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RideLondon-Surrey Classic awarded UCI WorldTour status for 2017

World's richest one-day race becomes first British event on expanded top tier racing calendar

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic has been awarded UCI WorldTour status for the next three years – the first British event to join cycling’s premier calendar.

Won this year by Tom Boonen (Etixx-QuickStep), and already the world’s richest one-day race, the Classic will now feature every UCI WorldTour teams for its next three editions.

With the women’s RideLondon Classique – which offers an equal prize purse to the men’s race – already afforded top billing as part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour, it means next year’s festival will boast two of the season’s biggest one-day races.

The Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic, won this year by Tom Boonen, will be a UCI WorldTour event from 2017 (pic: Simon Wilkinson/SWPix.com)

Event director Hugh Brasher said: “We are absolutely thrilled by this news. It is a huge tribute to the team at the London & Surrey Cycling Partnership to achieve this after just four editions of the race.

“The event was set up as a legacy event from London 2012 and to rise to the top echelon of professional men’s cycling after such a short period of time is truly outstanding.

“Prudential RideLondon now features UCI WorldTour races for both men and women; both are the world’s richest one-day races and have equal prize money.

“Our research has shown that the Prudential RideLondon festival of cycling has already inspired tens of thousands to take up cycling and hundreds of thousands to ride more often. WorldTour status will inspire many, many more.”

The RideLondon-Surrey Classic, which will take place on July 30 next year, is one of ten new events added to the UCI WorldTour calendar for the next three years, in addition to the existing 27 races.

Also joining the UCI WorldTour calendar are one-day race such as the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Australia, Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on the Flandrian cobbles and Strade Bianche on the white gravel roads of Tuscany.

Stage races added to the top tier of professional cycling include two desert races – namely the Tour of Qatar and Abu Dhabi Tour, which will move to February – and the Amgen Tour of California.

RideLondon was first raced in 2013 as an Olympics legacy event and will now join pro cycling’s top tier of races from next year (Pic: Javier Garcia/Prudential Ride London)

UCI WorldTour 2017 calendar

January 17 to January 22 – Santos Tour Down Under (AUS)

January 29 – Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (AUS) – new event

February 6 to February 10 – Tour of Qatar (QAT) – new event

February 23 to February 26 – Abu Dhabi Tour (UAE) – new event

March 4 – Strade Bianche (ITA) – new event

March 5 to March 12 – Paris-Nice (FRA)

March 8 to March 14 – Tirreno-Adriatico (ITA)

March 20 to March 26 – Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (ESP)

March 22 – Dwars Door Vlaanderen (BEL) – new event

March 24 – Record Bank E3 Harelbeke (BEL)

March 26 – Gent-Wevelgem (BEL)

April 2 – Tour of Flanders (BEL)

April 3 to April 8 – Tour of the Basque Country (ESP)

April 9 – Paris-Roubaix (FRA)

April 16 – Amstel Gold Race (NED)

April 18 to April 23 – Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (TUR) – new event

April 19 – La Fleche Wallonne (BEL)

April 23 – Liege-Bastogne-Liege (BEL)

April 25 to April 30 – Tour de Romandie (SUI)

May 1 – Eschborn-Frankfurt (GER) – new event

May 6 to May 28 – Giro d’Italia (ITA)

May 14 to May 21 – Amgen Tour of California (USA)

June 4 to June 11 – Criterium du Dauphine (FRA)

June 10 to June 18 – Tour de Suisse (SUI)

July 1 to July 23 – Tour de France (FRA)

July 29 – Clasica San Sebastian (ESP)

July 29 to August 4 – Tour de Pologne (POL)

July 30 – Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic (GBR)

August 7 to August 13 – Eneco Tour (BEL, NED, LUX)

August 19 to September 10 – Vuelta a Espana (ESP)

August 20 – Cyclassics Hamburg (GER)

August 27 – Bretagne Classic – Ouest-France (FRA)

September 8 – GP de Quebec (CAN)

September 10 – GP de Montreal (CAN)

September 30 – Giro di Lombardia (ITA)

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