Saint Piran took another National Road Series clean sweep with Zeb Kyffin leading in a 1-2-3 at the men’s Lancaster Grand Prix.
In the women’s race, Ruth Shier (Hutchinson-Brother UK) took off solo with two laps to go take her first National Road Series win.
Featured photo: Olly Hassall/SWpix.com
Men’s race
Report
The monsoon weather that had battered Lancaster on Saturday thankfully abated by the time the men’s race got the action started on Sunday morning, but a strong blustery wind coming off the Irish Sea meant that the conditions weren’t completely friendly to the riders.
Indeed the action began pretty much straight from the off. All together on the first lap, a nasty crash towards the front of the pack splintered the peloton and resulted in groups of various sizes scattered along the road.
National Road Series – 2023 Men’s Lancaster Grand Prix. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
The Saint Piran team was the only UCI Continental to field a full quota of riders and they soon made their numbers and strength count, just as they did at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
The team’s riders were a consistent presence at the front of the race, and as a lead group of around a dozen riders formed, Zeb Kyffin, Jack Rootkin-Gray and Harry Birchill were notable at the front of affairs.
Edward Morgan (Wales Racing Academy), George Wood (Cycling Sheffield), Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Matt Lord (Richardsons Trek DAS), George Kimber (Embark Spirit BSS), Jacques Coates (Team PB Performance) and Logan Maclean (AG2R-Citroën U23), as well as Saint Piran riders Tyler Hannay and Bradley Symonds, were among those spotted within the Saint Piran-dominated lead group.
The men in black set a hard, consistent pace throughout, and then, as the bunch looked like it might catch the break, Rootkin-Gray attacked on the King of the Mountains climb, joined by Kyffin, Birchill and Maclean.
Maclean fought valiantly to hold on to the trio’s coattails but ultimately he was unable to keep up and ended up dropping away himself, the chase behind splintered and uncoordinated.
National Road Series – 2023 Men’s Lancaster Grand Prix. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
With three laps to go, the three Saint Piran riders had a lead of well over two minutes and by the final lap, they had more than four minutes on a lone chaser, the main field another minute further back. Another dominant National Road Series performance by the Cornish squad was about to be completed.
On the run back into Williamson Park, their lead went up to six minutes. Untouchable, it was now a case of which rider was going to get the honour of crossing the line first. Rolling up through the park in formation, it was Zeb Kyffin – flanked by second-placed Birchill and Rootkin-Gray in third – who snuck his wheel ahead to take the victory.
National Road Series – 2023 Men’s Lancaster Grand Prix. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Rootkin-Gray won the King of the Mountains competition, while George Wood (Cycling Sheffield) took the Combativity prize. Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) was the best-placed elite-level rider in 4th.
With Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix Alex Richardson absent from the race, his teammate Kyffin takes over as National Road Series leader, with his Saint Piran team enjoying a commanding lead at the top of the team standings.
The next round of the National Road Series is the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix on 20 August.
