On a beautiful Easter Sunday at Witham Hall, Lucy Neatham (LDN-Academy) took a convincing solo win at the Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix, while in the afternoon, James McKay (Cycling Sheffield) took his first National B victory after defeating Alex Richardson (Saint Piran) in a two-up sprint.
The Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix – the first round of British Cycling’s Junior & U23 Women’s National Road Series – took in 4.5 laps of the 18.6 km Witham on the Hill circuit.
Imogen Wolff (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) made the first move of the day, attacking on the descent to Ryhill after the peloton passed the finish line on Barber’s Hill for the first time. She was quickly brought back, but then at attack from Eva Callina (Loughborough Lightning) on the approach to Witham Hill created a break a three, with Esther Wong (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) and Mari Porton (Tofauti Everyone Active) joining her. This trio too, however, was quickly reeled in.
Before the peloton reached the finish line for the second time – marking three laps to go – Lucy Neatham (LDN Academy) broke clear on her own. Matilda (Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films) set off in pursuit but was reabsorbed by the bunch, with Neatham’s lead after Barber’s Hill just a slender ten seconds.
Slowly but surely, however, Neatham’s lead increased, and by the time she crossed the finish line for two laps to go, she had an impressive lead of over two minutes. Well out of sight, her lead was almost three minutes by the time she took the bell. Her lead dwindled slightly in the final lap, but by this stage her win was never in doubt, crossing the line to take the biggest road win of her career so far.
Behind Neatham, three riders escaped from the peloton on the final lap: Isabel Mayes, Lucy Glover (both Shibden Hope Tech Apex) and Carys Lloyd (Tofauti Everyone Active). The trio stayed away to the finish, with Lloyd taking second – the best-placed junior in the race – Glover third and Mayes fourth. Glover and Mayes’ teammate Wong lead in the bunch shortly afterward to complete a fine day for the Shibden Hope Tech Apex team.
Neatham now leads the British Cycling U23 Women’s Road Series, with Erin Avill (Storey Racing) second and Callinan in third. In the British Cycling Junior Women’s Road Series, Lloyd, Glover and Mayes now occupy the top spots.
The Timmy James Memorial Grand Prix (National B) followed the Witham Hall Grand Prix on the same circuit in the afternoon, but this time the riders faced 8.5 laps in total.
British Conti national road race rankings leader Ollie Peckover (trainSharp Elite) was seen driving the pace early on, as attacks flew off the front, but on the first of eight passages across the Barber’s Hill finish line, the race was still all together.
Over the ensuing three laps, several small breaks formed but none stuck for very long James McKay (Cycling Sheffield), Ollie Hucks (Kalas Motip Race Team), James Bevan (trainSharp Elite), Seb Garry (Kalas Motip Race Team) and Leon Mazzone (Saint Piran) were among the riders that featured in these doomed moves.
However, just after the bunch passed the finish line for the fourth time – marking five laps to go – a major move took shape. A group of 17 riders pushed clear, eeking an advantage of 45 seconds over the course of the next lap.
The group included: last year’s winner Toby Barnes (recently signed to Dolan Ellesse RT), Adam Duggleby MBE (Addform-Vive Le Velo), Cameron McLaren (Kalas Motip Race Team), Matt Watson (Ride Revolution Coaching), Josh Housley (Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT), Bevan, Samuel Asker (Richardsons Trek DAS), McKay, Josh Ravn (Wold Top The Edge Pactimo), George Wood (Cycling Sheffield), Ollie Snodden (Sn Vitae Bim Bam Coaching RT), George Peden (Team PB Performance), Tobias Bartlett (Doddington Cycling Club), Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), Zak Machin (BCC Race Team), Josh Price (ROKiT-SRCT), Brad Symonds (Saint Piran), and Joe Coukham (Cycling Sheffield).
