After two month hiatus, the National Road Series returns this Sunday to the hills of the Forest of Bowland with the Lancaster Grand Prix. The biggest road race in the UK this month, it will be worth ripping yourself away from the TV coverage of the Tour to see some quality ‘in real life’ road racing if you live nearby.
Here is our preview.
Featured photo: SWPix
What is it?
Now in its fourth year, the race has quickly established itself as one of the most prestigious and best-organised one-day races on the UK road racing calendar. This year, the race forms Round 3 of the women’s National Road Series, and Round 2 of the men’s Series. National Road Series leaders Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) and Alex Richardson (Saint Piran) both feature as part of stacked fields for the women’s and men’s editions respectively.
The race was created in 2019, with organisers Brian Cookson (former UCI President) and Graham Jones (chairman of the Lune RCC) hoping to make a name for the race as a British equivalent of an Ardennes classic.
The puncheur-friendly route starts and finishes in the beautiful surrounds of Williamson Park by the iconic Ashton Memorial. Spectators basing themselves here will be treated to a festival vibe with a food market and a big screen showing the racing from the circuit among the attractions.
Rolling out of the Park for a short neutralised section, the riders then take on a challenging 14.8km circuit featuring 273m of elevation per lap. With three sharp climbs per lap on the menu, the course is a selective one. The women’s race features six tours of the circuit, the men’s race ten. In total, the women’s race is 92 kilometres long, while the men cover 152 kilometres.
The riders join the main race circuit on Grab Lane, with the flag dropping just before the riders pass over the M6 bridge on Quernmore Road.
The first of the three leg-sapping climbs is placed right at the beginning of each lap, on Quernmore Road. Just under a kilometre in length, it peaks out at 13.6%, with an average gradient of 5.6%.
The circuit then gently descends before hitting a sharp right-hand turn onto Postern Gate Road. The descending continues from here until the road reaches the River Conder, where the next climb begins. At 2.8km along ‘the valley’, this is a longer climb than the first but far less steep, at just 2.2% average gradient; “a grim, heavy drag”, as one of the organisers described it to us. The climb actually featured on stage 4 of the 2012 Tour of Britain, for which it was called ‘Quernmore’ (after the village the climb passes through). The race classed it as a ‘category 3’ climb for its KOM competition, with Rapha Condor’s Kristian House taking top points at the crest that day.
The route is then flat-ish until it reaches a ninety-degree right turn onto Proctor Moss Road. The then riders descend until they once again hit the River Conder. It’s here that they face the third, and most severe, climb of the circuit. It’s just 0.7 km long but it averages a 7% gradient, with much of the last half at 9-10%.
There will be a QOM/KOM prime at the top of this climb (except on the final lap of each race), with the first four riders across the line scoring 5, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively. The winners of the QOM/KOM competitions will be the riders completing the race with the largest points score.
The race turns right onto Littlefell Lane at the top, but there is no real letup at this point, with the road running along a rolling ridge until a left-turn onto Laithwaite Lane, where the riders face a final rise before the descending begins once again as they approach the M6.
The descent is the steepest of the circuit, and the riders will have to pay attention here, with a particularly steep section of over 30% on the right-hand turn back onto Grab Lane.
On the final lap, the riders go straight on, missing this rather treacherous right-hander, for the final kilometre back to the finish line. Here, the riders are treated to a final sting in the tail. Between 600m and 500m to go, the gradient reaches double digits again before a technical, slightly uphill, final 500m. If a small group reaches this finale together, canny positioning will be as important as finding enough reserves of strength in the legs to power home to the win.
Women’s Series leader Monica Greenwood holds just a two-point lead over nearest challenger, the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix winner Robyn Clay (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee). Both riders should feature in Lancaster, with every point counting in their battle for Series leadership.
Greenwood’s DAS-Handsling team also features last year’s Series winner Sammie Stuart, Lucy Lee – a multiple National B road race winner this year – and new recruit Frankie Hall, who has also impressed on the national road racing circuit this season. They have the strength to make their numbers count.
Elsewhere on the startlist, last year’s winner Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) thrives in the hills and will be keen to defend her title. AWOL O’Shea’s Connie Hayes is an excellent climber and is joined by teammate Jess Finney, winner of the Women’s CiCLE Classic this year.
Picture by Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com – 17/07/2022 – British Cycling Women’s National Road Series, Lancaster GP – Mary Wilkinson takes the win ahead of Alex Morrice
Tammy Miller, winner of the Peaks 2 Day this season, is another strong climber and is part of the Hutchinson-Brother UK team, one of the most impressive domestic road racing outfits of the season.
Alex Morrice (CANYON//SRAM) had a breakthrough ride in this race last season, finishing second behind Wilkinson, and the WorldTour rider returns having just completed a dominant win at the recent Guildford Town Centre Races.
UCI Continental rider Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) was second in the National Road Series last season and seems to be coming into form with an 8th place at the 2 Districtenpijl – Ekeren-Deurne (1.2) race last week.
