2022 National Circuit Race Championships: report and results

Josie Nelson (Team Coop-Hitec Products) became the 2022 National Circuit Race Champion after outsprinting 17-year-old Emma Jeffers (JRC-Interflon) by a matter of millimetres.

In the men’s race that followed, Matt Bostock (WiV SunGod) took his first National Circuit Race crown after out-duelling Sam Watson (Groupama-FDJ Continental) and Josh Tarling (Wales Racing Academy).

Women’s race

Josie Nelson (Team Coop-Hitec Products) emulated her win at last weekend’s CiCLE Classic, taking victory in a tight sprint finish by a margin of millimetres.

The race was a tightly contested affair throughout, with no rider allowed the breathing space to definitively break clear from the peloton. There were attacks and probes in the early stages, naturally, most notably from defending champion Jo Tindley (Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen), but her every move was closely marked, each rider wary of letting her go clear.

Kate Richardson (Alba Road Development Team), Charlotte Broughton (AWOL O’Shea), Sammie Stuart (CAMS-Basso), Amy Gornall (Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen) and Emma Jeffers (JRC-Interflon) were all constant presences at the front of the bunch. Josie Nelson (Team Coop-Hitec Products) was there too, seemingly always in the top five, but never putting her nose in the wind.

A crash after about 15 minutes took out several riders and held up many more, reducing the leading bunch to around 25-30 riders. But as the race continued it was more of the same. Attacks and surges, followed by lulls and regrouping.

In the remaining few laps, our journal contributor Flora Perkins (Le Col-Wahoo) put in two strong accelerations, which both briefly looked like they might snap the elastic behind before she was pulled back by her rivals. Lucy Ellmore (Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen) was another rider to put in a stinging dig to no avail.

In the last two laps, Sammie Stuart drove at the front in characteristic fashion, hoping to power clear. But the riders behind were equal to her.

As the leading riders dived into the final 180-degree turn before the finish line, Jo Tindley looked to be in prime position to hit the front first, before locking up her wheels and running the corner wide. This left the door open for Nelson to take the initiative, coming out of the bend first and accelerating hard towards the line.

Jeffers was in her wheel and then slowly drew level as they reached the line, but just couldn’t quite find the power – or gears (she is still a junior on junior gearing) – to edge in front.

It was a tense wait for both riders as the judges reviewed the photo finish before Nelson was declared the winner. First-year senior Perkins was third – her finest result yet – with her teammate El King in fourth. Kate Richardson continued her strong run of form with fifth, while comeback girl Charlotte Broughton was sixth. Last year’s winner Tindley recovered from her wide cornering to finish seventh.

