After a busy weekend involving four National B road races, the national road racing calendar is more straightforward this weekend, with a doubleheader at Witham Hall this Sunday 9 April.

The Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix, the first round of the Junior and U23 Women’s Road Series, is followed by the Timmy James Memorial Grand Prix, a National B road race held in honour of the late Tim James.

What is it?

Organised by Bourne Wheelers CC, the Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix was first run in 2016. The race has a notable list of past winners, three of whom have since gone on to ride in the Women’s WorldTour (Roberts, Georgi and Shackley), while the other two are both current UCI Continental team riders.

Year	Winner
2016	Jess Roberts
2017	April Tacey
2018	Pfeiffer Georgi
2019	Anna Shackley
2022	Lucy Gadd

Perhaps in recognition of the important role the race plays in rider development, Bob Varney, owner of Lifeplus Wahoo, has donated over £600 pounds worth of prizes in addition to the £500 prize fund.

Until 2019 the race was for juniors only, and then last year it incorporated U23 riders too, after the creation of British Cycling’s Junior & U23 Women’s National Road Series. The Series consists of five rounds and incorporates separate Junior Women and U23 Women individual competitions. You can read the Series regulations here.

The Timmy James Memorial was set up to honour the Tim James who sadly passed away on 14 May 2021 after being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Tim was a member of Bourne Wheelers CC, who were keen to set up this race in his memory. As well as a race to celebrate Tim’s life, the club hope to use the event to raise as much money as possible for Young Lives Vs Cancer, the charity that supported Tim and his family in the final few months of his life.

Toby Barnes won last year’s race, held on the same course. In 2021, a first memorial race was staged by SwiftCarbon Pro Cycling, whom Tim had joined ahead of the 2020 season, after Covid restirctions had prevented Bourne Wheelers CC from putting on an event themselves. Sam Watson, now at Groupama-FDJ, won that edition.

The route

The races are both run on the same 18.6 km Witham on the Hill circuit which straddles the Lincolnshire-Rutland border. At 185 m of elevation per lap, the circuit is best described as ‘rolling’ and is devoid of any major climbs.

Riders enter the circuit at Witham on the Hill after a short neutral section, with the finish line placed on Barber’s Hill on the other side of the course.

From the finish line, the circuit continues on the B1176, dropping down to Ryhall village. At the village, the course turns left onto the A6121, where it runs through Essendine village and Carlby village before another to turn left at the Witham crossroads towards Witham on the Hill. The road through Witham is narrow, with the potential obstacle of parked vehicles. The circuit then heads to Little Bytham, taking in an unclassified road. At Little Bytham, the circuit takes a final left back onto the B1176.

After passing through Careby, there is a short 0.5 km climb to the Barber’s Hill finish line. It’s not steep, averaging 4.2%, but should be enough to help separate the leading riders as they dash for the line.

The Witham Hall GP takes in 4.5 laps (76 km) in total, while the Timmy James Memorial involves 8.5 laps (150 km).

Timings

9.30	Witham Hall GP race start
11.40	Witham Hall GP race finish (approx.)
13.30	Timmy James Memorial race start
17.00	Timmy James Memorial race finish

Weather

Happy days for weather watchers, as the forecast is for sunny spells and a gentle breeze.

How to follow

Follow Bourne Wheelers on Twitter for race updates.

Contenders

Witham Hall Grand Prix

The women’s field includes a more than full quota of 42 junior riders (the regs allow for 40 riders from each age category, although additional entries can be accepted from the other category to achieve a full field).

Juniors to watch include first-year junior Imogen Wolff (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) who was an impressive 5th at the Capernwray road race, Ella Jamieson (Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films), who was 7th at the Trofeo Binda Juniors Nations Cup race last month, Jamieson’s teammate Awen Roberts (second in the national junior road race last season behind Zoe Bäckstedt), Amelia Cebak (Tofauti Everyone Active), the top-placed junior at the ANEXO/CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic, Evie White (Alba Development Road Team), 5th in this series last season, and Niamh Murphy (Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films), who was 9th in Gent – Wevelgem Juniors in March.

There are only 15 under-23s on the provisional startlist (note that any Elite category riders are not allowed to participate in this series). Brother UK – Orientation Marketing have a third of those riders – as well as 8 junior starters – giving them numerical advantage. Libby Smithson (AWOL O’Shea) was second in this series last season and talented cyclocross rider Alderney Baker could be another rider to watch from this category.

Timmy James Memorial Grand Prix

In the men’s race, Toby Barnes (Private Member) lines up, fresh from his Danum Trophy win, looking to defend his title. To do so, he’ll need trump the flying Ollie Peckover (trainSharp Elite), who has won every National B road race he has entered so far this year.

Will Tidball, Adam Lewis and the Mazzone brothers (Leon and Tom) are part of a strong six-rider Saint Piran line-up. Rowan Baker (London Dynamo) has been in superb form this season and was unlucky to puncture out of the RCR Factreations road race last weekend.

