2024 360cycling Under-23 Tour of the North West: preview and startlist
Startlist, route, contenders and timings for the 360cycling Tour of the North West, 25-26 May, the final round of the Under-23 Open National Road Series
The inaugural Under-23 Tour of the Northwest is run by 360cycling, created in 2021 to offer performance cycle clothing, cycling products, advice and coaching and to support grass roots cycling and racing throughout the North West and beyond. Profit from the business goes back into its support for young riders.
The event is a stage race, incorporating three stages over two days, and runs alongside a Junior Tour of the Northwest, which forms part of the open Junior National Road Series.
The Under-23 Open National Road Series began with the Stars of the South West road race on a 43.1km course starting and finishing in Tiverton, Devon. Saint Piran made the perfect start as Dylan Hicks led home a 1-2 for the team.
Round two witnessed a late attack from Archie Peet, Reflex Racing to take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race. This was a day where the favourites found themselves outmarked, and eventually out gunned.
Rowan Baker (Saint Piran), hitherto the Series leader, was absent in round 3, enabling Peet to take control at the top of the Series rankings at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic, thanks to third place. Tom Williams (Thriva-SRCT) won the race with a brilliant solo effort.
Peet now enjoys a 24 point lead over Baker ahead of the final round. Baker’s teammate Dylan Hicks is a further two points back.
Series standings after the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic
The Series regulations state that only the general classification positions will count towards the Series standings at the Tour of the North West, meaning no points will be scored for stage placings. The top 20 in the GC will be awarded points, on a scale from 30 down to 1. With Peet enjoying a 24 point lead, therefore, Baker and Hicks will have their work cut out to leapfrog Peet for the Series win.
Route
Stage 1 | Saturday 25 May
Stage 1 is a long rolling road race on the Lazenby circuit north of Penrith, starting at 9.30am. The race takes in 7 laps of the 16km circuit, meaning the total race distance is around 112km and features over 1700m of elevation.
Stage 2 | Sunday 26 May
Stage 2 is a shorter, faster, flatter affair on the Caithwaite course, another 16km circuit. This time there are five laps with a total race distance of 80km. The stage is another 9.30am start.
Stage 3 | Sunday 26 May
The race will be decided with a stage 3 time trial on the same Caithwaite circuit used for stage 2. In essence, this will be an old-fashioned 10 mile TT, with riders allowed to use time trial bikes. Riders roll off the virtual start ramp from 3pm.
Riders to watch
The contest for the Under-23 Open National Road Series could define the race. Series leader Archie Peet has been one of the breakthrough riders of 2024, backing up his win at the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race with third at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic. Even if his nearest rival Rowan Baker wins the race, Peet only needs to finish 14th or higher on GC to seal the Series win. He stands a good chance of doing that – and a lot better too – judging by his form so far this year.
Rowan Baker comes in to the race after a solid outing at the Tour of Hellas. The East Cleveland Classic winner is a good time triallist and is our favourite for the race win.
Rowan Baker wins the 2024 RCR FatCreations Road Race. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
His teammate Dylan Hicks didn’t just have a solid outing at the Tour of Hellas, he won a stage, the first UCI road race win of his young career. He’ll be on a high coming into this race, and will be odds on to grab a stage win at the very least.
David Hird (Cycling Sheffield) is the only rider apart from Baker and Hicks who has an outside shot at winning the Series this weekend, sitting 28 points behind Peet. Hird was excellent at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, finishing 6th, and should have benefited from a recent kermesse block in Belgium.
Jamie Whitcher is back racing for BmthCycleworks VitecFire FordCE after leaving the Spirit TBW Stuart Hall team on the eve of the Rás Tailteann. A handy time triallist, he’ll be looking to get his season back on track after a solid start which included a podium at the RCR FatCreations Road Race and second at the Portsdown Classic.
360cycling riders Maxwell Hereward and John Bardsley are two more to watch. Hereward has had an increasingly impressive season, narrowly missing the win at the Aughton road race recently. Bardsley, fifth at the PB Performance Espoirs road race, suits a flatter course so stage 2 could be to his liking. Finally, first-year under-23 Ben Marsh is fast finisher who was second at the Jock Wadley Memorial and is capable of good result here.
