Bigger field for 2015 RideLondon 100 to make it Europe's biggest sportive

Organisers of the 2015 Prudential RideLondon Surrey 100 say next year's event will be the biggest sportive in Europe and the second biggest in the world, with the number of entries likely to be to be around 35,000.

Just 72 hours after registration opened the ballot for the 2015 ride is already halfway to the 100,000 limit.

That larger ballot — up from 80,000 last year — reflects a likely larger field for next year's ride, if this year's post-event debrief shows that to be feasible.

RideLondon spokesperson Alison Hamlett told road.cc: "We are still undertaking the debrief of the 2014 event, but depending on the outcome of that debrief we are looking to take around 35,000 entrants for the 2015 Prudential RideLondon Surrey 100 — which would result in an anticipated start line number of around 28,000.

"This would make it Europe’s largest sportive and the second biggest in the world behind Cape Argus."

That event — South Africa's 109km Cape Argus Pick n Pay Momentum Cycle Tour — boasted 34,500 entries in 2014 and 31,046 finishers.

Take up for the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 has been a bit slower than last year, when the ballot passed 50,000 entries in 24 hours, but still a lot faster than the inaugural event, which took five months to reach 50,000.

Last year's 80,000-place ballot filled up 27 days after opening. This year's will close on January 5, 2015 or earlier if it reaches the 100,000 limit.

Organisers say that more than 20,000 people finished this year's ride, despite the  hurricane-generated lousy weather, and conditions event director Hugh Brasher called "biblical" seem to have only slightly deterred people from signing up for next year.

"After conditions that have been aptly described as biblical, we are delighted to see that the enthusiasm of Britain’s cyclists and would-be cyclists to participate in the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 has not been dampened," said Brasher.

The entry fee for the ride for 2015 and 2016 has been increased to £58.00 for UK participants.

“We held the entry fee at the same price for two years but the costs of putting on the UK’s biggest sportive means that we need to increase the entry fee by £10.00 this year,” said Brasher.

To enter the ballot go to www.prudentialridelondon.co.uk.