Ben Marsh (BCC Race Team) and Jacob Bush (MAS Design – Fensham Howes) are two juniors to watch. Marsh won the Junior CiCLE Classic and was 6th in ther Danum Trophy. Meanwhile Bush was second in the CiCLE race.

Alex Peters (Richardsons Trek DAS) is a class rider on any terrain, Nicholas Cooper (Sweden Cycling Academy) was 5th at Danum last weekend, winnng the reduced bunch finish, James McKay (Cycling Sheffield) hasn’t been out of the top 20 in a national road race yet this season, and the former AT85 Pro Cycling rider Ross Birrell will be looking to make a mark as he searches for a new team.

Provisional startlists

Witham Hall Grand Prix

#	Name	Club/Team	Age Category
1	Evie White	Alba Development Road Team	Junior
2	Mia Smith	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
3	Millie Jenkins	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
4	Lotty Dawson	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
5	Freya Eccleston	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
6	Hope Inglis	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
7	Lily Brindle	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
8	Electra Morris	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
9	Georgia Lancaster	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Junior
10	Freya Evans	Cero – Cycle Division Racing Team	Junior
11	Millie Thomson	Deeside Thistle CC	Junior
12	Lola Ellis	Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon	Junior
13	Ruby Oakes	JRC-INTERFLON Race Team	Junior
14	Katie-Anne Calton	JRC-INTERFLON Race Team	Junior
15	Evelyn Field	JRC-INTERFLON Race Team	Junior
16	Lindsay Toy	JRC-INTERFLON Race Team	Junior
17	Niamh Campbell-Williams	JRC-INTERFLON Race Team	Junior
18	Bethany Bennett	JRC-INTERFLON Race Team	Junior
19	Niamh Murphy	Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films	Junior
20	Matilda McKibben	Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films	Junior
21	Ella Jamieson	Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films	Junior
22	Awen Roberts	Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films	Junior
23	Greta Carey	Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films	Junior
24	Emily Middlebrooke	Otley CC	Junior
25	Evie Steed	Sherwood Pines Cycles Forme	Junior
26	Imogen Wolff	Shibden Hope Tech Apex	Junior
27	Alice Colling	Shibden Hope Tech Apex	Junior
28	Isabel Mayes	Shibden Hope Tech Apex	Junior
29	Esther Wong	Shibden Hope Tech Apex	Junior
30	Lucy Glover	Shibden Hope Tech Apex	Junior
31	Amelia Walton	Shiben Cycling Club	Junior
32	Carys Lloyd	Tofauti Everyone Active	Junior
33	Mia Rutterford	Tofauti Everyone Active	Junior
34	Amelia Cebak	Tofauti Everyone Active	Junior
35	Lowri Richards	Tofauti Everyone Active	Junior
36	Mari Porton	Tofauti Everyone Active	Junior
37	Elizabeth McKinnon	Tofauti Everyone Active	Junior
38	Sophie Smith	Utmost IOM Junior Team	Junior
39	Esme Wiley	VC Londres	Junior
40	Georgina Pasmore	Velo Myrddin CC p/b Y Beic	Junior
41	Amy Kolbert	Witham Wheelers Cycling Club	Junior
42	Harriet Limb	WXC World Racing	Junior
50	Libby Smithson	AWOL-O’Shea	Under 23
51	Alderney Baker	Bianchi Hunt Morvelo	Under 23
52	Abigail Cooper	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Under 23
53	Lotta Mansfield	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Under 23
54	Amber Junker-Brameld	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Under 23
55	Amy Harvey	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Under 23
56	Ellen Bennett	Brother UK – Orientation Marketing	Under 23
57	Isabella Johnson	INFLITE Femme	Under 23
58	Eleanor Bolton	LDN-Academy	Under 23
59	Lucy Neatham	LDN-Academy	Under 23
60	Eva Callinan	Loughborough Lightning	Under 23
61	Sarah Briggs	RFDA	Under 23
62	Amye Kellow	Saint Piran WRT	Under 23
63	Grace Reynolds	Southampton University Road Club	Under 23
64	Erin Avill	Storey Racing	Under 23

