Chris Froome to Race Through Chiswick This Sunday
Three times Tour de France winner will ride in Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic
Chris Froome. Picture: Team Sky
Chris Froome is to race through Chiswick this Sunday just a week after winning the Tour de France for the third time.
He is riding along with his Team Sky colleagues in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic the route of which goes along the A4 to Hogarth Roundabout and then over Chiswick Bridge.
He said, "I'll ride RideLondon next Sunday as a one-day race before we fly to Rio, and then we'll be there for a week before [the road race], to look at the roads and start training again."
Chris heads a formidable squad that includes Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift, Christian Knees and Dutch sprinter Danny van Poppel. The participation of Team Sky means that four out of the five road racers representing Britain at the Olympics will be in the race.
Chris has not taken part in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic before but did ride the 2012 Olympic Games road race on similar roads. The last time he rode in the UK was in 2014 when an early stage of the Tour de France was held here.
Chris said, "The last few years, I haven't done much racing in the UK. Time wise it didn't work out. The Tour of Britain conflicted with the Vuelta [a Espana], national championships conflicted with my tapering and training for the Tour. This seems like the perfect opportunity to go over to London. It will be a massive honour to engage with the British fans, which I haven't been able to do."
Geraint Thomas is one of the most talented all-rounders in the peloton. The Welshman won two gold medals on the track in the team pursuit in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games before concentrating on the road. Ian Stannard has also proved himself to be one of Froome’s loyal lieutenants at the Tour de France. But the 29-year-old is also one of the best one-day racers in the world and finished in a superb third place at this year’s Paris-Roubaix.
Steve Cummings, one of the stars of this year's Tour de France, and a member of Great Britain's team for Rio - is also confirmed for the Surrey classic. Cummings (35) made it two Tour de France stage wins in two years when he won stage seven of this year's tour with a solo breakaway.
This year's line-up also includes seven UCI WorldTour teams and a selection of the best riders in the world including 2016 Tour de France stage winner Michael Matthews (Orica-BikeExchange) , German springer Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) who won the last stage of the Tour de France and former world champion Tom Boonen (Etixx-Quick-Step).
The race is expected to reach the Chiswick area sometime after 1.40pm.
Road and bridge closures and diversions can be expected for Chiswick residents next Sunday, 31 July with the Hogarth roundabout, Burlington Lane and Chiswick Bridge closed from early morning until 2.30pm.
Cyclists in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100, 46 and Classic events will pass through west London outbound, and again on the return journey towards the finish, crossing Putney Bridge and travelling along Chelsea Embankment.
Prudential RideLondon Race Routes
Find out about road closures which will include roads by the event routes having local access only for residents and businesses and the usual Sunday parking restrictions in place.
A number of bridges will be closed until the evening of Sunday 31 July. Hammersmith Bridge and Kew Bridge will be open but are expected to be busy. Wandsworth Bridge will be open for local resident access only (no through route).
The A4 eastbound between Hogarth roundabout and Warwick Road at Earls Court will stay open throughout the day. From 5 am until 2.30 pm Knightsbridge, Brompton Road, Cromwell Road, Talgarth Road, Hammersmith flyover, and the Great West Road towards Chiswick Bridge will be closed.
The Prudential festival consists of three races.
• Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 which involves 26,000+ amateur cyclists will take on a 100-mile cycle challenge through the closed roads of London and Surrey before finishing on The Mall. Last year riders raised more than £12million for charity.
• Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 46 – a new event over 46 miles within the existing 100-mile challenge created specifically for newer and younger riders, also starting at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and finishing on The Mall.
• Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic – the world’s best male cyclists will compete
in this world-class one-day race through London and Surrey. The race starts at Horse
Guards Parade, St James’s Park before heading into Surrey and returning to the capital to finish on The Mall.
July 25, 2016