The Under-23 Open National Road Series ends this weekend with a stage race: the inaugural 360cycling Tour of the North West.
This is our preview and startlist.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
What is it?
The inaugural Under-23 Tour of the Northwest is run by 360cycling, created in 2021 to offer performance cycle clothing, cycling products, advice and coaching and to support grass roots cycling and racing throughout the North West and beyond. Profit from the business goes back into its support for young riders.
The event is a stage race, incorporating three stages over two days, and runs alongside a Junior Tour of the Northwest, which forms part of the open Junior National Road Series.
The Series so far
The Series, originally intended to be six-round Series in 2024, has recently narrowed to four rounds as a result of race cancellations.
The Under-23 Open National Road Series began with the Stars of the South West road race on a 43.1km course starting and finishing in Tiverton, Devon. Saint Piran made the perfect start as Dylan Hicks led home a 1-2 for the team.
Round two witnessed a late attack from Archie Peet, Reflex Racing to take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race. This was a day where the favourites found themselves outmarked, and eventually out gunned.
Rowan Baker (Saint Piran), hitherto the Series leader, was absent in round 3, enabling Peet to take control at the top of the Series rankings at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic, thanks to third place. Tom Williams (Thriva-SRCT) won the race with a brilliant solo effort.
Peet now enjoys a 24 point lead over Baker ahead of the final round. Baker’s teammate Dylan Hicks is a further two points back.
The Series regulations state that only the general classification positions will count towards the Series standings at the Tour of the North West, meaning no points will be scored for stage placings. The top 20 in the GC will be awarded points, on a scale from 30 down to 1. With Peet enjoying a 24 point lead, therefore, Baker and Hicks will have their work cut out to leapfrog Peet for the Series win.
Route
Stage 1 | Saturday 25 May
Stage 1 is a long rolling road race on the Lazenby circuit north of Penrith, starting at 9.30am. The race takes in 7 laps of the 16km circuit, meaning the total race distance is around 112km and features over 1700m of elevation.
Stage 2 | Sunday 26 May
Stage 2 is a shorter, faster, flatter affair on the Caithwaite course, another 16km circuit. This time there are five laps with a total race distance of 80km. The stage is another 9.30am start.
Stage 3 | Sunday 26 May
The race will be decided with a stage 3 time trial on the same Caithwaite circuit used for stage 2. In essence, this will be an old-fashioned 10 mile TT, with riders allowed to use time trial bikes. Riders roll off the virtual start ramp from 3pm.
Riders to watch
The contest for the Under-23 Open National Road Series could define the race. Series leader Archie Peet has been one of the breakthrough riders of 2024, backing up his win at the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race with third at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic. Even if his nearest rival Rowan Baker wins the race, Peet only needs to finish 14th or higher on GC to seal the Series win. He stands a good chance of doing that – and a lot better too – judging by his form so far this year.
Rowan Baker comes in to the race after a solid outing at the Tour of Hellas. The East Cleveland Classic winner is a good time triallist and is our favourite for the race win.
His teammate Dylan Hicks didn’t just have a solid outing at the Tour of Hellas, he won a stage, the first UCI road race win of his young career. He’ll be on a high coming into this race, and will be odds on to grab a stage win at the very least.
David Hird (Cycling Sheffield) is the only rider apart from Baker and Hicks who has an outside shot at winning the Series this weekend, sitting 28 points behind Peet. Hird was excellent at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, finishing 6th, and should have benefited from a recent kermesse block in Belgium.
Jamie Whitcher is back racing for BmthCycleworks VitecFire FordCE after leaving the Spirit TBW Stuart Hall team on the eve of the Rás Tailteann. A handy time triallist, he’ll be looking to get his season back on track after a solid start which included a podium at the RCR FatCreations Road Race and second at the Portsdown Classic.
360cycling riders Maxwell Hereward and John Bardsley are two more to watch. Hereward has had an increasingly impressive season, narrowly missing the win at the Aughton road race recently. Bardsley, fifth at the PB Performance Espoirs road race, suits a flatter course so stage 2 could be to his liking. Finally, first-year under-23 Ben Marsh is fast finisher who was second at the Jock Wadley Memorial and is capable of good result here.
Provisional startlist
Share this: