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Bigger field for 2015 RideLondon 100 to make it Europe's biggest sportive

Entry limit likely to be raised to 35,000

Organisers of the 2015 Prudential RideLondon Surrey 100 say next year's event will be the biggest sportive in Europe and the second biggest in the world, with the number of entries likely to be to be around 35,000.

Just 72 hours after registration opened the ballot for the 2015 ride is already halfway to the 100,000 limit.

That larger ballot — up from 80,000 last year — reflects a likely larger field for next year's ride, if this year's post-event debrief shows that to be feasible.

RideLondon spokesperson Alison Hamlett told road.cc: "We are still undertaking the debrief of the 2014 event, but depending on the outcome of that debrief we are looking to take around 35,000 entrants for the 2015 Prudential RideLondon Surrey 100 — which would result in an anticipated start line number of around 28,000.

"This would make it Europe’s largest sportive and the second biggest in the world behind Cape Argus."

That event — South Africa's 109km Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour — boasted 34,500 entries in 2014 and 31,046 finishers.

Take up for the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 has been a bit slower than last year, when the ballot passed 50,000 entries in 24 hours, but still a lot faster than the inaugural event, which took five months to reach 50,000.

Last year's 80,000-place ballot filled up 27 days after opening. This year's will close on January 5, 2015 or earlier if it reaches the 100,000 limit.

Organisers say that more than 20,000 people finished this year's ride, despite the  hurricane-generated lousy weather, and conditions event director Hugh Brasher called "biblical" seem to have only slightly deterred people from signing up for next year.

"After conditions that have been aptly described as biblical, we are delighted to see that the enthusiasm of Britain’s cyclists and would-be cyclists to participate in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 has not been dampened," said Brasher.

The entry fee for the ride for 2015 and 2016 has been increased to £58.00 for UK participants.

“We held the entry fee at the same price for two years but the costs of putting on the UK’s biggest sportive means that we need to increase the entry fee by £10.00 this year,” said Brasher.

To enter the ballot go to www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk.

John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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40 comments

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CXR94Di2 | 9 years ago
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Need to get an age grouping listing, anyone ?

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psychle replied to CXR94Di2 | 9 years ago
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Would love an age grouping listing for 2014! Is one available and does it separate men and women? Thanks!

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mudshark | 9 years ago
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I finished in the top 15% and started at 7:05 meaning I spent much of the time overtaking others - obviously I should have started much earlier but my start time was part of a lump allocation. The roads felt crowded at times meaning having to wait for a passing moment so I do wonder what such a big increase in numbers will be like. If the starting order was mostly right then maybe it would be OK but there were quite a few much faster riders than me passing me so there is a problem here and not sure why or how to resolve.

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tomturcan | 9 years ago
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Results here

http://speakthinkblog.speakmedia.co.uk/2014/08/12/ride-london-2014-ranki

Chapeau.

Did anyone do this for the 2013 event?

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psychle replied to tomturcan | 9 years ago
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BikeRadar.com produced an alphabetical list for 2013.

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CXR94Di2 | 9 years ago
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Error

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arfa | 9 years ago
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I am not a sportive fan but having ridden the 86 this year I have re-entered for the 100 next year. Closed roads and the crowds cheering you on make it something special

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mickcee | 9 years ago
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Did this the event this year and the entry money is money well spent in my eyes.

My first year of doing sportives and this was my 6th and last of the year and you will never take the buzz I had throughout even in the worst weather I could have imagined!

But that finish...Wow....and the noise my family made behind the barrier on the mall! You cant buy that for any money!

I have failed in the Ballot twice mind (charity place this year) so fingers crossed!!

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Airzound | 9 years ago
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Can't think of anything more miserable than riding with 34,999 other people, many of whom will be wanabee Pro nobbers treating it like a race and others who are so slow they just hold you up and make it so dangerous. Happy just riding my daily 55 mile commute which is free, without shelling out for this and my food and drink is no doubt better.

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Al__S replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound wrote:

Can't think of anything more miserable than riding with 34,999 other people, many of whom will be wanabee Pro nobbers treating it like a race and others who are so slow they just hold you up and make it so dangerous. Happy just riding my daily 55 mile commute which is free, without shelling out for this and my food and drink is no doubt better.

Don't enter the ballot then?

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CXR94Di2 replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound wrote:

Can't think of anything more miserable than riding with 34,999 other people, many of whom will be wanabee Pro nobbers treating it like a race and others who are so slow .

My there are some grumpy posters

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Nick T replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound wrote:

Happy just riding my daily 55 mile commute which is free, without shelling out for this and my food and drink is no doubt better.

Sounds like such an awesome day out bro, can I come and ride it with you 2up? Let's smash some segments.

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notfastenough replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound wrote:

Can't think of anything more miserable than riding with 34,999 other people, many of whom will be wanabee Pro nobbers treating it like a race and others who are so slow they just hold you up and make it so dangerous. Happy just riding my daily 55 mile commute which is free, without shelling out for this and my food and drink is no doubt better.

Well at least that makes me feel better about my impending 40 mile commute when we move house...

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Leviathan replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound wrote:

Can't think of anything more miserable than riding with 34,999 other people, many of whom will be wanabee Pro nobbers treating it like a race and others who are so slow they just hold you up and make it so dangerous. Happy just riding my daily 55 mile commute which is free, without shelling out for this and my food and drink is no doubt better.

