2023 Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix: report and results
Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck) and Harry Birchill (Saint Piran) won the women's and men's editions of the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix, 20 August 2023
Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck) won the women’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix, outsprinting a group of ten riders on the uphill finish to take victory.
Harry Birchill capped off an amazingly dominant performance for Saint Piran as he led a 1-2-3-4-5 for the Cornish squad, as he out-sprinted Zeb Kyffin to take the victory. Adam Lewis completed the podium.
Featured image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Report
Women’s race
A field of 97 riders set out from the grounds of Ampleforth Abbey on a beautiful summer’s day, 101.4 km of challenging terrain on the edge of the North York Moors ahead of them.
The big news ahead of the race was that Robyn Clay (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) and Jess Finney (AWOL O’Shea), second and third in the National Road Series standings respectively, were unable to star, a boost for Monica Greenwood’s (DAS-Handsling) defense of her Series lead.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com – 20/08/2023 – Cycling – British Cycling National Road Series – 2023 Women’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – The Peloton
The opening section of the race featured two laps of a hilly 25.7km circuit. An early move of three riders was closed down, the bunch still together as it crossed the line after lap two. The pace and terrain were taking their toll at the back of the race, however, with tens of riders dropped already.
The first major move came on the first lap of three of the race’s 16 km finishing circuit. Bexy Dew (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) and Danni Shrosbree (DAS-Handsling) punched clear and held a 40-second lead as they came through the Abbey grounds at the end of the lap.
The pair were now chased by a much-reduced bunch of 18 riders, led by the Alba Development Road Team. Abi Smith (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), Lucy Gadd (Stade Rochelais Charente‐Maritime), Mille Couzens (Fenix‐Deceuninck), and Zoe Langham (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) were among the names in this select chase group, together with Series lead Greenwood and four of her DAS-Handsling teammates, and a strong contingent of Hutchinson-Brother UK riders.
2023 Women’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix. Bexy Dew (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) and Danni Shrosbree (DAS – Handsling) in the break. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
As Shrosbree and Dew came through Ampleforth village in the early part of lap two, their lead was down to 30 seconds, and they were swept up by the time they reached the Abbey again. As the bunch took the bell, there was a regrouping of sorts, the peloton swelling in number. National road race rankings leader Lucy Lee (DAS-Handsling) and junior Ella Jamieson (Liv-Halo Films) attacked through the start/finish, opening up a small gap as they began the final lap.
As the race reached the Abbey grounds for the final time, a group of ten headed affairs and readied for the sprint on the uphill finish.
19-year-old Couzens, riding the race for the first time, outfought her rivals to take her first National Road Series win. South African Tiffany Keep (Hutchinson-Brother UK) was second with Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) taking the final podium spot. Defending champion Smith was fourth.
2023 Women’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Millie Couzens of Fenix‐Deceuninck wins. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Greenwood remains the National Road Series leader after finishing 14th. She now has a 20 point lead over Wilkinson with with two rounds remaining. Clay remains the leading under-23 rider despite not racing.
Greenwood’s team DAS-Handsling holds a 29 point lead over Hutchinson-Brother UK in the team standings, with Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee a further 33 points back.
The next round takes place at the Curlew Cup on 17 September.
Millie Couzens talks about Ryedale GP victory
Men’s race
There were a number of big name non-starters in the men’s race. Pre-race favourite Alex Richardson (Saint Piran), the entire TRINITY Racing team, and Island Games road race champion Sam Culverwell (Dolan Ellesse RT) had all withdrawn ahead of the race start.
2023 Men’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Series leader Zeb Kyffin of Saint Piran, Rob Scott (Cross Team Legendre) and Damien Clayton of Embark Spirit BSS. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
A break of three on the first of three laps on the race’s longer circuit, comprising National Road Series leader Zeb Kyffin (Saint Piran), Rob Scott (Cross Team Legendre) and Damien Clayton (Embark Spirit BSS). An untimely mechanical for Scott, however, jettisoned him from the break, with the Yorkshireman later abandoning the race. By the end of the lap, Kyffin and Clayton had a 20 second lead over the peloton, with Cameron McLaren (Kalas Motip RT) chasing in between.