Zeb Kyffin talks to The British Continental after his Lancaster GP victory
Result
Rank
#
Name
Team
Time
1
55
Zeb Kyffin
Saint Piran
3:41:32
2
54
Harry Birchill (U23)
Saint Piran
st
3
59
Jack Rootkin-Gray (U23)
Saint Piran
st
4
100
Tim Shoreman
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
+5:08
5
57
Finn Crockett
Saint Piran
+5:10
6
6
Damien Clayton
Embark Spirit BSS
+5:18
7
56
Adam Lewis
Saint Piran
+5:26
8
110
Logan Maclean (U23)
+5:52
9
10
George Kimber
Embark Spirit BSS
+6:13
10
50
William Truelove (U23)
ROKiT – SRCT
st
11
140
Tyler Hannay (U23)
Saint Piran
st
12
60
Bradley Symonds
Saint Piran
+6:18
13
37
Jack Crook
Richardsons Trek DAS
+6:22
14
135
Zachary Walker (U23)
Tudor pro Cycling Team U23
+6:35
15
27
Jordan Giles
Primera-TeamJobs
+6:52
16
26
Luke Barfoot
Primera-TeamJobs
+6:57
17
131
Oliver Hurdle
StolenGoat Racing Team
+7:01
18
65
Jamie Pullen (U23)
TAAP Endura
+7:05
19
16
Oliver Hucks
Kalas Motip Race Team
st
20
84
William Smith (U23)
Trinity Racing
+7:09
21
29
Nicholas Tyrie
Primera-TeamJobs
+7:14
22
94
Thomas Armstrong
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
+7:17
23
69
Jacques Coates (U23)
Team PB Performance
+7:19
24
87
Ben Bright (U23)
Wales Racing Academy
+7:20
25
113
George Wood (U23)
Cycling Sheffield
+7:25
26
130
Thomas Heal
StolenGoat Racing Team
+10:08
1
Ben Etherington (U23)
BCC Race Team
DNF
3
Dan Galpin (U23)
BCC Race Team
DNF
5
Michael Chadwick
Embark Spirit BSS
DNF
9
Matthew Houlberg (U23)
Embark Spirit BSS
DNF
11
Sam Kettlewell (U23)
Embark Spirit BSS
DNF
12
Dean Watson (U23)
Embark Spirit BSS
DNF
14
Sebastian Garry
Kalas Motip Race Team
DNF
17
Cameron McLaren
Kalas Motip Race Team
DNF
18
Marinus Petersen
Kalas Motip Race Team
DNF
19
Joseph Rees
Kalas Motip Race Team
DNF
20
Harvey Lawson (U23)
Kalas Motip Race Team
DNF
21
Daniel McDermott
Moonglu Race Team
DNF
22
Ben Mewes
Moonglu Race Team
DNF
23
Ben Pease
Moonglu Race Team
DNF
25
William Taylor (U23)
Moonglu Race Team
DNF
30
Guy Drabble (U23)
Ribble rechrg Race Team
DNF
31
Joshua Horsfield (U23)
Ribble rechrg Race Team
DNF
32
Hugo Lutz Atkinson (U23)
Ribble rechrg Race Team
DNF
33
Thomas King (U23)
Ribble rechrg Race Team
DNF
36
Peter Cocker
Richardsons Trek DAS
DNF
38
James Jenkins
Richardsons Trek DAS
DNF
39
Matt Lord (U23)
Richardsons Trek DAS
DNF
41
Alex Peters
Richardsons Trek DAS
DNF
43
Jacob Avery (U23)
Ride Revolution Coaching
DNF
44
Joshua Avery
Ride Revolution Coaching
DNF
45
Angus Hawkins (U23)
Ride Revolution Coaching
DNF
46
Matthew Teggart
ROKiT – SRCT
DNF
47
Matthew Ellis
ROKiT – SRCT
DNF
48
David Hird (U23)
ROKiT – SRCT
DNF
49
Josh Price
ROKiT – SRCT
DNF
51
Matthew Warhurst
ROKiT – SRCT
DNF
52
Tom Williams (U23)
ROKiT – SRCT
DNF
58
William Roberts
Saint Piran
DNF
62
Ben Fish
TAAP Endura
DNF
63
Josh Knowles (U23)
TAAP Endura
DNF
66
Alexander Speirs
TAAP Endura
DNF
67
Harvey Stroh (U23)
TAAP Endura
DNF
68
Tom Charles (U23)
Team PB Performance
DNF
70
Nathan Hardy (U23)
Team PB Performance
DNF
71
Gareth ONeill
Team PB Performance
DNF
72
Liam Flannery (U23)
Team PB Performance
DNF
73
Harry Paveley (U23)
Team PB Performance
DNF
74
George Peden
Team PB Performance
DNF
77
Samuel Clark (U23)
trainSharp Elite
DNF
78
Ollie Peckover
trainSharp Elite
DNF
79
Danylo Riwnyj
trainSharp Elite
DNF
81
Tim Torrie
trainSharp Elite
DNF
83
Dean Harvey (U23)
Trinity Racing
DNF
88
Huw Buck Jones (U23)
Wales Racing Academy
DNF
89
Spencer Davies (U23)
Wales Racing Academy
DNF
90
William Harding (U23)
Wales Racing Academy
DNF
