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RideLondon: Major road closures for cycling festival return

PA Media Cyclists beginning women's Classique racePA Media
The three-day women's Classique race began on Friday

More than 100 miles of roads are to be shut in parts of London and Essex as cycling event RideLondon returns with a brand new route.

On Sunday up to 25,000 cyclists will travel along traffic-free roads as part of the festival.

This year's route will start at Victoria Embankment and see riders travel out to Essex, before heading back to the finish at Tower Bridge.

Numerous bus diversions will also be in place along the route.

Starting in 2013 as an Olympic legacy festival, the seven previous editions of RideLondon took participants out to Surrey and back from the capital.

However, it was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sunday's challenge forms the end of the three-day event which includes a stage of the UCI Classique Women's World Tour.

Participants will ride along loops of either 30, 60 or 100 miles in length.

An eight-mile, free cycle route will also be set up in the capital for riders of all ages and abilities.

The circuit begins at Victoria Embankment and participants will travel to Braintree in Essex via Stratford, Woodford and Epping Forest, before looping back.

Sections of major roads will be closed for the event, including the A11, A12, the Limehouse Link Tunnel and the Strand.

Westminster Bridge, Waterloo Bridge, Southwark Bridge and Tower Bridge will also all be shut.

Pavements will remain open along the route with designated crossing points.

Some road closures will also be in place in parts of Essex on Friday and Saturday.