Timmy James Memorial Grand Prix

#	Name	Club/Team	Category
1	Toby Barnes	Private Member	Elite
2	Josh Crow Stewart	05/03	2nd
3	James Bentley	A.Fawcett Racing	1st
4	Adam Duggleby MBE	Addform-Vive Le Velo	2nd
5	David Bolland	Army Cycling Union	2nd
6	Dan Galpin	BCC Race Team	2nd
7	George Stephen	BCC Race Team	2nd
8	Ben Marsh	BCC Race Team	2nd
9	Marcus Burnett	Brunei Continental Cycling Team	2nd
10	Ali Slater	Clancy Briggs	1st
11	Anthony Spencer	CNC Repair Factory Racing Team	3rd
12	James McKay	Cycling Sheffield	1st
13	George Wood	Cycling Sheffield	1st
14	Joe Coukham	Cycling Sheffield	2nd
15	Morris Bacon	DAP Cycling Club	1st
16	Josh Housley	Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT	1st
17	Tobias Bartlett	Doddington Cycling Club	1st
18	William Perrett	Embark Spirit BSS	Elite
19	Dean Watson	Embark Spirit BSS	1st
20	Thomas Price	Embark Spirit BSS	2nd
21	Tim Allen	Hutchinson Brother UK	2nd
22	Ben May	Hutchinson Brother UK	2nd
23	Jody Paxman	Hutchinson Brother UK	2nd
24	Alex Pritchard	HUUB WattShop	1st
25	Andrew Kerr	Inflite Type One	1st
26	Sebastian Garry	Kalas Motip Race Team	Elite
27	Cameron Mclaren	Kalas Motip Race Team	Elite
28	Daniel Shoobridge	Kalas Motip Race Team	Elite
29	Oliver Hucks	Kalas Motip Race Team	1st
30	Harry Green	Kalas Motip Race Team	1st
31	Rowan Baker	London Dynamo	1st
32	Jacob Bush	MAS Design – Fensham Howes	1st
33	Alex Beldon	MAS Design – Fensham Howes	1st
34	Guy Jones	Montauban Cyclisme Formation 82	3rd
35	Daniel McDermott	Moonglu Race Team	1st
36	Ben Pease	Moonglu Race Team	1st
37	Ben Mewes	Moonglu Race Team	2nd
38	Gary Freeman	Orwell Velo	1st
39	Nicholas Tyrie	Primera-TeamJobs	1st
40	Sam Woodfield	Private Member	2nd
41	James O’Connell	Private Member	Elite
42	Ross Birrell	Private Member	1st
43	Peter Cocker	Richardsons Trek DAS	1st
44	Rhys Howells	Richardsons Trek DAS	2nd
45	James Jenkins	Richardsons Trek DAS	Elite
46	Samuel Asker	Richardsons Trek DAS	1st
47	Will Scott	Richardsons Trek DAS	1st
48	Alex Peters	Richardsons Trek DAS	1st
49	Clay Davies	Ride Revolution	Elite
50	Gavin Howell	Ride Revolution	2nd
51	Matt Watson	Ride Revolution	2nd
52	Alasdair Mildred	Ride Revolution	2nd
53	Matt Ellis	ROKiT-SRCT	2nd
54	William Truelove	ROKiT-SRCT	1st
55	Josh Price	ROKiT-SRCT	2nd
56	Tom Williams	ROKiT-SRCT	2nd
57	Adam Lewis	Saint Piran	1st
58	Brad Symonds	Saint Piran	1st
59	Will Tidball	Saint Piran	1st
60	Leon Mazzone	Saint Piran	1st
61	Tom Mazzone	Saint Piran	2nd
62	Lucas Jowett	Saint Piran	2nd
63	Oliver Snodden	Sn Vitae Bim Bam Coaching RT	2nd
64	Nicholas Cooper	Sweden Cycling Academy	1st
65	Kieran Riley	Team PB Performance	1st
66	Jacques Coates	Team PB Performance	Elite
67	George Peden	Team PB Performance	Elite
68	Nathan Hardy	Team PB Performance	1st
69	Harry Paveley	Team PB Performance	1st
70	Cian Leveridge	Team PB Performance	2nd
71	Daniel Barnes	Team Spectra Cannondale	1st
72	Oliver Peckover	TrainSharp Elite	1st
73	Tim Torrie	TrainSharp Elite	1st
74	James Bevan	TrainSharp Elite	1st
75	Benjamin Hellebo	Wheelsuckers	1st
76	Reece Egner	Witham Wheelers	3rd
77	Adam Egner	Witham Wheelers	3rd
78	Joshua Ravn	Wold Top The Edge Pactimo	1st
79	Dylan Humber-Kelly	Yoeleo Test Team p/b 4MIND	1st
80	Cormac Nisbet	Zappi Junior Race Team	2nd

Reserves

#	Name	Club/Team	Category
81	Jacob Gilkes	BCC Race Team	2nd
82	Aaron Freeman	Richardsons Trek DAS	2nd
83	Ewan Mackie	Ilkeston Cycle Club	2nd
m84	Zak Machin	BCC Race Team	2nd
85	Thomas Charles	Team PB Performance	2nd
86	Iwan Evans	Embark Spirit BSS	2nd
87	Tom Andrews	Team Lifting Gear Products	2nd
88	Edward Calow	Royal Air Force CA	2nd
89	Cavan Walker	Wold Top The Edge Pactimo	2nd
90	Edmund Slater	GFTL	2nd