93
Ed Morgan
Wales Racing Academy
DNF
95
Matthew Fox (U23)
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF
97
Callum Laborde (U23)
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF
98
Tom Merry
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF
99
Lee Rosie (U23)
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF
101
Jacob Smith (U23)
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNF
102
Dexter Leeming-Sykes (U23)
Wold Top The Edge Pactimo
DNF
103
Joshua Ravn
Wold Top The Edge Pactimo
DNF
105
William Bjergfelt
0503
DNF
107
Joe Shillabeer (U23)
0503
DNF
109
Will Thompson (U23)
A.Fawcett Racing
DNF
111
Huw Owen
Clwb Beicio Egni Eryri
DNF
112
Joe Coukham (U23)
Cycling Sheffield
DNF
114
Josh Housley
Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT
DNF
117
Tom Mitchell (U23)
Dolan Ellesse Race Team
DNF
118
Adam Bent (U23)
Eiser Hirumet
DNF
119
James Jobber
EuroCyclingTrips
DNF
120
Christopher Booth
Giant Kendal-Sidas Uk
DNF
121
Julian Roche
GSC BLAGNAC VS 31
DNF
122
Rowan Baker (U23)
London Dynamo
DNF
124
Nicholas Cooper
Nordic Sports Academy S. C.
DNF
125
Joe Howcroft
Otley CC
DNF
127
Joseph Laverick
Ribble Collective
DNF
128
William Dykes (U23)
Spokes Racing Team
DNF
136
Cameron Muir
Wallacehill CC
DNF
138
Matthew King
X-Speed United Continental Team
DNF
139
Joseph Smith (U23)
DNF
141
Archie Wright (U23)
0503
DNF
143
Euan Cameron
Shibden Cycling Club
DNF
144
George Hodgkinson (U23)
Ribble rechrg Race Team
DNF
145
Preslav Dimitrov
0503
DNF
146
Oscar Pratt (U23)
0503
DNF
147
Jody Paxman
Hutchinson-Brother UK
DNF
148
George Safranauskas (U23)
LVC Racing
DNF
149
John Roberts (U23)
Zappi Racing Team
DNF
2
Jacob Gilkes (U23)
BCC Race Team
DNS
4
Jack Hartley (U23)
BCC Race Team
DNS
7
Dan Gardener
Embark Spirit BSS
DNS
8
Joe Hill
Embark Spirit BSS
DNS
13
Cai Davies
Kalas Motip Race Team
DNS
15
Vaugn Pretorius
Kalas Motip Race Team
DNS
24
Carl Stubbs
Moonglu Race Team
DNS
28
Ben Millar
Primera-TeamJobs
DNS
34
Alexander MacRae
Ribble rechrg Race Team
DNS
35
Sam Asker (U23)
Richardsons Trek DAS
DNS
40
Sean Mullen
Richardsons Trek DAS
DNS
42
Will Scott
Richardsons Trek DAS
DNS
53
Jenson Young (U23)
ROKiT – SRCT
DNS
61
William Tidball
Saint Piran
DNS
64
Harry Macfarlane
TAAP Endura
DNS
75
Jude Taylor
Team PB Performance
DNS
76
James Bevan
trainSharp Elite
DNS
80
Sam Shepherd
trainSharp Elite
DNS
82
Robert Donaldson (U23)
Trinity Racing
DNS
85
Callum Thornley (U23)
Trinity Racing
DNS
86
Max Walker (U23)
Trinity Racing
DNS
91
Griff Lewis (U23)
Wales Racing Academy
DNS
92
Fred Meredith (U23)
Wales Racing Academy
DNS
96
Aaron King (U23)
Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
DNS
104
Cavan Walker
Wold Top The Edge Pactimo
DNS
106
Isaac Lawrence (U23)
0503
DNS
108
Jack Lucas (U23)
A.Fawcett Racing
DNS
115
Adam Kenway
Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT
DNS
116
Sam Culverwell
Dolan Ellesse Race Team
DNS
123
Ben Granger
Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM
DNS
126
Ben Chilton (U23)
Ribble Collective
DNS
129
Craig Paterson (U23)
Spokes Racing Team
DNS
132
Daniel Barnes (U23)
Team Spectra Cannondale
DNS
133
Sam Chisholm (U23)
The Cycling Academy
DNS
134
Archie Ellen (U23)
The Cycling Academy
DNS
137
Benjamin Hellebo
Wheelsuckers
DNS
142
George Fox
A.Fawcett Racing
DNS
Women’s race
Report
Blue skies marked a complete change from the men’s race earlier on, but with the wind still blowing in from the coast, the sunnier conditions didn’t make a race any easier.
