Corinne Side (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) took a huge win as she powered to sprint victory in the Curlew Cup, the final round of the 2023 National Road Series. Meanwhile fifth place for Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) was enough to seal the individual National Road Series title, with her team taking team Series honours.
Finn Crockett (Saint Piran) won the Beaumont Trophy, Saint Piran’s fourth National Road Series win in as many rounds. His teammate Zeb Kyffin completed another dominant day for the squad as he was confirmed as 2023 National Road Series champion, with Saint Piran also victorious in the team standings.
Featured image: SWpix.com
Report
Curlew Cup
73 riders took to the start of the 2023 Curlew Cup in Stamfordham, Northumberland, the final round of the National Road Series.
2023 National Road Series Round 5 – 2023 Curlew Cup – Stamfordham, Northumberland, England – The peloton led by Alice Lethbridge of Loughborough Lightning. Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Rain featured in the early stages of the race, with the peloton still all together after the first of three 40.8km laps.
As the rain began to recede, Ellen McDermott (Team Boompods) enlivened the race with a solo attack on lap two.
As she took the bell she had 1’14” on the chasing bunch. McDermott was reeled in on the final lap, however, sparking a series of counterattacks.
None were successful, however, and with three kilometres to go what was left of the bunch remained intact, a sprint looking inevitable.
As the speeding peloton hit the finishing straight, Side time her effort to perfection, creating a gap over her rivals to take a convincing win.
2023 National Road Series Round 5 – 2023 Curlew Cup – Stamfordham, Northumberland, England – Corinne Side of Team Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee wins the 2023 Curlew Cup. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
First-year under-23 Emma Jeffers (DAS Handling) was second, with junior rider Sophie Smith (Cycling Club Isle of Man) taking a tremendous third.
Remarkably, McDermott was fourth despite her time out front.
Series leader Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) finished fifth to seal a maiden National Road Series victory. Robyn Clay ((Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee), eighth on the line, won the prize for the best under-23 rider in the Series.
2023 National Road Series Round 5 – 2023 Curlew Cup – Stamfordham, Northumberland, England – Series Leader Monica Greenwood of Team DAS Handsling Bikes climbing the Ryal’s Hill. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Greenwood’s DAS-Handsling team packed out the top placings to cement the team win in the National Road Series. Side’s win helped Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee to leapfrog over Hutchinson-Brother to finish second, the best elite team of 2023.
Beaumont Trophy
A field of 98 starters rolled out of Stamfordham in the afternoon for the Beaumont Trophy, TRINITY Racing’s Ollie Rees and Finlay Pickering among the late withdrawals.
A group of four riders broke clear early on. John Archibald (Huub Wattbike), William Truelove (ROKiT-SRCT), newly-crowned Scottish road race champion Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) and Damien Clayton (Unattached) had a lead of 1’22” as they crossed the line at the end of lap one.
2023 Beaumont Trophy – Stamfordham, Northumberland, England – William Truelove of Team ROKiT-SRCT, John Archibald of HUUB WattShop, Tim Shoreman of Wheelbase CabTech Castelli and Damien Clayton in the breakaway. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
A lap later, Shoreman had been reabsorbed by the peloton, with the lead of the remaining three down to 45 seconds.
It was all change at the end of lap three. A new break had formed, with survivor from the first break, Clayton, joined by four under-23 riders: Lukas Nerurkar and Max Walker (both of TRINITY Racing), Ed Morgan (Wales Racing Academy), and Joe Brookes (Halesowen Academy). They had a 47 second gap over the line.
Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
The race was in pieces by the time the leaders arrived at the line for the 20km finishing circuit. Nerurkar, Brookes and Walker had around 25 seconds on Morgan and Clayton. Behind, Saint Piran’s Finn Crockett, Zeb Kyffin, and Alex Richardson were surging clear of a decimated, fractured ‘peloton’, 1’30” in deficit to the lead trio.
Nerurkar and Walker dropped Brookes on the final lap but the Saint Piran chasers – who had swept up Clayton, Morgan, and Brookes, and also gained teammate Jack Rootkin-Gray – were closing fast.
Indeed, they had caught the TRINITY pair with 2km to go, leaving a select group to battle it out for victory.
Crockett won the sprint for the line to take his first National Road Series victory, his teammate Rootkin-Gray – last year’s race winner – in second. Walker prevented another Saint Piran clean sweep with third.
Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Kyffin’s ninth place confirmed him as the individual National Road Series champion, his teammate Rootkin-Gray in second. Rootkin-Gray finished as the best under-23 rider in the Series. Saint Piran also won the team prize, with Wheelbase CabTech Castelli, second in the team rankings, the best-placed elite team.
Results
Curlew Cup
Rank # Name Team Time 1 49 Corinne Side Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 3:17:17 2 20 Emma Jeffers (U23) DAS – Handsling Bikes st 3 17 Sophie Smith (JR) Cycling Club Isle of Man st 4 65 Ellen McDermott Team Boompods st 5 18 Monica Greenwood DAS – Handsling Bikes st 6 22 Grace Lister (U23) DAS – Handsling Bikes st 7 63 Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne Team Boompods st 8 5 Eilidh Shaw (U23) Alba Development Road Team st 8 45 Robyn Clay (U23) Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee st 10 9 Harriet Graham Brother UK – Orientation Marketing st 11 39 Beth Harley-Jepson Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon st 12 67 Lauren Robinson Team Boompods st 13 46 Bexy Dew Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee st 14 57 Rachel Galler Saint Piran WRT st 15 2 Sophie Enever Alba Development Road Team st 16 91 Elizabeth Hermolle st 17 23 Beth Morrow (U23) DAS – Handsling Bikes st 18 90 Penny Colloff st 19 80 Caitlin Dimbleby Le Col Race Team st 20 16 Ruby Oakes (JR) Cycling Club Isle of Man st 21 64 Sian Marsh Team Boompods st 22 88 Megan Anderson Tactic UK WRT st 23 19 Francesca Hall DAS – Handsling Bikes st 24 96 Emma Watson st 25 74 Lauren Langham Wahoo – Le Col st 26 87 Erin Avill (U23) Storey Racing st 27 52 Jo Tindley Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee st 28 48 Zoe Langham Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee st 29 51 Annabel Ramsay (U23) Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee st 30 7 Amelia Tyler (U23) Alba Development Road Team st 31 3 Arianne Holland Alba Development Road Team st 32 82 Natalie Lye Muckle Cycle Club st 33 26 Maddie Heywood FTP – Fulfil The Potential – Racing st 34 50 Millie Skinner Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee st 35 66 Gemma Mitchell Team Boompods st 36 42 Alice Lethbridge Loughborough Lightning st 37 86 Rosie Simmons Southampton University Road Club st 38 72 Lizi Brooke Wahoo – Le Col +7 39 33 Ruth Shier Hutchinson – Brother UK st 40 94 Savannah Morgan st 41 69 Jayati Hine Team Boompods +18 42 32 Molly Patch Hutchinson – Brother UK st 43 34 Dannielle Watkinson Hutchinson – Brother UK st 44 53 Nicola Greenwood RFDA st 45 37 Emily Chilton Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon st 46 6 Victoria Smith Alba Development Road Team st 47 35 Lydia Watts Hutchinson – Brother UK st 48 84 Cecilia Hime Paradigm Cycles st 49 68 Lauren Watson Team Boompods st 50 11 Amber Junker-Brameld (U23) Brother UK – Orientation Marketing st 51 38 Kirstie Drakeford (U23) Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon st 52 56 Hannah Bayes Saint Piran WRT +22 53 71 Maya Branfoot (U23) Wahoo – Le Col +3:15 54 41 Roisin Lally (U23) Loughborough Lightning +5:18 55 29 Charlotte Berry Hutchinson – Brother UK +8:29 56 47 Amy Gornall Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee +21:48 1 Daisy Barnes Alba Development Road Team DNF 8 Evie White (JR) Alba Development Road Team DNF 10 Ellen Inglis (U23) Brother UK – Orientation Marketing DNF 13 Electra Morris (JR) Brother UK – Orientation Marketing DNF 27 Marie-Louise Kertzman FTP – Fulfil The Potential – Racing DNF 28 Laura Pittard FTP – Fulfil The Potential – Racing DNF 43 Morgan Newberry Loughborough Lightning DNF 44 Anya Tamplin