We reach the business end of the National Road Series this weekend as the domestic peloton heads to Yorkshire for the men’s and women’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix.

Here is our preview.

Featured photo: SWPix

What is it?

Based in the historic Ampleforth School and Abbey, the 17th edition of the Ryedale Grand Prix takes in circuits of the rolling Hambleton countryside, in the shadow of the hills that make up the western edge of the North York Moors National Park. 

Last year’s editions were won by Alex Peters (SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling) and Illi Gardner (CAMS-Basso) respectively. Previous winners of the race include James Shaw, Graham Briggs, Ollie Wood, Ian Bibby, Anna Henderson, Laura Massey and Nikki Juniper.

The route

Starting and finishing in the genteel surroundings of Ampleforth Abbey, the route incorporates two overlapping, hilly circuits featuring narrow, twisty

country lanes. The race opens with laps of a ‘large circuit’ before moving on to a shorter finishing circuit. Both feature some tough climbs, making for selective racing. 

The women’s race is 101.4 km long and takes in two laps of the long circuit followed by three laps of the short circuit. The men’s race, meanwhile, is 161.9 km in length and includes three laps of the long circuit and five of the short circuit.

The long circuit

Featuring high-hedged country roads with hills scattered along the way, there are plenty of opportunities for the peloton to splinter and for riders to break away.

Starting outside Ampleforth Abbey, the peloton heads north up the ‘East Lane’ climb (see below), which continues as riders turn left towards Ampleforth village. They reach the top of the climb halfway between the Abbey and the village. The road then descends into the village, where the riders then head south. 

The riders hit the ‘N Moor Ln’ climb as they reach Thorpe Beck. Once at the crest of the climb, the riders take a sharp right towards Oulston. The riders then take in a short sharp rise before they reach the village. A relatively sustained section of descent then begins, taking the riders left through Oulston, then south, before heading east towards the River Foss.

As they reach the river, the ‘second climb’ begins, the toughest of the three main climbs on the course. After a short dip, the course then rises again into Yearsley. From here, the route then descends pretty much all the way to Gilling where the riders then head east and then north back to Ampleforth Abbey.

The short circuit

The short circuit begins in the same way as the long circuit, heading west towards Ampleforth, then taking in the ‘N Moor Ln’ climb. Rather than turning right at the top, however, the riders continue straight on to Yearsley, omitting Oulston and the ‘second climb’. At Yearsley, the circuit then rejoins the long circuit back to the finish line at the Abbey.

‘N Moor Ln Climb’

This climb runs along Yearsley Moor Bank. It’s 1.5 km in length and averages 6.7%, with a maximum gradient of 10.9%. It features in both the long circuit and short circuit.

‘2nd climb’

This climb is the toughest of the three climbs. The climb itself is 1.1 km long and averages 7.9%. The section in the middle is particularly steep, with the road at over 15% at one point, and there is another acute section towards the top too. Once over the crest, there is little let-up either, as, after a short dip, the road continues to rise up to Yearsley. Thankfully for the riders, the climb only features on the long circuit. But whilst it’s unlikely to be a race-defining section of the route, it may be a useful launchpad for break-away attempts and will certainly help to whittle down the peloton in the early phases of the race.

‘East Ln Climb’

The ‘East Ln Climb’ may look the easiest on paper, with a mild gradient of just 4.1%, but with the finish line placed halfway up it on one of the steepest sections, it will play a decisive role if the race comes down to a sprint between a small group.

Riders to watch

View the startlists here.

National Road Series standings here.

Women’s race

First of all, with just two rounds of the National Road Series remaining, and the top three in the individual rankings separated by just 18 points, we expect a race within a race this Sunday. Sammie Stuart (CAMS-Basso) took over the women’s Series lead at the wind-battered Manx Telecom International last month and will line up keen to defend her lead. Her nearest challengers Lucy Lee (Team LDN-Brother) and Alice McWilliam (Bianchi HUNT Morvélo) are just 17 and 18 points behind respectively. With 35 points up for grabs in each round, both have a shot of usurping Stuart should she falter. The battle between this trio should add a fascinating dimension to the race.

All three could contend for the race win too, but if their focus is more on each other, there are plenty of other riders to look out for. These include Lancaster Grand Prix winner Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods), Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix victor Becky Storrie (CAMS-Basso) – assuming she has the freedom to work for herself rather than her teammate Stuart – Nicole Coates (Torelli-Cayman-Islands-Scimitar), Connie Hayes (AWOL O’Shea) and new rider on the block Alex Morrice (Team LDN-Brother UK). The latter was incredibly impressive at the Lancaster Grand Prix, finishing second in just her third competitive road race.

2021 Series winner Abi Smith (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) adds some WorldTour glamour to the startlist and will be one to watch too.

Prediction? With the Series leaders keeping an eye on each other, let’s go with someone a little leftfield: Alex Morrice to go one better than Lancaster and take her first National Road Series win.

Men’s race

In the men’s Series, WiV SunGod hold the upper hand. Series leader Robert Scott and 2021 Series winner Jacob Scott – second in the Series – have formed a formidable pairing this season in both the National Road Series and National Circuit Series. Their teammate Matt Bostock, who sits third in Series, does not race, but the two Scotts are definitely in the driving seat when it comes to the race for the Series win.

Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling’s Finn Crockett is their most likely challenger for the Series win. The Scot took a magnificent bronze in the Commonwealth Games road race recently, and sits 34 points behind Robert Scott. He will be keen to eat into Scott’s lead ahead of the final round at the Beaumont Trophy in September.

All three of these riders can win the race but there are plenty of others to watch too. WiV SunGod have other options including Toby Barnes (second in the race last year) and 2022 Ràs stage winner Matthew Teggart. Crockett’s teammates Stuart Balfour and Zeb Kyffin both look back on form. Saint Piran include GP Nogent-sur-Oise winner Alex Richardson among their line-up, as well as exciting new signings Harry Birchill and Jack Rootkin-Gray. All three could challenge.

Elsewhere, TRINITY Racing pairing Max Walker and Ollie Rees cannot be overlooked, while Joe Wilson (Dolan-Ellesse Race Team), Adam Mitchell (Cycling Sheffield), Ben Granger (Zappi Racing) and James Jenkins (Richardsons-Trek) are all solid wildcards.

Prediction? It’s really hard to see past WiV SunGod, and we’ll go with Jacob Scott.

Timings

Race	Start	Finish (approx)
Women’s	09.15	12.27
Men’s	14.00	18.25

Weather

The forecast suggests it will be a warm sunny day.

How to follow

British Cycling will have live updates on Twitter and Instagram. We will also be bringing you updates on our Instagram stories.