First held in 2013, RideLondon features professional and amateur races and saw more than 95,000 riders of all ages and abilities take part on the streets of the UK's capital and neighbouring county Surrey this year.

The festival features the London–Surrey Classic race for top male pro riders, which is held on a similar course to that used at the London 2012 Olympics and was won this year by Luxembourg's Jempy Drucker.

Meanwhile, the women's RideLondon Grand Prix features the world's best female riders and from 2016 has been granted WorldTour status by the International Cycling Union (UCI).

Italy's Barbara Guarischi was this year's winner, triumphing after a bunch sprint.

Amateur riders, meanwhile, can take part in the FreeCycle and London-Surrey 100 races, with the event now established as one of the largest fundraisers in the UK.

Over the next three years, Prudential will focus its sponsorship around maximising the funds raised for charity through the development of new and existing charitable partnerships, which will form part of its programme of investing in local communities.

Mike Wells, Prudential Group chief executive, said: “We’re delighted to be renewing our Prudential RideLondon sponsorship for a further three years.

"It’s a great opportunity for us to make this fantastic festival one of the most successful charity fundraising events in the world."

Mayor of London Boris Johnson described the festival as the "greatest mass-participation cycling event in the world".

"Whether it's the elite athletes racing through the streets or families enjoying a leisurely ride past London's landmarks, the celebration of cycling has become a hugely popular fixture in our sporting calendar," he said.

"I'm sure this extended sponsorship deal will prove to be a huge boost, both for the event itself and the charities it supports."

Hugh Brasher, Prudential RideLondon event director, added: “We are looking forward to working with Prudential over the next three years to further develop this unique event, which has already inspired so many thousands to get on their bikes and start cycling.”



Related stories
September 2015: RideLondon women's race awarded WorldTour status by UCI
August 2014: RideLondon is fantastic advert for cycling in London, says Mayor Johnson
November 2013: Inaugural RideLondon breaks fundraising record for one day cycling event