After being cancelled for two consecutive years due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the RideLondon Classic returned to the cycling calendar on the last weekend in May. This time, the three-day race was supposed to steal the limelight, but the lack of live coverage of the entire event was overshadowed by the 2.Pro race, the Lott-Thuringian Ladies Tour, which was live all six days.

A legacy of the 2012 Olympics, the race has been held as a criterium-like one-day race in central London since 2013 and entered the Women's World Tour in 2016; in 2022, two stages in Essex before the final stage in London were added, expanding the race. It was not all good news for Essex, however, as the lack of any live coverage for the two days disappointed teams, riders, media, and cycling fans alike.

UCI rules require a minimum of 45 minutes of live coverage from each day of a Women's World Tour race. The final stage of the RideLondon Classic lasted just over two hours, but the first and second stages were broadcast only as late-night highlights. Esra Tromp, team manager for the Jumbo Visma women's team, noted that the teams put in a lot of work to organize a race in the UK, especially post-Brexit, and it is natural to expect race organizers to honor their contracts. He said, "Cycling is a sport that depends primarily on sponsorship, and sponsors are rewarded for being visible. Tromp told Cycling News, "As a team, there are many ways to make our sponsors visible, but the most important is to show them on live television."

Minimum requirements for live coverage went into effect in the 2019/2020 off-season, and the UCI's failure to provide live coverage for the 2020 race pointed to organizational shortcomings in the Italian stage race and led to the Giro Donne's demotion from the 2021 Women's World Tour to 2. It was demoted to Pro status. Tromp made clear what he expects from race organizers: "As a race organizer, you know what the UCI requires of you when you sign up for the Women's World Tour. If you don't meet those rules, you will apply for another status, for example 2. pro. The UCI's job is to manage whether race organizers follow the rules they set. [There are many checks by the UCI and PricewaterhouseCoopers. In this case, the organizers did not follow the rules, and I am curious what the UCI will do when they find out about this," she said. Asked about how the RideLondon Classic will be affected in the future, Tromp replied: "This is a question for the UCI to answer; they will probably fine the race organizers and reconsider the status of the Women's World Tour next year. In my opinion, it is important that the Women's WorldTour remains exclusive. This is racing at the highest level and that is what is expected of the teams, athletes, and race organizers." According to a statement from the Lydd-London Classic organizers, the race is "back for the first time since the pandemic and the Classique has been expanded to a new three-day format, making it financially impossible to request live coverage for all three days" and this situation has been communicated to the UCI.

The organizers further stated that a new broadcasting agreement with the BBC will guarantee live coverage of all three stages starting in 2023. It was not only Tromp who complained that the first two stages were not broadcast live, but also the riders who took part in the race expressed their disappointment. Brody Chapman (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), being a typical Australian, did not mince words and tweeted, "Teams would be better off racing in Thuringia where there is live coverage and sponsors are respected." Australian rider Sarah Roy (Canyon-SRAM) agreed with the situation, calling it "super disappointing."

The six-day Lott-Thuringian Ladies Tour, which takes place at the same time as the RideLondon Classic, is a 2. professional race and the longest running women's stage race. Traditionally held in July, the Lotto-Thuringia Ladies Tour, however, Thuringia's race has fallen out of the summer vacation spotlight since ASO started the Tour de France la course. The German stage race has been moved from late May to early June, and since 2021 has offered live coverage, this year more than the UCI required, with more than two hours of live footage from each stage.The UCI mandates 20 minutes of live coverage for the 2.Pro race. I think the management of the Lotto-Thuringian Ladies Tour deserves a big round of applause." They put on a great event every year that benefits women's cycling. It's really great that we were able to find a sponsor to broadcast the race. We certainly need to rethink what the best races are for our team next year." Next on the Women's World Tour calendar is the Women's Tour, June 6-11 in England and Wales. After several years of no live broadcasts, all six stages will be broadcast live in 2022.