2021 Junior National Road Series: an explainer

Updated following the cancellations of the Hatherleigh Junior Road Race (4 April), the Isle of Man Youth and Junior Tour (30 April – 2 May, the Loughborough race (8 May) and the Cadence Junior Road Race (16 May). The Fensham Howes – MAS Design Junior Tour of Yorkshire was added on 7 May.

The British Cycling Junior Road Series is the premier road racing series in the UK for junior riders. This explainer tells you what it is and how it will work in 2021.

What is it?

The series comprises a set of one-day and stage races for both junior men and women. As explained below, points are awarded to the top finishers in each race, with the overall series winners being the riders with the most points. The series helps to highlight future prospects; many of the riders at the top of the standings tables have gone on to forge successful careers as bike racers (see ‘past winners’, below). 

In 2019, Leo Hayter (VC Londres, now Development Team Sunweb) won the men’s nine-race series in 2019, whilst Abi Smith (Campinense ‐ Velo Performance, now GB Cycling Team Senior Academy) won the three-race women’s equivalent. 

What are the races?

As the last sentence highlights, there has been a significant disparity in the number of races for men and women. The deficit is reduced though in 2021, with the welcome addition of the very first Junior Women’s Tour of Wales (originally due to debut in 2020), a women’s version of the Hatherleigh Junior Road Race and a new race in Loughborough.

Men’s junior series

The junior men’s series boasts more rounds and race days than the senior men’s National Road Series. In total, nine rounds are planned races (the same as in 2020), including four stage races. The Monmouthshire Junior Grand Prix doesn’t continue but a new race, in Loughborough, keeps the number of rounds at nine. The jewel in the crown is undoubtedly the Junior Tour of Wales, which has previously acted as grand finale to the series and has an illustrious list of past winners. This time around though, a rescheduled Spokes Junior Road Race will end a six-month domestic road season for junior men.

Date	Round	Race	Location
4 Apr	1	Hatherleigh Junior Road Race	Devon
30 Apr – 2 May	2	Isle of Man Youth & Junior Tour	Isle of Man
8 May	3	Loughborough	Loughborough
16 May	4	Cadence Junior Road Race	Powys
12-13 Jun	1	Fensham Howes – MAS Design Junior Men’s Tour of Yorkshire	Yorkshire
27 Jun	2	Junior CiCLE Classic	Leicestershire
18 Jul	3	Bath RC Junior RR	Somerset
13-15 Aug	4	Fenwick’s Junior Tour of the Mendips	Somerset
27-30 Aug	5	Junior Tour of Wales	Blaenau Gwent
11-12 Sep	6	Spokes Junior Road Race	Fife

Women’s junior series

The women’s series expands the five rounds in 2021 (an increase on the four planned for 2020). of 3 stage races and a one-day race this year. The addition of the Junior Women’s Tour of Wales is an exciting development, which will hopefully encourage more race organisers to follow suit.

Date	Round	Race	Location
4 Apr	1	Hatherleigh Junior Road Race	Devon
8 May	3	Loughborough	Loughborough
12 Jun	1	Fensham Howes – MAS Design Junior Women’s Tour of Yorkshire	Yorkshire
13-15 Aug	2	Fenwick’s Junior Tour of the Mendips	Somerset
28-30 Aug	3	Junior Women’s Tour of Wales	Blaenau Gwent
tbc	?	Witham Hall Road Race	Lincolnshire

Junior National Road Championships

The Junior National Road Championships feature a road race and time trial. They are not part of the Junior Road Series as such, but nonetheless, carry the prestige of crowning the national junior champions in both disciplines. 

This will be the first time that a time trial championships will take place alongside the road race, with the time trial taking place on the Saturday ahead of the road race the following day.

Chitterne in Wiltshire will host the championships in 2021.

Date	Race	Location
10 Jul	Time trial	Chitterne, Wiltshire
11 Jul	Road race	Chitterne, Wiltshire

Scoring

For both the men’s and women’s series, there is an overall rider classification. Points will be awarded for:

• The first 20 places in each single day road race and overall classifications in stage races: 30, 28, 26, 24, 22, 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
• The first 10 places in individual stages in stage races: 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

The overall winner of the series will be the rider who gains the highest total number of points across the series, with all rounds to count.

Past winners

The men’s series has been running since 2006 and past winners include Simon Yates, Pete Kennaugh, Matt Gibson, Alex Peters and Erick Rowsell. The women’s series has much less history, with Abi Smith (2019) and April Tacey (2018) the two series winners to date. 

Men

Year	Rider	Team
2020	n/a	n/a
2019	Leo Hayter	VC Londres
2018	Mason Hollyman	Zappi Racing Team
2017	Oscar Mingay	Giant Cycling Club – Halo Films
2016	Charlie Meredith	Giant Cycling Club – Halo Films
2015	Harry Hardcastle	Speedflex Race Team
2014	Matthew Gibson	Velocity WD-40
2013	Jake Kelly	Manx Viking Wheelers CC
2012	Alex Peters	Mosquito Bikes
2011	Alistair Slater	Hargroves Cycles-Trant-Next-Specialised-GSI
2010	Simon Yates	Maxgear RT
2009	Joe Perrett	Glendene CC/Bike Trax Junior Team
2008	Erick Rowsell	Team Corridori
2007	Peter Kennaugh	Pinarello RT
2006	Andrew Griffiths	Glendene CC / Bike Trax

Women

Year	Rider	Team
2020	n/a	n/a
2019	Abi Smith	Campinense ‐ Velo Performance
2018	April Tacey	Team22

Read more

The British Cycling pages on the Junior Road Series, for men and women, can be found here.

The full set of regulations for the junior men’s and women’s road series can be found here. 

Featured photo: David Partridge / 2019 Junior Tour of Wales. Thomas Gloag (VC Londres) wins stage 2.