National Road Series – 2023 Men’s Lancaster Grand Prix. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Loughborough Lightning riders were seen trying to force the pace to go clear early on but with the combined might of DAS-Handsling, Hutchinson-Brother UK and Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee taking it in turns to marshal the chasing group, no move made it meaningfully clear.
On each lap, Lucy Lee and Danni Shrosbree (both DAS-Handsling) were active on the climbs, ensuring that the team cleaned up in the Queen of the Mountains competition.
On each ascent of the QOM climb on Proctor Moss Road, the front bunch began to splinter, riders falling off the back each time, but the result was more of an attritional wearing-down process, rather than a break going clear.
National Road Series – 2023 Men’s Lancaster Grand Prix. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
With two laps to go, however, Ruth Shier (Hutchinson-Brother UK) finally broke the status quo, attacking off the front and making it stick. Shier has form with solo breaks; she was imperious in a similar move at the Dave Peck Memorial earlier this year. And with a 10-rider chase seemingly not organised enough to pull her back in – perhaps helped in part by having Shier having teammates sitting on in that group to disrupt things – she soon stretched out a lead which went from 20 seconds at the start of the final lap to more than 90 seconds as she approached the QoM climb for the final time.
The chasing group included two of last year’s podium finishers – Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) and Sammie Stuart (DAS-Handsling) – as well as National Road Series leader Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) and Rapha Lincoln GP winner Robyn Clay (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee), along with her team-mates Bexy Dew and Corinne Side.
National Road Series – 2023 Men’s Lancaster Grand Prix. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
That chase began to reduce their deficit as they approached the final run towards Williamson Park with 30 seconds coming out of Shier’s advantage as they raced along Little Fell Lane. But it was too little too late.
Shier took a brilliant solo win – her third (and biggest) of the year after glory in the British Team Cup and winning her age category in the National Masters Road Race Championships earlier in July – with the battle for second going to the 2023 CiCLE Classic winner Jess Finney (AWOL-O’Shea).
National Road Series – 2023 Women’s Lancaster Grand Prix – Ruth Shier, Hutchinson – Brother UK wins. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Lucy Lee secured the final place on the podium, to add to her Queen of the Mountains success.
Fourth place for Lee’s teammate Monica Greenwood was enough for her to maintain her lead at the top of the National Road Series standings. Clay, the top under-23, is just four points behind.
In the team standings, DAS-Handsling are now 34 points ahead of Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee with Hutchinson – Brother UK just two points further back.
Ruth Shier talks to The British Continental about her Lancaster GP triumph
Monica Greenwood discusses her race as she retains the National Road Series leaders jersey
Saint Piran took another National Road Series clean sweep with Zeb Kyffin leading in a 1-2-3 at the men’s Lancaster Grand Prix.
In the women’s race, Ruth Shier (Hutchinson-Brother UK) took off solo with two laps to go take her first National Road Series win.
Featured photo: Olly Hassall/SWpix.com
Men’s race
Report
The monsoon weather that had battered Lancaster on Saturday thankfully abated by the time the men’s race got the action started on Sunday morning, but a strong blustery wind coming off the Irish Sea meant that the conditions weren’t completely friendly to the riders.
Indeed the action began pretty much straight from the off. All together on the first lap, a nasty crash towards the front of the pack splintered the peloton and resulted in groups of various sizes scattered along the road.
The Saint Piran team was the only UCI Continental to field a full quota of riders and they soon made their numbers and strength count, just as they did at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
The team’s riders were a consistent presence at the front of the race, and as a lead group of around a dozen riders formed, Zeb Kyffin, Jack Rootkin-Gray and Harry Birchill were notable at the front of affairs.