Loughborough Lightning DNF 54 Hebe Picking (U23) RFDA DNF 58 Annamarie Lipp Saint Piran WRT DNF 60 Ailsa McLagan Saint Piran WRT DNF 61 Rebecca Richards Saint Piran WRT DNF 62 Hannah Farran Team Boompods DNF 75 Frances Owen Wahoo – Le Col DNF 79 Lucy Neatham (U23) LDN-Academy DNF 95 Georgina Oakley DNF 98 Lucy Harris Cowley Road Condors DNF 4 Kiera Bond (U23) Alba Development Road Team DNS 12 Georgia Lancaster (JR) Brother UK – Orientation Marketing DNS 14 Grace Reynolds (U23) Brother UK – Orientation Marketing DNS 15 Isabel Mayes (JR) Cycling Club Isle of Man DNS 21 Lucy Lee DAS – Handsling Bikes DNS 24 DanIELLE Shrosbree DAS – Handsling Bikes DNS 25 Sammie Stuart DAS – Handsling Bikes DNS 30 Tiffany Keep Hutchinson – Brother UK DNS 31 Tamsin Miller Hutchinson – Brother UK DNS 36 Sannah Zaman (U23) Hutchinson – Brother UK DNS 40 Rebekah Nash Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon DNS 59 Danielle Khan Saint Piran WRT DNS 70 Coralie Arthur Wahoo – Le Col DNS 73 Lyndsey Cassie Wahoo – Le Col DNS 76 Eve Newton Army Cycling Union DNS 77 Georgia Bullard AWOL OShea DNS 78 Jessica Finney AWOL OShea DNS 81 Kate Richardson (U23) Lifeplus – Wahoo DNS 83 Jemma Speers North Down CC DNS 85 Harriet Lowden Rapha Cycling Club DNS 89 Helen Auden DNS 92 Florence Howden DNS 93 Katarzyna Madej DNS 97 Morven Yeoman (U23) DNS
Beaumont Trophy
Rank # Name Team Time 1 3 Finn Crockett Saint Piran 4:09:55 2 1 Jack Rootkin-Gray (U23) Saint Piran st 3 80 Max Walker (U23) Trinity Racing st 4 6 Alexandar Richardson Saint Piran st 5 76 Lukas Nerurkar (U23) Trinity Racing st 6 126 Damien Clayton st 7 85 Ed Morgan Wales Racing Academy st 8 108 Joe Brookes (U23) Halesowen A & CC +3 9 4 Zeb Kyffin Saint Piran +8 10 21 James Wordsworth (U23) Cycling Sheffield +1:46 11 89 Tim Shoreman Wheelbase CabTech Castelli +1:55 12 39 Daniel McDermott Moonglu Race Team st 13 27 Will Perrett Embark Spirit BSS st 14 7 Bradley Symonds Saint Piran st 15 8 Tyler Hannay (U23) Saint Piran st 16 5 James Mckay Saint Piran st 17 74 Ralf Holden (U23) Trinity Racing st 18 38 Cameron McLaren Kalas Motip Race Team st 19 60 William Truelove (U23) ROKiT-SRCT st 20 103 Josh Housley Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT st 21 81 Ben Bright (U23) Wales Racing Academy st 22 49 Jack Crook Richardsons Trek DAS st 23 107 Ethan Rowell (U23) Foremost st 24 63 Jacques Coates (U23) Team PB Performance st 25 92 Dexter Leeming-Sykes (U23) Wold Top The Edge Pactimo st 26 57 Matthew Ellis ROKiT-SRCT st 27 83 Spencer Davies (U23) Wales Racing Academy st 28 93 Joshua Ravn Wold Top The Edge Pactimo st 29 15 Corrin Leeming (U23) Cycling Club Isle of Man st 30 55 Josh Whitehead Richardsons Trek DAS st 31 70 Ollie Peckover trainSharp Elite st 32 72 Tim Torrie trainSharp Elite st 33 29 Irfan Zaman (U23) Embark Spirit BSS st 34 66 Harry Paveley (U23) Team PB Performance st 35 68 Jude Taylor Team PB Performance st 37 122 Zachary Walker (U23) TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM U23 st 38 52 Conor McGoldrick Richardsons Trek DAS st 39 86 Thomas Armstrong Wheelbase CabTech Castelli st 40 114 Isaac Wright Project 51 st 41 88 Logan Maclean (U23) Wheelbase CabTech Castelli st 42 78 William Smith (U23) Trinity Racing st 43 17 James Hartley (U23) Cycling Sheffield st 44 25 Finn Dutton (U23) Embark Spirit BSS st 45 84 William Harding (U23) Wales Racing Academy st 46 79 Luke Tuckwell (U23) Trinity Racing st 47 33 Alexander Pritchard HUUB WattShop st 48 30 John Archibald HUUB WattShop st 49 64 Nathan Hardy (U23) Team PB Performance st 50 18 Taylor Hill (U23) Cycling Sheffield st 51 24 Matthew Houlberg (U23) Embark Spirit BSS st 52 28 Dean Watson Embark Spirit BSS st 53 31 Michael