The UCI has defended its decision to alter the dates for the RideLondon Classique in 2025, which has prompted organisers to cancel the WorldTour stage race. The revised 2025 Women’s WorldTour (WWT) calendar, released today, mainly features minor date adjustments, with most events returning to their original slots after shifting in 2024 for the Paris Olympics.
The RideLondon Classique, originally slated for the weekend of May 23-25, has been rescheduled to June 1. Organisers announced on Friday that the change occurred without “consultation or prior warning,” highlighting the extensive planning required for major events in central London, which left them no choice but to cancel the three-day stage race.
In response, the UCI defended its actions in a statement provided to Cyclingnews, claiming they had been in “active engagement with the event organiser since the beginning of the year to find an alternative date.” They also expressed regret over the 2025 cancellation.
The UCI explained that the requested dates for the Ford RideLondon Classique clashed with the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas, part of a three-event block of races in Spain. They noted that these Spanish events are scheduled consecutively to minimise team travel and highlighted a key UCI Women’s WorldTour principle: no event overlaps.
Further justifying the date change, the UCI mentioned it resulted from rescheduling the National Championships to their traditional pre-2024 slot. “The requested change of date for the Ford RideLondon Classique is due to the scheduling of National Championships, which traditionally occur in the last full week of June but were held a week earlier in 2024 due to the Paris Olympic Games,” the UCI stated. “This adjustment allowed the Ford RideLondon Classique to take place in May in 2024. For 2025, the National Championships will revert to the standard schedule, requiring other events on the 2025 UCI International Calendar to shift accordingly.”
The UCI added, “For the UCI Women’s WorldTour, it should be noted that all events except the Ford RideLondon Classique have accepted their dates.”
Historically, the RideLondon Classique occurred from May 26th-28th in 2023 and from May 27th-29th in 2022, marking its first edition as a stage race. The event was cancelled in the two preceding years due to the pandemic. Prior to that, it was a one-day Classic held in late July and early August.