**

Arr, some people going faster than you. Arr, some people going slower than you... Oh just F***O**!

Meanwhile, thanks for the links to the results. 6807/16177 men is top 43.1% or top 38.1 including women, beats my top 49% position of all riders last year. Still no where near my top 21% in Great Manchester Cycle this year, plenty to push for next year. An improvement against a mass field on two quite different courses but no hills means I have to put my hat in again, third time lucky?!

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crazy-legs replied to Airzound | 9 years ago
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Airzound wrote:

Can't think of anything more miserable than riding with 34,999 other people, many of whom will be wanabee Pro nobbers treating it like a race and others who are so slow they just hold you up and make it so dangerous. Happy just riding my daily 55 mile commute which is free, without shelling out for this and my food and drink is no doubt better.

On your daily commute, have you ever ridden the wrong way down a dual carriageway or through a town centre with people cheering and clapping you? Have you ever ridden with Marianne Vos or Chris Boardman on your commute? Ever had your luggage transported to work for you while you just get on and ride? Ever had a commute where you've not encountered a single car and not had to stop at a single set of red lights?

No thought not.

Comparing your commute to a closed road Sportive is just daft. If you don't like the sound of it, keep your negative thoughts and whinging to yourself and don't enter the ballot. I doubt very much that the other 34,999 people out enjoying the event will miss you.

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arfa | 9 years ago
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CXR94Di2 replied to arfa | 9 years ago
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arfa wrote:

Results here

http://speakthinkblog.speakmedia.co.uk/2014/08/12/ride-london-2014-ranki...

Came in the top 50%, which I am pleased with. Something to aim for as the top 40 or even 30% are not too far away.

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S13SFC replied to arfa | 9 years ago
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arfa wrote:

Results here

http://speakthinkblog.speakmedia.co.uk/2014/08/12/ride-london-2014-ranki...

Thanks for posting that. made me happy!  4

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Nick T | 9 years ago
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Sometimes they lay on cake though. And you get to financially support the club organising it, which is nice. Unless you're a bit close to your money.

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Al__S | 9 years ago
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The closed road route is by far the biggest expense. And some of us like that. If you don't, don't enter the ballot. That'll cost you £0. But comparing a 160km closed road sportive to 400km Audax is almost like comparing the Tour de France to the Transcontinental Race- they're very, very different things that just happen to involve bikes.

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Nick T | 9 years ago
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Paying £5 is a lot of money to ride on public roads that are available 365 days a year, wether it's 10k or 400k. Things cost money though, it's up to you to decide if what's offered in return is good value or not.

£60 for closed roads with a load of other people who're in high spirits, filled with camaraderie isn't something you can do often for free, so I'd consider paying up if that's what I wanted to do.

£5 to ride what's often a pretty lonely audax route through the countryside doesn't look quite such good value when I can do that at will.

Different strokes, eh.

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andyp | 9 years ago
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Sorry if it wasn't clear. Keep forgetting that the internet is open to all nationalities and speakers of different languages.

My point is - that's a lot of money for an organised ride.

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Nick T | 9 years ago
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£0 to just get on your bike and go for as long as you like.

What's your point, exactly?

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Nick T | 9 years ago
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£0 to just get on your bike and go for as long as you like.

What's your point, exactly?

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andyp | 9 years ago
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£58 for a 160km ride.

£5 for a 400km ride.

Decisions, decisions....

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-347/

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Al__S replied to andyp | 9 years ago
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andyp wrote:

£58 for a 160km ride.

£5 for a 400km ride.

£5 gets you a route map and a card to be checked.

£58 gets you a closed road route, with marshals, first aid cover, portaloos, drinks and food stations with inclusive supplies, electronic timing, luggage transfer from start to finish and more.

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andyp replied to Al__S | 9 years ago
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Well, not quite.

But, based on those 'facts' - you're effectively paying £53 for some energy drink, a few segments of banana, and some unnecessary stuff. Jolly good.

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factor41 replied to andyp | 9 years ago
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andyp wrote:

£58 for a 160km ride.

£5 for a 400km ride.

Decisions, decisions....

Seems like an easy one.

Hope I get a ballot place this year...

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pwake replied to andyp | 9 years ago
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andyp wrote:

£58 for a 160km ride.

£5 for a 400km ride.

Decisions, decisions....

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-347/

Seems there's plenty of people willing to pay it and it's all relative isn't it?
My wife and I rode the inaugural event last year. With airfare from the USA and a weeks hotel/meals in the UK it certainly wasn't the cheapest century we've ever ridden. But as we rode it together in celebration of my wife surviving cancer earlier that same year, I think the word best used to describe the feeling of crossing the line together in The Mall is... Priceless.

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uksportives replied to pwake | 9 years ago
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pwake wrote:
andyp wrote:

£58 for a 160km ride.

£5 for a 400km ride.

Decisions, decisions....

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-347/

Seems there's plenty of people willing to pay it and it's all relative isn't it?
My wife and I rode the inaugural event last year. With airfare from the USA and a weeks hotel/meals in the UK it certainly wasn't the cheapest century we've ever ridden. But as we rode it together in celebration of my wife surviving cancer earlier that same year, I think the word best used to describe the feeling of crossing the line together in The Mall is... Priceless.

Exactly and well said. Now we can say no more

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