Wiebes wins RideLondon Classique as Wild is disqualified

Kirsten Wild (WNT-Rotor Pro Cycling) crossed the line first Saturday at the RideLondon Classique, but the race jury ruled the Dutch rider deviated from her line in the final 100 metres and disqualified her result, lifting Lorena Wiebes (Parkhotel Valkenburg) to the top step of the podium ahead of Elisa Balsamo (Valcar-Cylance Cycling).

A massive crash in the final 100 metres took out Chloe Hosking (Alé Cipollini) and about 20 other riders, and the race jury ruled Wild's move from her line caused the melee. 

How it happened

The criterium-like course was shortened compared to the last year's. Cutting out Whitehall and the Admiralty Arch, the new circuit had a length of 3.4 kilometres and was raced clockwise instead of anticlockwise. On 20 laps, the peloton raced around St James’s Park, passing Horse Guards Parade and Buckingham Palace before going up Constitution Hill. After a U-turn at the top, the race finished on The Mall.

Intermediate sprints after laps 4, 8, 12, and 16 ensured that the speed was high throughout the race, and there were no real breakaways. Abby-Mae Parkinson (Drops) tried to get away several times but had the peloton on her wheel each time. Dani Christmas (Lotto Soudal Ladies) attacked on lap 11 and had a small gap for about one kilometre before being reeled in again.

Team Sunweb led out Susanne Andersen for the four intermediate sprints. The 21-year-old was first across the line three times, winning the sprint competition. Coming onto the finishing straight with one lap to go, her teammate Leah Kirchmann crashed. Kirchmann’s bike got tangled up with that of British champion Alice Barnes who avoided crashing but was out of contention for the final sprint.

The lead-out trains of Valcar Cylance and WNT-Rotor took control on the final lap. Team Sunweb came to the front with one kilometre to go, but it was German champion Lisa Brennauer (WNT-Rotor), with Wild on her wheel, who led the peloton past Buckingham Palace and onto the finishing straight with just over 500 metres to go.

Coming from behind, Wiebes had to open her sprint early and sped past Brennauer with about 200 metres to go as Brennauer ran out of steam. As riders tried to follow Wiebes, Wild lost the open road ahead of her, and when she went to the left, she caused the crash of Hosking that set off a chain reaction across the width of the road.

Wild crossed the line just ahead of Wiebes, but after a review of the finish, she was disqualified by the race jury, giving Wiebes the win.

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