The new three-day RideLondon Classic will have limited live television coverage and a reduced prize purse when it starts Friday in Essex.

Following the conclusion of the men's RideLondon Surrey Classic, race organizers announced in June 2021 that the women's race would evolve from a one-day circuit race to a three-day Tour race in 2022.

Despite being a Women's World Tour race, it is required to have at least 45 minutes of live coverage per day, but only the third stage, the London Circuit Race, is broadcast live, with a highlights package available for the first and second stages.

The race will be broadcast by the BBC in the UK, which is the confirmed broadcaster of the event for at least the next five years, and by Eurosport and GCN in Europe.

In addition, the total prize purse will be €60,000 for the three stages, down from €100,000 for the one-day race.

The race introduced an equal €100,000 prize pot for both men and women in 2016, making it the "richest" race on the women's calendar at the time, but it has since been overtaken by the Giro Donne and Tour de France Femme with a prize pot of €250,000.

Event director Hugh Brasher told VeloNews in November that he intended to keep the €100,000 prize pot for 2022, but has since confirmed that the prize pot has been reduced to €60,000.

The prize money for winning a one-day race has previously been €25,000; this year it will be €10,000. The prize money for a stage win is €1,500.

The event lost its longtime sponsor Prudential at the beginning of 2021, but this week the automaker Ford was announced as the new "presenting partner."

While the issue of equality in prize money and prize money is a controversial one in women's cycling, many riders, including Annemieke van Fruten, have expressed that live coverage is more important for the growth of the sport as a whole.

It is currently unclear how the lack of live coverage will affect a race's World Tour status, but races that do not meet the minimum requirements have in the past been demoted to the professional level.