AS IT HAPPENED: Stage Two
The world's best riders were back in Essex on Saturday 27 May to fight for the Stage Two crown on the second day of the 2023 Ford RideLondon Classique – find out what happened below.
Stage Two
15:00
Stage Two winners
To see the full results from the second stage of the 2023 Ford RideLondon Classique, including results for the Queen of the Mountains and sprint classifications, click here.
14:40
Dygert digs deep for the win
With a hungry pack chasing hard for first place following a dramatic collision in the final kilometre, Chloé Dygert (Canyon//SRAM Racing) sprints ahead to seal a spectacular Stage Two victory in Maldon!
Lizzie Deignan (Trek-Segafredo) steps up from her Stage One performance to finish second, while Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM Racing) secures third.
14:25
Out to attack
With 7km to go, we've hit the pivotal part of the race and our leader has changed – Maike van der Duin (Canyon//SRAM Racing) is now ahead by almost 30 seconds. Who will fight for the front spot next?
14:20
Best seat in the house
14:10
Third Queen of the Mountains results
The riders have split into two groups, with a sizeable gap between them. Meanwhile, the results of the third and final Queen of the Mountains contest are in and the points have been distributed:
1. Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
2. Eugénie Duval (FDJ-Suez)
3. Nienke Veenhoven (Team Jumbo-Visma)
That makes Hanna Johansson (Torelli) the winner of the Queen of the Mountains competition – provided she finishes the race.
13:55
A decisive climb awaits
We’re onto the climb of North Hill again and Laurance’s lead is down to just 15 seconds as the road ramps upwards.
There are Queen of the Mountains points up for grabs this time up, but not next time round – so today's winner of the Queen of the Mountains jersey will be decided imminently.
13:40
The final loops
The riders are well within the closing 35km of Stage Two, with Laurance still powering clear of the chasing peloton. Once they've completed the three smaller laps of the route, they'll take on another little loop that steers them to the Finish Line.
13:20
Second Queen of the Mountains results
We're over the top of North Hill and the crowds are huge! It’s a fabulous turn out from the people of Little Baddow.
Typhaine Laurance (Lifeplus Wahoo) has had a small advantage over the peloton for a while and is now 35 seconds ahead. It’s a good day for the Lifeplus-Wahoo team after Tacey’s early break!
The top points scorers from the second Queen of the Mountains:
1. Typhaine Laurance (Lifeplus-Wahoo)
2. Soraya Paladin (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
3. Lauretta Hanson (Trek-Segafredo)
13:10
Carving through the Essex countryside
12:55
First Queen of the Mountains results
The riders have made it through the first climb at Wickham Bishops – there was a tough one and narrow run-in, so positioning was very important.
Results of the first Queen of the Mountains:
1. Eugénie Duval (FDJ-Suez)
2. Emilia Fahlin (FDJ-Suez)
3. Lauretta Hanson (Trek-Segafredo)
Meanwhile, Tacey has lost her lead completely, with the bunch now back together. The spectators are lining the roadside in force!
12:45
Scenes from Stage One
Missed the action from Stage One yesterday? Catch up on the race highlights here and in the video below.
12:20
Second intermediate sprint results
As expected, Tacey has won our second intermediate sprint of the day in Tiptree – although her lead has dropped by around two thirds to one minute!
Results of the second intermediate sprint:
1. Tacey (Lifeplus Wahoo)
2. Thalita De Jong (Liv Racing TeqFind)
3. Clara Copponi (FDJ-Suez)
12:05
Our lone rider settles in
Tacey is now leading by almost three minutes! She started today's race in 42nd place overall, with a deficit of 42 seconds – very tidy.
With the peloton moving steadily behind as the gusty crosswinds continue, Tacey seems to be facing a long day of suffering on her own.
11:55
Making moves through Maldon
11:50
Tacey takes off
With just over 100km to go, the peloton has allowed April Tacey to extend her lead to two minutes and 15 seconds. A strong rider and admirable sprinter, Tacey won a stage of the virtual Tour de France Femmes in 2022 and finished ninth overall at Scheldeprijs this March. Her greatest contender right now seems to be the headwind!
11:30
First intermediate sprint results
Just as she was starting to cement her lead, Karasiewicz was caught on the line at the first intermediate sprint at Tolleshunt D’Arcy. Here are the results, with yesterday's overall Stage One winner coming out on top:
1. Charlotte Kool (Team DSM)
2. Maike van der Duin (Canyon//SRAM Racing)
3. Clara Copponi (FDJ-Suez)
We do now have another lone leader, however – it's British rider April Tacey (Lifeplus Wahoo), who leads by around 40 seconds.
11:15
The flag has dropped
The real race action is now underway! Multiple riders have been trying to get away following the neutralised section, but with the intermediate sprint coming so early, will they be able to make an assertive break?
Karolina Karasiewicz (Torelli) is starting to establish herself as a lone rider just off the front of the peloton, despite being chased hard. Torelli had Hanna Johansson in the break yesterday, so it’s exciting to see the aggression from this team.
11:00
The second race is on!
Today we start with a 3.4km neutralised section – and then we race. The full 133.1km route involves one large loop and three smaller ones, each including two intermediate sprints and three Queen of the Mountains contests for all-important points. All four loops include North Hill, which should welcome plenty of breakaway attacks!