Edward Morgan (Wales Racing Academy), George Wood (Cycling Sheffield), Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Matt Lord (Richardsons Trek DAS), George Kimber (Embark Spirit BSS), Jacques Coates (Team PB Performance) and Logan Maclean (AG2R-Citroën U23), as well as Saint Piran riders Tyler Hannay and Bradley Symonds, were among those spotted within the Saint Piran-dominated lead group.
The men in black set a hard, consistent pace throughout, and then, as the bunch looked like it might catch the break, Rootkin-Gray attacked on the King of the Mountains climb, joined by Kyffin, Birchill and Maclean.
Maclean fought valiantly to hold on to the trio’s coattails but ultimately he was unable to keep up and ended up dropping away himself, the chase behind splintered and uncoordinated.
With three laps to go, the three Saint Piran riders had a lead of well over two minutes and by the final lap, they had more than four minutes on a lone chaser, the main field another minute further back. Another dominant National Road Series performance by the Cornish squad was about to be completed.
On the run back into Williamson Park, their lead went up to six minutes. Untouchable, it was now a case of which rider was going to get the honour of crossing the line first. Rolling up through the park in formation, it was Zeb Kyffin – flanked by second-placed Birchill and Rootkin-Gray in third – who snuck his wheel ahead to take the victory.
Rootkin-Gray won the King of the Mountains competition, while George Wood (Cycling Sheffield) took the Combativity prize. Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) was the best-placed elite-level rider in 4th.
With Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix Alex Richardson absent from the race, his teammate Kyffin takes over as National Road Series leader, with his Saint Piran team enjoying a commanding lead at the top of the team standings.
The next round of the National Road Series is the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix on 20 August.
Result
Women’s race
Report
Blue skies marked a complete change from the men’s race earlier on, but with the wind still blowing in from the coast, the sunnier conditions didn’t make a race any easier.
Loughborough Lightning riders were seen trying to force the pace to go clear early on but with the combined might of DAS-Handsling, Hutchinson-Brother UK and Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee taking it in turns to marshal the chasing group, no move made it meaningfully clear.
On each lap, Lucy Lee and Danni Shrosbree (both DAS-Handsling) were active on the climbs, ensuring that the team cleaned up in the Queen of the Mountains competition.
On each ascent of the QOM climb on Proctor Moss Road, the front bunch began to splinter, riders falling off the back each time, but the result was more of an attritional wearing-down process, rather than a break going clear.
With two laps to go, however, Ruth Shier (Hutchinson-Brother UK) finally broke the status quo, attacking off the front and making it stick. Shier has form with solo breaks; she was imperious in a similar move at the Dave Peck Memorial earlier this year. And with a 10-rider chase seemingly not organised enough to pull her back in – perhaps helped in part by having Shier having teammates sitting on in that group to disrupt things – she soon stretched out a lead which went from 20 seconds at the start of the final lap to more than 90 seconds as she approached the QoM climb for the final time.
The chasing group included two of last year’s podium finishers – Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) and Sammie Stuart (DAS-Handsling) – as well as National Road Series leader Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) and Rapha Lincoln GP winner Robyn Clay (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee), along with her team-mates Bexy Dew and Corinne Side.
That chase began to reduce their deficit as they approached the final run towards Williamson Park with 30 seconds coming out of Shier’s advantage as they raced along Little Fell Lane. But it was too little too late.
Shier took a brilliant solo win – her third (and biggest) of the year after glory in the British Team Cup and winning her age category in the National Masters Road Race Championships earlier in July – with the battle for second going to the 2023 CiCLE Classic winner Jess Finney (AWOL-O’Shea).
Lucy Lee secured the final place on the podium, to add to her Queen of the Mountains success.
Fourth place for Lee’s teammate Monica Greenwood was enough for her to maintain her lead at the top of the National Road Series standings. Clay, the top under-23, is just four points behind.
In the team standings, DAS-Handsling are now 34 points ahead of Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee with Hutchinson – Brother UK just two points further back.
Result
National Road Series standings
Men
Individual
Team
Women
Individual
Team
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