Gill HUUB WattShop st 54 50 James Jenkins Richardsons Trek DAS +2:07 55 19 Max Krasinski (U23) Cycling Sheffield st 56 20 George Wood (U23) Cycling Sheffield st 57 13 William Draper Cycling Club Isle of Man +2:08 58 36 Oliver Hucks Kalas Motip Race Team +2:09 59 82 Huw Buck Jones (U23) Wales Racing Academy +2:15 60 67 George Peden Team PB Performance +2:24 61 11 Jack Hartley (U23) BCC Race Team +4:18 62 23 Michael Chadwick Embark Spirit BSS +4:54 63 87 Tom Martin Wheelbase CabTech Castelli st 64 48 Peter Cocker Richardsons Trek DAS +9:33 2 Harry Birchill (U23) Saint Piran DNF 9 Ben Etherington (U23) BCC Race Team DNF 10 Dan Galpin (U23) BCC Race Team DNF 14 Mark Horsthuis Cycling Club Isle of Man DNF 32 Richard Jones HUUB WattShop DNF 34 Jack Rees HUUB WattShop DNF 35 Sebastian Garry Kalas Motip Race Team DNF 40 Ben Mewes Moonglu Race Team DNF 41 Ben Pease Moonglu Race Team DNF 42 William Taylor (U23) Moonglu Race Team DNF 43 Guy Drabble (U23) Ribble rechrg Race Team DNF 44 Joshua Horsfield (U23) Ribble rechrg Race Team DNF 46 Max Lutz Atkinson (U23) Ribble rechrg Race Team DNF 47 Fergus Robinson (U23) Ribble rechrg Race Team DNF 59 Josh Price ROKiT-SRCT DNF 61 Matthew Warhurst ROKiT-SRCT DNF 62 Tom Charles (U23) Team PB Performance DNF 65 Tom Palfrey (U23) Team PB Performance DNF 73 Robert Donaldson (U23) Trinity Racing DNF 94 William Bjergfelt 0503 DNF 96 Oscar Pratt (U23) 0503 DNF 98 Jack Southcott (U23) 0503 DNF 100 Jack Lucas (U23) A.Fawcett Racing DNF 101 Will Thompson (U23) A.Fawcett Racing DNF 110 Michael Weavers Lewes Wanderers CC DNF 111 Rowan Baker (U23) London Dynamo DNF 112 Felix Whetter (U23) Mid Devon CC DNF 113 Joe Howcroft Otley CC DNF 115 George Daly Sitwell Cycling Club DNF 117 Oliver Hurdle StolenGoat Racing Team DNF 119 Elliot Barratt Team Spectra Cannondale DNF 121 Daniel Smith TS Racing DNF 127 Liam Fenner DNF 12 Nicholas Cooper Cycling Club Isle of Man DNS 16 Niall Quiggin Cycling Club Isle of Man DNS 22 Jamieson Blain (U23) Embark Spirit BSS DNS 26 Samuel Painter (U23) Embark Spirit BSS DNS 37 Harvey Lawson (U23) Kalas Motip Race Team DNS 45 Hugo Lutz Atkinson (U23) Ribble rechrg Race Team DNS 51 Matt Lord (U23) Richardsons Trek DAS DNS 53 Steven Parsonage Richardsons Trek DAS DNS 54 Alex Peters Richardsons Trek DAS DNS 56 Matthew Teggart ROKiT-SRCT DNS 58 David Hird (U23) ROKiT-SRCT DNS 69 Samuel Clark (U23) trainSharp Elite DNS 71 Sam Shepherd trainSharp Elite DNS 75 Finlay Pickering (U23) Trinity Racing DNS 77 Oliver Rees (U23) Trinity Racing DNS 91 Philip Large Wold Top The Edge Pactimo DNS 95 Preslav Dimitrov 0503 DNS 97 Joe Shillabeer (U23) 0503 DNS 99 Archie Wright (U23) 0503 DNS 102 Euan Woodliffe (U23) AVC Aix en Provence DNS 104 Adam Kenway Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT DNS 105 Dom Jackson Foran CCC DNS 106 Thomas Quaid Foran CCC DNS 109 Luca Unwin (U23) Le Col Race Team DNS 116 Jack Cutsforth SPATZWEAR DNS 118 Sam Hodge (U23) Team IBT – Tripeak DNS 120 Benjamin Tuchner (U23) TEKKERZ CC DNS 124 Benjamin Hellebo Wheelsuckers DNS 125 Jim Brown DNS
National Road Series standings
Women
Individual
Rank Name Team Points 1 Monica Greenwood DAS – Handsling Bikes 199 2 Robyn Clay (U23) Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 162 3 Corinne Side Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 159 4 Mary Wilkinson Team Boompods 137 5 Bexy Dew Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 131 6 Emma Jeffers (U23) DAS – Handsling Bikes 122 7 Tiffany Keep Hutchinson – Brother UK 122 8 Grace Lister (U23) DAS – Handsling Bikes 120 9 Sophie Enever Alba Development Road Team 111 10 Sammie Stuart DAS – Handsling Bikes 101 11 Jo Tindley Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 