On the following lap, Adam Lewis, Alex Richardson (both Saint Piran), Alex Peters (Richardsons Trek DAS), Garry, and Will Truelove (ROKiT-SRCT) bridged across to swell the break’s numbers further.
With the break’s advantage streching out to over a minute, yet more riders sought to bridge from what remained of the bunch: Dan Barnes (Spectra Cannondale), Hucks, Nick Tyrie (Primera-TeamJobs), James Bentley (A.Fawcett Racing), Ben Pease (Moonglu Race Team), James Jenkins (Richardsons Trek DAS), Leon Mazzone, and Nathan Hardy (Team PB Performance).
On the third to last lap, the decisive move was made. McKay applied the pressure at the head of the race on a crosswind section, enough to create a gap, taking only Jock Wadley Memorial winner Richardson and Davies with him. The trio moved clear, taking an even bigger advantage when the rest of the break began to look at each other.
Barnes was then dropped from the chasing group, as Bartlett, Garry and Peden all set off in pursuit of the lead three. Meanwhile, the chasing eight (Dan Barnes et al.) made it across to the remainder of the breakaway.
As the riders took the bell, McKay, Richardson and Davies were still clear, Bartlett, Garry and Peden still in pursuit ahead of the large third chasing group.
On the final lap, Richardson attacked. The move was shut down by McKay, who counter-attacked. McKay stayed out front for around three kilometres, but then Richardson reeled him back. As they approach Barber’s Hill, Davies made it back too, attacking immediately. But on the drag to line, McKay and Richardson overhauled a tiring Davies, with McKay outkicking Richardson to take his first National road race win. It caps a fine start to the year for the Cycling Sheffield rider McKay, who hasn’t been out of the top 20 in a National B road race all year.
McKay bests Richardson in the sprint. Image: Olivia Coukham
Davies completed the podium, while Hucks and Peters were the first men over the line from the chasing group, who by this stage had swallowed up Bartlett, Garry and Peden.
On a beautiful Easter Sunday at Witham Hall, Lucy Neatham (LDN-Academy) took a convincing solo win at the Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix, while in the afternoon, James McKay (Cycling Sheffield) took his first National B victory after defeating Alex Richardson (Saint Piran) in a two-up sprint.
Featured image: Olivia Coukham
Report
Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix
The Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix – the first round of British Cycling’s Junior & U23 Women’s National Road Series – took in 4.5 laps of the 18.6 km Witham on the Hill circuit.
Imogen Wolff (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) made the first move of the day, attacking on the descent to Ryhill after the peloton passed the finish line on Barber’s Hill for the first time. She was quickly brought back, but then at attack from Eva Callina (Loughborough Lightning) on the approach to Witham Hill created a break a three, with Esther Wong (Shibden Hope Tech Apex) and Mari Porton (Tofauti Everyone Active) joining her. This trio too, however, was quickly reeled in.
Before the peloton reached the finish line for the second time – marking three laps to go – Lucy Neatham (LDN Academy) broke clear on her own. Matilda (Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films) set off in pursuit but was reabsorbed by the bunch, with Neatham’s lead after Barber’s Hill just a slender ten seconds.
Slowly but surely, however, Neatham’s lead increased, and by the time she crossed the finish line for two laps to go, she had an impressive lead of over two minutes. Well out of sight, her lead was almost three minutes by the time she took the bell. Her lead dwindled slightly in the final lap, but by this stage her win was never in doubt, crossing the line to take the biggest road win of her career so far.
Behind Neatham, three riders escaped from the peloton on the final lap: Isabel Mayes, Lucy Glover (both Shibden Hope Tech Apex) and Carys Lloyd (Tofauti Everyone Active). The trio stayed away to the finish, with Lloyd taking second – the best-placed junior in the race – Glover third and Mayes fourth. Glover and Mayes’ teammate Wong lead in the bunch shortly afterward to complete a fine day for the Shibden Hope Tech Apex team.