Prediction? DAS-Handsling has the strongest team on paper but can they make it count? Yes. We predict a first National Road Series win for Monica Greenwood.
Men’s race
In the men’s race, National Road Series leader AlexRichardson is backed by a strong Saint Piran team including Zeb Kyffin and Jack Rootkin-Gray who joined him on the podium at Round 1 of the Series at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
The team used their collective strength to their advantage in Lincoln but the other UCI Continental team in the race, TRINITY Racing, may have other ideas. The have a compact yet impressive line-up headed by Lukas Nerurkar – an excellent climber – and Otley Grand Prix winner Bob Donaldson. Both are UCI road race winners this season and could thrive on this course.
2023 British Cycling Men’s National Circuit Series – Logco Otley Cycle Races 2023 – The Property Development Men’s GP – Otley, England – Robert Donaldson of Trinity Racing Team wins. Image: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Journeyman Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), a former UCI Continental rider will like the hills. First-year under-23 Huw Buck-Jones (Wales Racing Academy) has never ceased to impress this year and the mountain biker should enjoy the terrain. , Dan Gardener (Embark Spirit BSS),
Ollie Peckover (trainSharp Elite) could challenge for a podium if he can rediscover the form that saw him winning for fun earlier this year. George Wood (Cycling Sheffield) won Round 3 of the Men’s Under-23 Series last weekend and it feels like a breakthrough National A result is just around the corner for him. Newly crowned Island Games road race winner Sam Culverwell (Dolan Ellesse RT) was third in this race last year and could be primed to go even better here.
Former Sky rider Alex Peters (Richardsons Trek DAS), and under-23s Dexter Leeming-Sykes (Wold Top The Edge-Pactimo), Marinus Peterson (Kalas Motip) and Rowan Baker (London Dynamo) are other riders to watch.
Prediction? The Saint Piran team has an embarrassment of riches so it is hard to look past them. Jack Rootkin-Gray is having his best season yet and was 4th in this race last year. We think he can reach the top step this time around.
Timings
Time
Description
9.00
Men’s race start
12.45
Men’s race finish (estimated)
14.45
Women’s race start
17.15
Women’s race finish (estimated)
Weather
The forecast is for light showers and a ‘fresh’ breeze, which could make for challenging conditions.
How to follow
British Cycling will have live updates on Twitter and Instagram.
We will also be bringing you updates on our Instagram stories.
After two month hiatus, the National Road Series returns this Sunday to the hills of the Forest of Bowland with the Lancaster Grand Prix. The biggest road race in the UK this month, it will be worth ripping yourself away from the TV coverage of the Tour to see some quality ‘in real life’ road racing if you live nearby.
Here is our preview.
Featured photo: SWPix
What is it?
Now in its fourth year, the race has quickly established itself as one of the most prestigious and best-organised one-day races on the UK road racing calendar. This year, the race forms Round 3 of the women’s National Road Series, and Round 2 of the men’s Series. National Road Series leaders Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) and Alex Richardson (Saint Piran) both feature as part of stacked fields for the women’s and men’s editions respectively.
The race was created in 2019, with organisers Brian Cookson (former UCI President) and Graham Jones (chairman of the Lune RCC) hoping to make a name for the race as a British equivalent of an Ardennes classic.
The first race was won by Ian Bibby of Madison Genesis. After a pandemic-induced hiatus in 2020, the race had a surprise winner in 2021 winner, Josh Whitehead, who was then a relatively unknown elite-level rider racing for Team PB Performance. Last year was the first time the Grand Prix also included a women’s race. The women’s edition was won by Mary Wilkinson, while Rob Scott won the men’s race on his way to winning the National Road Series title.
The route
The puncheur-friendly route starts and finishes in the beautiful surrounds of Williamson Park by the iconic Ashton Memorial. Spectators basing themselves here will be treated to a festival vibe with a food market and a big screen showing the racing from the circuit among the attractions.
Rolling out of the Park for a short neutralised section, the riders then take on a challenging 14.8km circuit featuring 273m of elevation per lap. With three sharp climbs per lap on the menu, the course is a selective one. The women’s race features six tours of the circuit, the men’s race ten. In total, the women’s race is 92 kilometres long, while the men cover 152 kilometres.
The riders join the main race circuit on Grab Lane, with the flag dropping just before the riders pass over the M6 bridge on Quernmore Road.
The first of the three leg-sapping climbs is placed right at the beginning of each lap, on Quernmore Road. Just under a kilometre in length, it peaks out at 13.6%, with an average gradient of 5.6%.