101 12 Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne Team Boompods 101 13 Jessica Finney AWOL OShea 98 14 Lucy Lee DAS – Handsling Bikes 88 15 Ruth Shier Hutchinson – Brother UK 82 16 Ellen McDermott Team Boompods 80 17 Tamsin Miller Hutchinson – Brother UK 74 18 Eilidh Shaw (U23) Alba Development Road Team 72 19 Amy Gornall Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 70 20 Beth Harley-Jepson Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon 69 21 Amelia Tyler (U23) Alba Development Road Team 65 22 Sannah Zaman (U23) Hutchinson – Brother UK 64 23 Francesca Hall DAS – Handsling Bikes 63 24 Danielle Shrosbree DAS – Handsling Bikes 60 25 Zoe Langham Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 52 26 Millie Couzens (U23) Fenix-Deceuninck 50 27 Alice Lethbridge Loughborough Lightning 46 28 Flora Perkins (U23) Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team 46 29 Sophie Smith (JR) Cycling Club Isle of Man 46 30 Danielle Khan Saint Piran WRT 45
Team
Rank Team Points 1 DAS – Handsling Bikes 595 2 Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee 517 3 Hutchinson – Brother UK 438 4 Team Boompods 395 5 Alba Development Road Team 266 6 AWOL OShea 163 7 Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon 138 8 Saint Piran WRT 108 9 Shibden Hope Tech Apex 87 10 Loughborough Lightning 80 11 Brother UK – Orientation Marketing 73 12 Wahoo – Le Col 66 13 Tofauti Everyone Active 48 14 Team Spectra Cannondale 44 15 LAKA Pedal Mafia RT 43 16 Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films 24 17 LDN-Academy 19 18 FTP – Fulfil The Potential – Racing 8
Men
Individual
Rank Name Team Points 1 Zeb Kyffin Saint Piran 180 2 Jack Rootkin-Gray (U23) Saint Piran 140 3 Harry Birchill (U23) Saint Piran 138 4 Finn Crockett Saint Piran 136 5 Damien Clayton Embark Spirit BSS 116 6 Tim Shoreman Wheelbase CabTech Castelli 101 7 Bradley Symonds Saint Piran 98 8 Alexandar Richardson Saint Piran 94 9 James McKay Saint Piran 94 10 William Truelove (U23) ROKiT-SRCT 92 11 Ed Morgan Wales Racing Academy 87 12 Adam Lewis Saint Piran 84 13 Jamie Pullen (U23) TAAP Endura 68 14 Joe Brookes (U23) Halesowen A & CC 66 15 Logan Maclean (U23) Wheelbase CabTech Castelli 60 16 Zachary Walker (U23) TUDOR PRO CYCLING TEAM U23 59 17 George Peden Team PB Performance 59 18 Tyler Hannay (U23) Saint Piran 56 19 Dexter Leeming-Sykes (U23) Wold Top The Edge Pactimo 54 20 George Kimber Embark Spirit BSS 52 21 Jordan Giles Primera-TeamJobs 51 22 Jacques Coates (U23) Team PB Performance 48 23 Jack Crook Richardsons Trek DAS 47 24 James Wordsworth (U23) Cycling Sheffield 46 25 Max Walker (U23) Trinity Racing 46 26 Lukas Nerurkar (U23) Trinity Racing 42 27 Rory Townsend Black Spoke Pro Cycling Academy 42 28 Thomas Armstrong Wheelbase CabTech Castelli 40 29 Daniel McDermott Moonglu Race Team 39 30 Thomas Heal StolenGoat Racing Team 37
Team
Rank Team Points 1 Saint Piran 574 2 Wheelbase CabTech Castelli 229 3 Embark Spirit BSS 197 4 ROKiT – SRCT 168 5 Wales Racing Academy 160 6 Trinity Racing 144 7 Team PB Performance 133 8 Cycling Sheffield 119 9 Kalas Motip Race Team 105 10 Richardsons Trek DAS 104 11 Primera-TeamJobs 96 12 TAAP Endura 68 13 Moonglu Race Team 45 14 Wold Top The Edge Pactimo 38 15 Dolan Ellesse Race Team 34 16 Cycling Club Isle of Man 12
Corinne Side (Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee) took a huge win as she powered to sprint victory in the Curlew Cup, the final round of the 2023 National Road Series. Meanwhile fifth place for Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) was enough to seal the individual National Road Series title, with her team taking team Series honours.
