first intermediate sprint

1. Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco)
2. Clara Coponni (Lidl - Trek)
3. Marta Lach (Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team)
 
But the bunch is back together.
 
Gaurischi has made it back to the bunch so can resume duties in the lead-out. She’s tough, experienced and a real asset to any team. She won RideLondon in 2015, then flew to Germany and won the Sparkassen Giro one-day race the very next day!

 

16:11

Big crash involving key riders

We’ve had our first incident and it’s not a breakaway, it’s a big crash in the peloton, around eight riders down, including Maaike Boogaard of AG Insurance Soudal. Also down is Barbara Guarischi of Wiebes’s Team SD Worx-Protime squad. She is a key part of the lead-out.

Everyone is back up and chasing, though.

At the same time Lidl - Trek is lifting the pace at the front of the race.

 

16:04

Blunt attacks

There have been more attacks, but so far SD Worx-Protime are in every one and they won’t work as they want Lorena Wiebes to win the stage, and overall, so that nullifies the move.
Wiebes has won in London twice: in 2022 on the Embankment and then in 2019 when the first rider over the line - Kirsten Wild - was relegated for causing a crash. Wiebes told us yesterday she wants to raise her arms on The Mall.
 

15:53

Attacks at the front of the peloton

Boom! Let’s go!

We have attacks at the front of the peloton, with a small group up the road. Both Lidl - Trek and Team SD Worx - Protime are represented up there so there’s no commitment and they’re brought back in by the bunch.

 

15:48

80.5km 🏁

At the end of the first lap the bunch remains together, passing the crowds banging the advertising boards. Some of them sneezing, as there’s loads of pollen in the air! Lidl - Trek and Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team lead the bunch from opposite sides of the road.

 

It is a completely different finish to the last two stages, and I think it will suit us as a team with a strong lead-out and hopefully to get the third win of the week for the team.

Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime)

 

15:41

The pace is high, with the peloton stretched out along the streets of London, but it is together.

The first intermediate sprint comes at the end of the third lap, with 33.7km covered. Remember, not only are there bonuses for the Sprints Competition, but there are 3, 2 and 1 bonus seconds for the General Classification.

 

15:33

91.2km 🏁

We’re rolling! We’re doing a quick 800m neutralised section, the distance deducted from the opening lap, which makes for a total race distance of 91.2km.

One notable non-starter today is Zoe Backstedt of Canyon//SRAM Racing.

Weather-wise we have some sunny spells, but there are also some heavy showers around London, so let’s hope the race stays dry!

Don’t expect this to be a boring race, it’ll be all action! Let’s go!

 

15:30

Welcome to London for the final stage of the 2024 Ford Ride London Classique, where we’re almost guaranteed fast and exciting racing!

For the third and final stage we have a 91.2km route consisting of eight laps of an 11.5km circuit, which starts and finishes in the shadow of Buckingham Palace and passes some of the capital’s other famous landmarks, including Houses of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral.

There are two intermediate sprints, each with 3, 2, and 1 bonus seconds, and with 10, 6 and 4 available at the end, a total of 16 seconds are available.

Lorena Wiebes (Team SD Worx-Protime) leads overall, by 20 seconds, but is the race win guaranteed? Let’s find out.

 

15:10

Riders will be racing for the following Classifications today

Sprints Classification

The pink Sprints leader’s jersey will be awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points at the Intermediate Sprints and at the Finish Line of each stage.

There will be two sprints during Stage Three:

  • The Mall (predicted time 16:17 to 16:19)
  • The Mall (predicted time 17:04 to 17:08)

 

The 2024 jerseys

Throughout the three stages, four riders will be awarded with these jerseys. They are awarded to the winner of each classification on every stage, so you’ll be able to spot who is leading the competition. This year’s jerseys were designed by Ford RideLondon’s Official Performance Apparel Partner, Le Col. 

 

 

 

15:00

Welcome back to Stage Three of the Ford RideLondon Classique

Welcome to the third and final stage – the shortest of all three at 91.2km. A speedy seven-lap circuit around the centre of London, Stage Three passes sights including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and St Paul's Cathedral and starts and finishes on The Mall.

This stage certainly suits the pure sprinters, with two intermediate sprints on the cards during laps three and six. If you need a reminder of the teams and riders head here.

Get the lowdown on Stage Three

 

Start: Pall Mall at 15:30
Finish: The Mall at 17:35 to 17:41
Distance: 91.2km

 

View the the GPX file of the Stage Three route here.

 

View the full timings for Stage Three here.