Kyffin and Clayton were swept up on lap two, but Clayton’s adventure was not over yet. He infiltrated a new break of 12 riders which had a 57 second lead by the end of lap two. His companions were Joe Brookes (Halesowen A & CC), Mattie Dodd (Tirol KTM Cycling Team), Joe Shillabeer (05/03), George Peden (Team PB Performance), Thomas Armstrong and Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Jamie Pullen and Harry Macfarlane (TAAP Endura), Ollie Hucks (Kalas Motip Race Team), Ben Bright (Wales Racing Academy) , and Adam Lewis and Bradley Symonds (Saint Piran).
2023 Men’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Bradley Symonds of Saint Piran. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Seemingly not content with just two riders in the break, Kyffin and his teammates Finn Crockett and Harry Birchill, together with Conor McGoldrick (Richardsons-Trek DAS) and Ed Morgan (Wales Racing Academy), bridged across to make it 17 our front on the final lap of the long circuit.
Saint Piran are making 1-2-3s a routine occurrence now in the National Road Series, and as the leaders hit the first if five laps of the shorter finishing circuit, they set off in pursuit of another dominant performance. Kyffin, Lewis and Birchill broke clear, taking just Morgan with them. By the second lap they had dispatched Morgan and were now alone at the head of the race.
2023 Men’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Series leader Zeb Kyffin of Saint Piran, Harry Birchill of Saint Piran, Edward Morgan of Wales Racing Academy, Adam Lewis of Saint Piran. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
With three laps to go the trio had two minutes advantage over a chasing group of seven which included teammates Crockett and Symonds, as well as Morgan, Armstrong, Martin, Peden and Clayton. Game over, it seemed, another Saint Piran domination in the bag, the other teams left fighting for scraps once more.
Indeed, with two to go, the trio’s advantage was 3’40”. Not only that, but Crockett and Symonds had now broken clear of the other five chasers, leaving five Saint Piran riders occupying the first five places on the road. The only question now was which of the leading three would take the win.
Despite their top three, Birchill, Kyffin and Lewis weren’t happy to cruise in to the line. With the pace remaining high – the gap opening to 4’15” over Crockett and Symonds – Lewis started to drop off the lead trio as Birchill and Kyffin were reported on race radio to be launching attacks on each other around the final lap.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com – 20/08/2023 – Cycling – British Cycling National Road Series – 2023 Men’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Harry Birchill of Saint Piran wins
Attacking each other all the way into the grounds of Ampleforth Abbey, it was Harry Birchill who prevailed – just having the legs on Kyffin, who retains his National Road Series leaders jersey.
Lewis rounded out the podium in third, with Crockett taking fourth and Symonds confirming the Saint Piran domination with fifth.
The next round of the National Road Series is the Beaumont Trophy on 17th September.
Harry Birchill talks to The British Continental about his dominant Ryedale GP win
Millie Couzens (Fenix-Deceuninck) won the women’s Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix, outsprinting a group of ten riders on the uphill finish to take victory.
Harry Birchill capped off an amazingly dominant performance for Saint Piran as he led a 1-2-3-4-5 for the Cornish squad, as he out-sprinted Zeb Kyffin to take the victory. Adam Lewis completed the podium.
Featured image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Report
Women’s race
A field of 97 riders set out from the grounds of Ampleforth Abbey on a beautiful summer’s day, 101.4 km of challenging terrain on the edge of the North York Moors ahead of them.
The big news ahead of the race was that Robyn Clay (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) and Jess Finney (AWOL O’Shea), second and third in the National Road Series standings respectively, were unable to star, a boost for Monica Greenwood’s (DAS-Handsling) defense of her Series lead.
The opening section of the race featured two laps of a hilly 25.7km circuit. An early move of three riders was closed down, the bunch still together as it crossed the line after lap two. The pace and terrain were taking their toll at the back of the race, however, with tens of riders dropped already.
The first major move came on the first lap of three of the race’s 16 km finishing circuit. Bexy Dew (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) and Danni Shrosbree (DAS-Handsling) punched clear and held a 40-second lead as they came through the Abbey grounds at the end of the lap.
The pair were now chased by a much-reduced bunch of 18 riders, led by the Alba Development Road Team. Abi Smith (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB), Lucy Gadd (Stade Rochelais Charente‐Maritime), Mille Couzens (Fenix‐Deceuninck), and Zoe Langham (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) were among the names in this select chase group, together with Series lead Greenwood and four of her DAS-Handsling teammates, and a strong contingent of Hutchinson-Brother UK riders.