Finn Crockett (Saint Piran) won the Beaumont Trophy, Saint Piran’s fourth National Road Series win in as many rounds. His teammate Zeb Kyffin completed another dominant day for the squad as he was confirmed as 2023 National Road Series champion, with Saint Piran also victorious in the team standings.
Featured image: SWpix.com
Report
Curlew Cup
73 riders took to the start of the 2023 Curlew Cup in Stamfordham, Northumberland, the final round of the National Road Series.
Rain featured in the early stages of the race, with the peloton still all together after the first of three 40.8km laps.
As the rain began to recede, Ellen McDermott (Team Boompods) enlivened the race with a solo attack on lap two.
As she took the bell she had 1’14” on the chasing bunch. McDermott was reeled in on the final lap, however, sparking a series of counterattacks.
None were successful, however, and with three kilometres to go what was left of the bunch remained intact, a sprint looking inevitable.
As the speeding peloton hit the finishing straight, Side time her effort to perfection, creating a gap over her rivals to take a convincing win.
First-year under-23 Emma Jeffers (DAS Handling) was second, with junior rider Sophie Smith (Cycling Club Isle of Man) taking a tremendous third.
Remarkably, McDermott was fourth despite her time out front.
Series leader Monica Greenwood (DAS-Handsling) finished fifth to seal a maiden National Road Series victory. Robyn Clay ((Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee), eighth on the line, won the prize for the best under-23 rider in the Series.
Greenwood’s DAS-Handsling team packed out the top placings to cement the team win in the National Road Series. Side’s win helped Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee to leapfrog over Hutchinson-Brother to finish second, the best elite team of 2023.
Beaumont Trophy
A field of 98 starters rolled out of Stamfordham in the afternoon for the Beaumont Trophy, TRINITY Racing’s Ollie Rees and Finlay Pickering among the late withdrawals.
A group of four riders broke clear early on. John Archibald (Huub Wattbike), William Truelove (ROKiT-SRCT), newly-crowned Scottish road race champion Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) and Damien Clayton (Unattached) had a lead of 1’22” as they crossed the line at the end of lap one.
A lap later, Shoreman had been reabsorbed by the peloton, with the lead of the remaining three down to 45 seconds.
It was all change at the end of lap three. A new break had formed, with survivor from the first break, Clayton, joined by four under-23 riders: Lukas Nerurkar and Max Walker (both of TRINITY Racing), Ed Morgan (Wales Racing Academy), and Joe Brookes (Halesowen Academy). They had a 47 second gap over the line.
The race was in pieces by the time the leaders arrived at the line for the 20km finishing circuit. Nerurkar, Brookes and Walker had around 25 seconds on Morgan and Clayton. Behind, Saint Piran’s Finn Crockett, Zeb Kyffin, and Alex Richardson were surging clear of a decimated, fractured ‘peloton’, 1’30” in deficit to the lead trio.
Nerurkar and Walker dropped Brookes on the final lap but the Saint Piran chasers – who had swept up Clayton, Morgan, and Brookes, and also gained teammate Jack Rootkin-Gray – were closing fast.
Indeed, they had caught the TRINITY pair with 2km to go, leaving a select group to battle it out for victory.
Crockett won the sprint for the line to take his first National Road Series victory, his teammate Rootkin-Gray – last year’s race winner – in second. Walker prevented another Saint Piran clean sweep with third.
Kyffin’s ninth place confirmed him as the individual National Road Series champion, his teammate Rootkin-Gray in second. Rootkin-Gray finished as the best under-23 rider in the Series. Saint Piran also won the team prize, with Wheelbase CabTech Castelli, second in the team rankings, the best-placed elite team.
Results
Curlew Cup
Beaumont Trophy
National Road Series standings
Women
Individual
Team
Men
Individual
Team
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