Rank	#	Rider	Team Name	Time	Gap
1	65	Josie Nelson	Team Coop-Hitec Products	1:07:59.03
2	40	Emma Jeffers	JRC-INTERFLON Race Team	1:07:59.03	+0.02
3	42	Flora Perkins	Le Col – Wahoo	1:08:00.01	+0.75
4	41	Eluned King	Le Col – Wahoo	1:08:00.04	+1.08
5	14	Kate Richardson	Alba Development Road Team	1:08:00.09	+1.57
6	17	Charlotte Broughton	AWOL- O’Shea	1:08:00.10	+1.67
7	1	Jo Tindley	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen	1:08:01.08	+2.50
8	58	Amira Mellor	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus	1:08:02.05	+3.20
9	9	Sophie Enever	Alba Development Road Team	1:08:02.10	+3.65
10	31	Sammie Stuart	CAMS-Basso	1:08:03.05	+4.18
11	2	Isabel Darvill	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen	1:08:03.08	+4.53
12	34	Sophie Holmes	Datalynx-Parenesis Cycling	1:08:04.05	+5.21
13	29	Beth Morrow	CAMS-Basso	1:08:05.00	+5.73
14	4	Lucy Ellmore	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen	1:08:05.04	+6.06
15	26	Jessica Finney	CAMS-Basso	1:08:05.05	+6.16
16	55	Xan Crees	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus	1:08:05.08	+6.46
17	48	Robyn Clay	Otley CC	1:08:06.00	+6.68
18	16	Olivia Bent	AWOL- O’Shea	1:08:06.00	+6.71
19	5	Amy Gornall	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen	1:08:06.07	+7.38
20	36	Emily Proud	Grinta Coaching	1:08:06.07	+7.42
21	38	Suzetta Guerrini	Jadan – Vive le Velo	1:08:06.10	+7.66
22	11	Sophie Lankford	Alba Development Road Team	1:08:07.03	+7.96
23	57	Samantha Fawcett	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus	1:08:07.05	+8.23
24	47	Lauren Robinson	Moonglu Race Team	1:08:08.00	+8.69
25	52	Gemma Sargent	Saint Piran WRT	1:08:09.09	+10.59
26	68	Jenny Holl	TEKKERZ CC	1:08:10.04	+11.13
DNF	12	Beth Maciver	Alba Development Road Team
DNF	54	Charlotte Berry	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus
DNF	10	Arianne Holland	Alba Development Road Team
DNF	53	Abbie Taylor	Sheffield Dirt Society
DNF	51	Elizabeth Sanders	Saint Piran WRT
DNF	49	Hannah Bayes	Saint Piran WRT
DNF	67	Lauren Higham	Team LDN – Brother UK
DNF	22	Ellen Bennett	Brother UK-Orientation Marketing
DNF	50	Madeleine Gammons	Saint Piran WRT
DNF	43	Francesca Hall	Loughborough Lightning – TRG
DNF	3	Bexy Dew	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen
DNF	69	Ellie Mackman	The Ark Cycles
DNF	70	Morven Yeoman	Tofauti Everyone Active
DNF	74	Amy Perryman	TEKKERZ CC
DNF	66	Sian Botteley	Team LDN – Brother UK
DNF	13	Erin Murphy	Alba Development Road Team
DNF	37	Elizabeth Bennett	IBCT
DNF	30	Danielle Shrosbree	CAMS-Basso
DNF	39	Beth Harley-Jepson	Jadan – Vive le Velo
DNF	62	Lucy Gadd	Storey Racing
DNF	61	Olivia French	Storey Racing
DNF	63	Kinga Ingram	Storey Racing
DNF	7	Poppy Thompson	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen
DNF	72	Gwenno Hughes	Saint Piran WRT
DNF	46	Chloe Vickers	Loughborough Lightning – TRG
DNF	33	Laura Cheesman	Datalynx-Parenesis Cycling
DNF	44	Flora Knight	Loughborough Lightning – TRG
DNF	21	Libby Smithson	AWOL Worx Galliard
DNF	20	Maddie Wadsworth	AWOL- O’Shea
DNF	18	Connie Hayes	AWOL- O’Shea

Men’s race

In contrast to the women’s race, the men’s race was defined by breakaways, and decisively so. In the early laps, Yorkshireman Jim Brown (WiV SunGod) drove a three-man break clear. Fan favourite Alec Briggs (Tekkerz CC) bridged across before Sam Waston (Groupama-FDJ Continental) closed things down.

Brown’s teammates – winners at the recent Sportsbreaks.com Tour Series – were then prominent at the front, keen to make good on their circuit race expertise. First Rob Scott drove the peloton, before circuit racer deluxe Matt Bostock decided to try his chances, breaking clear after around 15 minutes.

Bostock’s move took Watson, junior wonderkid Josh Tarling (Wales Racing Academy) and Bob Donaldson (Team Inspired) clear. 20 minutes in the four escapees had already carved out a dangerous-looking lead. With the bunch behind not working cohesively hindered in part by effective policing by Bostock and Watson’s teammate – it looked like this could be the winning move, and so it proved.

Donaldson was therefore unfortunate to pull the short straw, puncturing out of the break and then out the race entirely. This left Bostock, Watson and Tarling to work together to maintain – and extend – their advantage. Such was their efficiency that it seemed at one point they would lap the bunch, before appearing to decide to reign things in, their lead assured.

The pre-race favourite Bostock – the superior sprinter – looked composed. With the leading trio almost certain to contest the victory, the question then turned to when Tarling and Watson would make their move to try and lose the Manxman. It was no surprise, then, to see Tarling try repeatedly to test Bostock’s strength and resolve. He put in several accelerations in the closing laps, but each time Bostock carefully, assuredly pulled him back. There was no panic on Bostock’s part.

Behind, Watson lurked, glued to Bostock’s wheel. He was saving energy, perhaps hoping Tarling’s attacks would help to blunt Bostock’s speed. It seemed for a moment that Watson’s tactic might pay off. As the trio approached the final 180-degree corner, Watson moved to the front and hit the bend first. Bostock showed his circuit race class, however, cornering perfectly to take the inside line and hit the finishing straight first. He then put in his trademark sprint and after that the contest was over.

It was an emotional win for Bostock. He has been the outstanding circuit race rider in the men’s domestic peloton in recent years but victory in the National Circuit Race had eluded him until now.

Watson finished just behind Bostock, while junior Tarling confirmed his class with third. For Watson and Tarling both it seems just a matter of time before both join the WorldTour. Bostock too deserves a pro contract.

