RideLondon - Surrey Classic searching for new title sponsor for 2021

The RideLondon - Surrey Classic has announced it is looking for a new title sponsor for the 2021 race, with Prudential stepping down after this year's edition.

Prudential has sponsored the race for the past eight years, and the one-day race now joins the Tour of Britain and Women's Tour on the list of British races searching for sponsorship.

"It has been a wonderful seven years and we would like to thank everyone at Prudential for their huge support of RideLondon," event director Hugh Brasher said.

"There is now a unique opportunity for a new partner to help us in the evolution of this extraordinary event, which can play a key role in shaping the health and well-being of future generations."

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In November 2019 the organisers of the Tour of Britain, the Women's Tour and the Tour Series announced they would be hunting for a new headline sponsor to replace OVO Energy.

The Bristol-based energy firm decided to bring their three-year backing of the flagship British races to an end, during which time they helped introduce a prize fund to the Women's Tour in 2018 that was equal to the Tour of Britain, becoming the first UCI stage race to do so.

The 2020 season will see the women's Prudential RideLondon Classique downgraded from the UCI WorldTour calendar.

The decision was made due to the race being moved from its usual date to August 16, with organisers claiming they wanted to avoid a clash with the Tokyo Olympics.

This then resulted in the British race clashing with the Ladies Tour of Norway, with the UCI prioritising the Norwegian race, leaving British race organisers "extremely disappointed".

It has already been an uncertain start to the new decade for the British racing scene, with Eddie Soens being called off due to a lack of funds before a new organiser and sponsor stepped in at the eleventh hour to save the race.

The Merseyside season opener will now go ahead as planned on March 7.