The 98 riders who set off from the Start Line this morning are all looking to face their first intermediate sprint in Tolleshunt D’Arcy, which arrives just 7.8km into the race. There are bonus seconds on the line here, so we can expect to see a big fight for those. The second intermediate sprint will occur in Tiptree – one of the largest villages in England, famous for its jam – at the 40km point. Will the riders conserve enough power for the points on offer here?
10:45
Who's ready for more racing?
10:30
All set for Stage Two
Sunshine and cycling – name us a better duo? Spectators will be spoilt as we head into Stage Two of the 2023 Ford RideLondon Classique, which starts and finishes in the historic coastal town of Maldon.
Today's 133.1km course will suit the capable climbers and one-day specialists, but the cold wind we're currently experiencing might have an effect on the race – especially in some of the more exposed sections of the route. With Charlotte Kool as the current leader of the General Classification, Team DSM will want to keep things together for another strong finish, but all teams are in the mix today.
Stage Two of the Ford RideLondon Classique
- Date: Saturday 27 May 2023
- Start: 11:00, Promenade Park, Maldon
- Finish: Between 14:15 and 14:36, High Street, Maldon
- Distance: 133.1km
- To view and download the GPX file of the Stage Two route, click here.
- To see the full timings for Stage Two, click here.
Stage overview from Race Director Scott Sunderland
Stage Two starts and finishes in the picturesque town of Maldon on the banks of the River Blackwater, which was our Start and Finish venue for Stage One of last year’s event. A big difference to Stage One is that, this year, the peloton will start by riding along flat open roads. At only 7.8km in, the first sprint of the day will call the fast women to the front to gain some valuable bonus seconds in the village of Tolleshunt.
The peloton then continues toward Abberton to make a loop around Abberton Reservoir before reaching Tiptree – the spot for the second bonus sprint of the day. The peloton then races along fast, winding and more hilly terrain to Wickham Bishops and the first Queen of the Mountains (QoM) climb of the day, with bonus seconds and points up for grabs. From this point, we should start to see team tactics evolve as the riders make their way toward Maldon for the first of three 22km laps, including three ascents of North Hill and the final QoM sprint of the race.
This is a stage that should suit the punchier climbers and one-day specialists.
Scott Sunderland
Race Director of the Ford RideLondon Classique
Places of note and where to watch
After they set off from Maldon's impressive Promenade Park, the world-class riders will cycle through some historic rural locations before they come full circle and cross the Finish Line back in Maldon.
- For the second successive year, the historic town of Maldon is both the Start and Finish venue of a stage of the Ford RideLondon Classique. Located on the Blackwater Estuary, a settlement in Maldon can be traced as far back as 913 when it was mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It was raided by the Vikings in 991 in an episode that gained folklore as the Battle of Maldon, which is commemorated today by a statue on the quayside of the slain Saxon warrior Byrhtnoth. Evidence of Maldon’s past can be seen by visitors today in many of its buildings, including the Moot Hall, built circa 1420. Now, however, Maldon is most well-known as the home of Maldon Sea Salt. Famous people who hail from the town include former England Test Cricket captain Alastair Cook and British Eurovision star Sam Ryder.
The stage starts in the town’s stunning Promenade Park, which is located on the banks of the River Blackwater and has been a popular leisure location for more than 100 years. Riders will return to Maldon’s High Street three times, with the final time marking their sprint for the Finish Line.
Predicted timings:
Start, Promenade Park (11:00)
High Street (11:00; 13:08 to 13:21; 13:39 to 13:56; 14:11 to 14:31; Finish, 14:15 to 14:36) - A historic village on the Blackwater Estuary, Tolleshunt D’Arcy will host the first sprint of Stage Two.
Predicted timing:
11:16 to 11:18 - Abberton Reservoir is one of Europe’s most important wetland sites as it is known internationally as a safe haven for wild ducks, swans and other water birds, whether resident, passing through on migration or over-wintering. Up to 40,000 ducks, swans and geese visit the site each year. Riders will pass through the villages of Peldon, Abberton, Layer de la Haye and Layer Breton, which sit around the reservoir.
Predicted timings:
Peldon (11:30 to 11:33)
Abberton (11:35 to 11:38)
Layer de la Haye (11:41 to 11:45)
Layer Breton (11:51 to 11:57) - Best known for its collection of jam, Tiptree is one of the largest villages in England. Fruit farming began in the village in 1864, and the family firm of Wilkin and Sons has become world-famous for its jams and preserves – the Tiptree Tea Room is a popular destination. The village is the venue for the second sprint of the stage.
Predicted timing:
Newbridge Road, Tiptree – sprint two (12:03 to 12:09) - Named in Domesday Book of 1086, Wickham Bishops is a village north of Maldon and where former England Test cricket captain Alastair Cook grew up. The village hosts the first Queen of the Mountains climb of the stage at Church Road.
Predicted timing:
Church Road, Wickham Bishops – QoM one (12:33 to 12:43) - Little Baddow is a small and beautiful village. It contains North Hill, which riders will ascend twice while looking to collect Queen of the Mountains points.
Predicted timings:
North Hill (QoM two, 12:55 to 13:07; QoM three, 13:25 to 13:41)