RideLondon returns to Essex for successful second outing

RideLondon was back in the county last week, with crowds turning out in force to cheer on those taking part.

Residents in mid Essex were treated as the event weaved in and around towns and villages in the area.

First up was Stage One on Friday, with the people of Saffron Walden turning out in full force to kick off the 2023 Classique.

There was a host of star names taking part, including former World Champion and four-time British Champion Lizzie Deignan leading the elite female cyclists to the start line.

UPHILL BATTLE: Riders cycle past Hill Cottage in Finchingfield during Stage One (Image: Ben Queenborough for London Marathon Events)

Hundreds gathered in Market Place to cheer the riders on to the sign-on stage before the race headed out of the town.

A dramatic day of racing took in the towns and villages of Clavering, Wethersfield, Halstead and Manningtree among others, finishing the day on top of East Hill in Colchester.

It was Dutch rider Charlotte Kool for Team DSM who crossed the finish line first.

WATCHING ON: Crowds watch riders whizzing past in Halstead (Image: Tony Sale)

Maldon was packed with people watching Stage Two in the town on Saturday – visiting villages including Abberton, Tiptree and Little Baddow.

Spectators gathered in Promenade Park to watch the riders get underway, heading north for a lap of Abberton Reservoir before returning for a finale that saw the riders complete three laps of a finishing circuit around Maldon. 

It was a closely fought final sprint with Team Canyon-SRAM Racing’s Chloe Dygert winning her first ever road race in Europe.

AERIAL VIEW: Riders head down Maldon high street during Stage Two (Image: Bob Martin for London Marathon Events)

Sunday saw mass participation events over distances of 30, 60 and 100 miles with more than 22,500 people of all abilities completing rides on car-free roads.

About 50,000 more enjoyed the free, family-friendly FreeCycle event, jumping on their bikes to explore eight miles of closed roads and visiting the festival sites.

ALL SMILES: Riders head through Dunmow on Sunday's event (Image: Andy Lauwers)

The 100-mile event heading into Essex went through towns including Woodford, Epping, Ongar, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Braintree, Felsted, Great Dunmow, Fyfield and Chigwell before returning to London.

Ford RideLondon 2023 marked the tenth anniversary for the Olympic legacy event, which has made huge strides in encouraging more people to get on their bikes, as well as raising millions for charity.

Over the last ten years, more than £83million has been raised for more than 1,000 charities.

GREEN SURROUNDINGS: Riders pass through the Essex countryside during Ford RideLondon on Sunday (Image: Ben Queenborough for London Marathon Events)

Ford RideLondon event director Hugh Brasher said: “It really was a special day – the sun was out, and we’ve had around 23,000 riders heading out to the beautiful Essex countryside.

“I started at the back of the Ford RideLondon-Essex 30 event and the diversity, the ages, the different demographics, the people who you wouldn’t normally associate with a bicycle, and the fact that they were getting involved and cycling out to Essex and back, was brilliant.

“The event has changed since 2013 – we are encouraging people of different ethnicities and socio-economic background and ages to get on a bicycle.

“We know that in the last ten years we’ve inspired more than 150,000 people to get on a bike, either who’d never been on one before, or people who dusted one down, so we’re really inspiring activity.

SUNNY DAY: About 23,000 riders headed out across Essex on Sunday (Image: Adam Warner for London Marathon Events)

“The event has also raised something in the region of £83 million for charity in those 10 years, so there are many different elements to the events, and then you have the inspiring elite side with the Ford RideLondon Classique.

"We’ve had two amazing days of racing in Essex, so the whole event really is about combining the different sides of cycling.

“There were para cyclists taking part, people on tricycles.

"It can feel daunting to get on a bike but in this traffic-free environment pollution levels go down 90 per cent, so the more people we can inspire to get on two wheels, whether to cycle one mile or ten miles, the better.”