Leon Mazzone (Saint Piran) led in the bunch to take an excellent fourth, pipping WorldTour rider Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ). 18-year-old Benjamin Peatfield (Vendée U – Pays de la Loire) took a fine sixth, with Brown seventh and former National Circuit Race Champion Matt Gibson (Human Powered Health) eighth.

Rank	#	Rider	Team Name	Time	Gap
1	67	Matthew Bostock	WiV Sungod	1:06:07.09
2	19	Samuel Watson	GROUPAMA – FDJ	1:06:08.00	+0.14
3	58	Joshua Tarling	Wales Racing Academy	1:06:11.01	+3.21
4	36	Leon Mazzone	Saint Piran	1:07:03.01	+55.18
5	16	Lewis Askey	GROUPAMA – FDJ	1:07:03.01	+55.19
6	53	Benjamin Peatfield	Vendee U – Pays de la Loire	1:07:03.04	+55.53
7	68	Jim Brown	WiV Sungod	1:07:03.08	+55.89
8	20	Matthew Gibson	Human Powered Health	1:07:03.08	+55.97
9	71	Joseph Beckingsale	Wales Racing Academy	1:07:04.01	+56.24
10	6	Oliver Stockwell	Cycling Team Friuli ASD	1:07:04.03	+56.40
11	47	Joshua Giddings	Team Inspired	1:07:04.08	+56.96
12	69	Robert Scott	WiV Sungod	1:07:04.08	+56.98
13	2	Max Rushby	Acrog-Tormans	1:07:05.03	+57.44
14	59	William Truelove	Wales Racing Academy	1:07:05.03	+57.44
15	10	Joe Wilson	Dolan Ellesse Race Team	1:07:05.06	+57.78
16	64	Callum Thornley	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli	1:07:05.09	+58.01
17	13	Tom Couzens	Embark – Bikestrong	1:07:05.09	+58.02
18	3	Henry Lawton	AG2R Citroen U23 Team	1:07:05.09	+58.02
19	35	Tom Mazzone	Saint Piran	1:07:06.05	+58.67
20	28	Cameron Jeffers	Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling	1:07:06.06	+58.71
21	51	Alec Briggs	TEKKERZ CC	1:07:06.07	+58.82
22	73	Lee Rosie	Spokes Racing Team	1:07:06.08	+58.91
23	12	Jamieson Blain	Embark – Bikestrong	1:07:06.08	+58.94
24	32	Steven Parsonage	Richardsons Trek DAS	1:07:07.05	+59.64
25	41	Nicholas Cooper	Sweden Cycling Academy	1:07:08.06	+ 1:00.68
26	7	Jack Crook	Dolan Ellesse Race Team	1:07:08.08	+ 1:00.95
27	60	David Duggan	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli	1:07:09.08	+ 1:01.95
28	17	Finlay Pickering	GROUPAMA – FDJ	1:07:10.02	+ 1:02.30
29	18	Joe Pidcock	GROUPAMA – FDJ	1:07:10.05	+ 1:02.65
30	37	Theodor Obholzer	Saint Piran	1:07:12.04	+ 1:04.57
31	33	Stephen Bradbury	Saint Piran	1:07:27.04	+ 1:19.57
DNF	56	Owain Roberts	Wales Racing Academy
DNF	65	Matti Dobbins	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF	15	Rhys Britton	EvoPro Racing
DNF	29	Harry Tanfield	Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
DNF	26	William Brown	Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling
DNF	63	Tim Shoreman	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF	39	Bradley Symonds	Saint Piran
DNF	31	Conor McGoldrick	Richardsons Trek DAS
DNF	42	Harry Birchill	Team Inspired
DNF	14	Cai Davies	Embark – Bikestrong
DNF	46	Robert Donaldson	Team Inspired
DNF	54	Joe Holt	Wales Racing Academy
DNF	74	Sam Kettlewell	TS Racing
DNF	45	Josh Charlton	Team Inspired
DNF	22	Thomas Stringer	Moonglu Race Team
DNF	43	Ross Birrell	Team Inspired
DNF	61	Fraser Martin	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF	62	Tom Merry	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF	48	Oscar Nilsson-Julien	Team Inspired
DNF	8	Declan Hudson	Dolan Ellesse Race Team
DNF	11	James Bevan	Embark – Bikestrong
DNF	76	Murray Soutter	Torvelo Racing
DNF	38	Charles Page	Saint Piran
DNF	57	William Roberts	Wales Racing Academy
DNF	23	Cameron McLaren	Nopinz Motip Race Team
DNF	25	Hugo Lutz-Atkinson	Ribble rechrg Race Team