The circuit then gently descends before hitting a sharp right-hand turn onto Postern Gate Road. The descending continues from here until the road reaches the River Conder, where the next climb begins. At 2.8km along ‘the valley’, this is a longer climb than the first but far less steep, at just 2.2% average gradient; “a grim, heavy drag”, as one of the organisers described it to us. The climb actually featured on stage 4 of the 2012 Tour of Britain, for which it was called ‘Quernmore’ (after the village the climb passes through). The race classed it as a ‘category 3’ climb for its KOM competition, with Rapha Condor’s Kristian House taking top points at the crest that day.
The route is then flat-ish until it reaches a ninety-degree right turn onto Proctor Moss Road. The then riders descend until they once again hit the River Conder. It’s here that they face the third, and most severe, climb of the circuit. It’s just 0.7 km long but it averages a 7% gradient, with much of the last half at 9-10%.
There will be a QOM/KOM prime at the top of this climb (except on the final lap of each race), with the first four riders across the line scoring 5, 3, 2 and 1 points respectively. The winners of the QOM/KOM competitions will be the riders completing the race with the largest points score.
The race turns right onto Littlefell Lane at the top, but there is no real letup at this point, with the road running along a rolling ridge until a left-turn onto Laithwaite Lane, where the riders face a final rise before the descending begins once again as they approach the M6.
The descent is the steepest of the circuit, and the riders will have to pay attention here, with a particularly steep section of over 30% on the right-hand turn back onto Grab Lane.
On the final lap, the riders go straight on, missing this rather treacherous right-hander, for the final kilometre back to the finish line. Here, the riders are treated to a final sting in the tail. Between 600m and 500m to go, the gradient reaches double digits again before a technical, slightly uphill, final 500m. If a small group reaches this finale together, canny positioning will be as important as finding enough reserves of strength in the legs to power home to the win.
Riders to watch
View the startlists here.
National Road Series standings here.
Women’s race
Women’s Series leader Monica Greenwood holds just a two-point lead over nearest challenger, the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix winner Robyn Clay (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee). Both riders should feature in Lancaster, with every point counting in their battle for Series leadership.
Greenwood’s DAS-Handsling team also features last year’s Series winner Sammie Stuart, Lucy Lee – a multiple National B road race winner this year – and new recruit Frankie Hall, who has also impressed on the national road racing circuit this season. They have the strength to make their numbers count.
Elsewhere on the startlist, last year’s winner Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) thrives in the hills and will be keen to defend her title. AWOL O’Shea’s Connie Hayes is an excellent climber and is joined by teammate Jess Finney, winner of the Women’s CiCLE Classic this year.
Tammy Miller, winner of the Peaks 2 Day this season, is another strong climber and is part of the Hutchinson-Brother UK team, one of the most impressive domestic road racing outfits of the season.
Alex Morrice (CANYON//SRAM) had a breakthrough ride in this race last season, finishing second behind Wilkinson, and the WorldTour rider returns having just completed a dominant win at the recent Guildford Town Centre Races.
UCI Continental rider Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) was second in the National Road Series last season and seems to be coming into form with an 8th place at the 2 Districtenpijl – Ekeren-Deurne (1.2) race last week.
Prediction? DAS-Handsling has the strongest team on paper but can they make it count? Yes. We predict a first National Road Series win for Monica Greenwood.
Men’s race
In the men’s race, National Road Series leader Alex Richardson is backed by a strong Saint Piran team including Zeb Kyffin and Jack Rootkin-Gray who joined him on the podium at Round 1 of the Series at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
The team used their collective strength to their advantage in Lincoln but the other UCI Continental team in the race, TRINITY Racing, may have other ideas. The have a compact yet impressive line-up headed by Lukas Nerurkar – an excellent climber – and Otley Grand Prix winner Bob Donaldson. Both are UCI road race winners this season and could thrive on this course.
Journeyman Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), a former UCI Continental rider will like the hills. First-year under-23 Huw Buck-Jones (Wales Racing Academy) has never ceased to impress this year and the mountain biker should enjoy the terrain. , Dan Gardener (Embark Spirit BSS),
Ollie Peckover (trainSharp Elite) could challenge for a podium if he can rediscover the form that saw him winning for fun earlier this year. George Wood (Cycling Sheffield) won Round 3 of the Men’s Under-23 Series last weekend and it feels like a breakthrough National A result is just around the corner for him. Newly crowned Island Games road race winner Sam Culverwell (Dolan Ellesse RT) was third in this race last year and could be primed to go even better here.
Former Sky rider Alex Peters (Richardsons Trek DAS), and under-23s Dexter Leeming-Sykes (Wold Top The Edge-Pactimo), Marinus Peterson (Kalas Motip) and Rowan Baker (London Dynamo) are other riders to watch.
Prediction? The Saint Piran team has an embarrassment of riches so it is hard to look past them. Jack Rootkin-Gray is having his best season yet and was 4th in this race last year. We think he can reach the top step this time around.
Timings
Weather
The forecast is for light showers and a ‘fresh’ breeze, which could make for challenging conditions.
How to follow
British Cycling will have live updates on Twitter and Instagram.
We will also be bringing you updates on our Instagram stories.
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