Neatham now leads the British Cycling U23 Women’s Road Series, with Erin Avill (Storey Racing) second and Callinan in third. In the British Cycling Junior Women’s Road Series, Lloyd, Glover and Mayes now occupy the top spots.
Timmy James Memorial Grand Prix
The Timmy James Memorial Grand Prix (National B) followed the Witham Hall Grand Prix on the same circuit in the afternoon, but this time the riders faced 8.5 laps in total.
British Conti national road race rankings leader Ollie Peckover (trainSharp Elite) was seen driving the pace early on, as attacks flew off the front, but on the first of eight passages across the Barber’s Hill finish line, the race was still all together.
Over the ensuing three laps, several small breaks formed but none stuck for very long James McKay (Cycling Sheffield), Ollie Hucks (Kalas Motip Race Team), James Bevan (trainSharp Elite), Seb Garry (Kalas Motip Race Team) and Leon Mazzone (Saint Piran) were among the riders that featured in these doomed moves.
However, just after the bunch passed the finish line for the fourth time – marking five laps to go – a major move took shape. A group of 17 riders pushed clear, eeking an advantage of 45 seconds over the course of the next lap.
The group included: last year’s winner Toby Barnes (recently signed to Dolan Ellesse RT), Adam Duggleby MBE (Addform-Vive Le Velo), Cameron McLaren (Kalas Motip Race Team), Matt Watson (Ride Revolution Coaching), Josh Housley (Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT), Bevan, Samuel Asker (Richardsons Trek DAS), McKay, Josh Ravn (Wold Top The Edge Pactimo), George Wood (Cycling Sheffield), Ollie Snodden (Sn Vitae Bim Bam Coaching RT), George Peden (Team PB Performance), Tobias Bartlett (Doddington Cycling Club), Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), Zak Machin (BCC Race Team), Josh Price (ROKiT-SRCT), Brad Symonds (Saint Piran), and Joe Coukham (Cycling Sheffield).
On the following lap, Adam Lewis, Alex Richardson (both Saint Piran), Alex Peters (Richardsons Trek DAS), Garry, and Will Truelove (ROKiT-SRCT) bridged across to swell the break’s numbers further.
With the break’s advantage streching out to over a minute, yet more riders sought to bridge from what remained of the bunch: Dan Barnes (Spectra Cannondale), Hucks, Nick Tyrie (Primera-TeamJobs), James Bentley (A.Fawcett Racing), Ben Pease (Moonglu Race Team), James Jenkins (Richardsons Trek DAS), Leon Mazzone, and Nathan Hardy (Team PB Performance).
On the third to last lap, the decisive move was made. McKay applied the pressure at the head of the race on a crosswind section, enough to create a gap, taking only Jock Wadley Memorial winner Richardson and Davies with him. The trio moved clear, taking an even bigger advantage when the rest of the break began to look at each other.
Barnes was then dropped from the chasing group, as Bartlett, Garry and Peden all set off in pursuit of the lead three. Meanwhile, the chasing eight (Dan Barnes et al.) made it across to the remainder of the breakaway.
As the riders took the bell, McKay, Richardson and Davies were still clear, Bartlett, Garry and Peden still in pursuit ahead of the large third chasing group.
On the final lap, Richardson attacked. The move was shut down by McKay, who counter-attacked. McKay stayed out front for around three kilometres, but then Richardson reeled him back. As they approach Barber’s Hill, Davies made it back too, attacking immediately. But on the drag to line, McKay and Richardson overhauled a tiring Davies, with McKay outkicking Richardson to take his first National road race win. It caps a fine start to the year for the Cycling Sheffield rider McKay, who hasn’t been out of the top 20 in a National B road race all year.
Davies completed the podium, while Hucks and Peters were the first men over the line from the chasing group, who by this stage had swallowed up Bartlett, Garry and Peden.
Results
Witham Hall Junior & U23 Women’s Grand Prix
Timmy James Memorial Grand Prix
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