As Shrosbree and Dew came through Ampleforth village in the early part of lap two, their lead was down to 30 seconds, and they were swept up by the time they reached the Abbey again. As the bunch took the bell, there was a regrouping of sorts, the peloton swelling in number. National road race rankings leader Lucy Lee (DAS-Handsling) and junior Ella Jamieson (Liv-Halo Films) attacked through the start/finish, opening up a small gap as they began the final lap.
As the race reached the Abbey grounds for the final time, a group of ten headed affairs and readied for the sprint on the uphill finish.
19-year-old Couzens, riding the race for the first time, outfought her rivals to take her first National Road Series win. South African Tiffany Keep (Hutchinson-Brother UK) was second with Mary Wilkinson (Team Boompods) taking the final podium spot. Defending champion Smith was fourth.
Greenwood remains the National Road Series leader after finishing 14th. She now has a 20 point lead over Wilkinson with with two rounds remaining. Clay remains the leading under-23 rider despite not racing.
Greenwood’s team DAS-Handsling holds a 29 point lead over Hutchinson-Brother UK in the team standings, with Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee a further 33 points back.
The next round takes place at the Curlew Cup on 17 September.
Men’s race
There were a number of big name non-starters in the men’s race. Pre-race favourite Alex Richardson (Saint Piran), the entire TRINITY Racing team, and Island Games road race champion Sam Culverwell (Dolan Ellesse RT) had all withdrawn ahead of the race start.
A break of three on the first of three laps on the race’s longer circuit, comprising National Road Series leader Zeb Kyffin (Saint Piran), Rob Scott (Cross Team Legendre) and Damien Clayton (Embark Spirit BSS). An untimely mechanical for Scott, however, jettisoned him from the break, with the Yorkshireman later abandoning the race. By the end of the lap, Kyffin and Clayton had a 20 second lead over the peloton, with Cameron McLaren (Kalas Motip RT) chasing in between.
Kyffin and Clayton were swept up on lap two, but Clayton’s adventure was not over yet. He infiltrated a new break of 12 riders which had a 57 second lead by the end of lap two. His companions were Joe Brookes (Halesowen A & CC), Mattie Dodd (Tirol KTM Cycling Team), Joe Shillabeer (05/03), George Peden (Team PB Performance), Thomas Armstrong and Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Jamie Pullen and Harry Macfarlane (TAAP Endura), Ollie Hucks (Kalas Motip Race Team), Ben Bright (Wales Racing Academy) , and Adam Lewis and Bradley Symonds (Saint Piran).
Seemingly not content with just two riders in the break, Kyffin and his teammates Finn Crockett and Harry Birchill, together with Conor McGoldrick (Richardsons-Trek DAS) and Ed Morgan (Wales Racing Academy), bridged across to make it 17 our front on the final lap of the long circuit.
Saint Piran are making 1-2-3s a routine occurrence now in the National Road Series, and as the leaders hit the first if five laps of the shorter finishing circuit, they set off in pursuit of another dominant performance. Kyffin, Lewis and Birchill broke clear, taking just Morgan with them. By the second lap they had dispatched Morgan and were now alone at the head of the race.
With three laps to go the trio had two minutes advantage over a chasing group of seven which included teammates Crockett and Symonds, as well as Morgan, Armstrong, Martin, Peden and Clayton. Game over, it seemed, another Saint Piran domination in the bag, the other teams left fighting for scraps once more.
Indeed, with two to go, the trio’s advantage was 3’40”. Not only that, but Crockett and Symonds had now broken clear of the other five chasers, leaving five Saint Piran riders occupying the first five places on the road. The only question now was which of the leading three would take the win.
Despite their top three, Birchill, Kyffin and Lewis weren’t happy to cruise in to the line. With the pace remaining high – the gap opening to 4’15” over Crockett and Symonds – Lewis started to drop off the lead trio as Birchill and Kyffin were reported on race radio to be launching attacks on each other around the final lap.
Attacking each other all the way into the grounds of Ampleforth Abbey, it was Harry Birchill who prevailed – just having the legs on Kyffin, who retains his National Road Series leaders jersey.
Lewis rounded out the podium in third, with Crockett taking fourth and Symonds confirming the Saint Piran domination with fifth.
The next round of the National Road Series is the Beaumont Trophy on 17th September.
Results
Women’s race
Men’s race
National Road Series standings
Women’s individual
Women’s team
Men’s individual
Men’s team
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