Lick your lips in anticipation and pin your numbers on because the start of domestic road racing season is just around the corner. The Portsdown Classic, the reincarnation of the treasured Perfs Pedal road race, will begin the British racing calendar on Sunday 11 February with 72 kilometres of full gas racing featuring some big names and past winners.
In advance of Britain’s answer to Belgium’s ‘opening weekend’, here is a look at the route, the history, the startlist and the contenders.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
The Perfs Pedal road race is – or was – one of the treasures of the British road racing calendar. Established in 1964, the race served as the traditional opener to the domestic road racing season (for men at least). Taking place near Portsmouth in the south of England, it was an important early-season marker of fitness, and attracted a strong field of riders all eager to test their form after a winter of training.
The race has a long list of illustrious winners. Ian Hallam, Dave LeGrys, Chris Newton, Sean Yates, Tim Harris and Alex Dowsett are all past victors. Last season’s edition saw Jack Rootkin-Gray, now a WorldTour rider, take the win.
The race’s rich heritage was under threat when Mick Waite, the long-standing organiser, announced his decision to stop running the event, only for Seb Ottley to step in and save the race, albeit under a new name (the Portsdown Classic) and with a rejigged finish.
Promoted by Ottley’s club Racing Club Ravenna, and sponsored by local company T&M Cable Services, the race remains a ‘National B‘ road race.
Perfs Pedal road race, 12 February 2023. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
The route
The race uses the same main circuit used in recent editions of the Perfs Pedal, but ends on a new, uphill, finish on Crooked Walk Lane. It is short, just 72 kilometres long. But what it lacks in length it often makes up for with tough weather conditions, and a field of riders eager to prove their early-season form.
After a neutralised start from the race HQ at Southdowns College, the route features five laps of a lumpy 13.6 km circuit around Portsdown Hill. The climbing starts just at about 4 km into the circuit, with the steepest sections (maximum gradient of 10.6 %) arriving after the village of Boarhunt as the riders head south towards Portsdown Hill Road.
The course then takes a left onto Portsdown Hill Road, which is exposed, the harbour to the riders’ right, an army barracks to the left, meaning coastal crosswinds can often be a feature of the race.
People who are good at climbing, obviously go on the climb, but then people who aren’t, either bring it back and it neutralises, or it splits up in a crosswind
The race then switches off the main circuit to the new finish on Crooked Walk Lane. It offers a savage double-digit gradient finish to what might well already have been savage racing. If a small group arrives together at the finish it should provide a thrilling reward to roadside fans huddled in the cold at the line.
Contenders
Note that the startlist is provisional only, and subject to change.
Saint Piran dominated the race last year. In an ominous sign of things to come, Jack Rootkin-Gray led home a team 1-2-3. Domination from the men in black looks likely again this year. The team fields four riders, including serial National B road race winner – and last season’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix champ – Alex Richardson, who so nearly won this race in 2022. He is joined by new Saint Piran Rowan Baker, who was 5th at Perfs last year in a breakthrough ride. Sam Culverwell and Dylan Hicks also take the start for the team and are both well-capable of a top result.
Rowan Baker at the Perfs Pedal road race, 12 February 2023. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Saint Piran also has three riders from its USKIS development team on the startlist. Second-year under-23 Huw Buck Jones regularly impressed at National B level last season, national junior road race champion Finn Mason makes his under-23 debut, while Yorkshireman Dylan Westley, who has been more accustomed to racing in Spain in recent years, is a strong talent who might enjoy the terrain, if not the weather.
New TRINITY Racing recruit Alex Beldon was a two-time winner in the national junior road series last year. Another UCI Continental rider, Red Walters (X-Speed United), was a Tour of Bulgarian (2.2) stage winner last season and will be easy to spot in his fetching Grenadian national road race jersey.
Look more closely at the startlist and it has something of a masters exhibition match about it. Three-time Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy OBE (CAMS), who recently featured on our podcast, is a surprise entrant. He hasn’t raced regularly on the road since 2019, when he won two stages of the Manx International stage race. Alex Dowsett (Nopinz Race Team), a winner of the race back in 2007 is another unexpected starter. He only retired at the end of 2022, so we’ll be keen to see how is shape is still.
Two other former winners adorn the startlist. Alex Paton won in 2018 and lined up last year too, finishing 52nd. Jacob Vaughan (Tekkerz CC) was the 2019 champion. He is more of a regular on gravel than road these days but could well feature if he’s had a good winter.
What we love about this race is that there is often a surprise performer or two. Last year Rowan Baker’s 5th place was the first good ride of a breakthrough season. No doubt this year’s edition will provide more clues about potential breakthrough riders for 2024.
Timings
The race kicks off at 11.00 and should finish around 13.00.
Updated 16.00, 9 February 2024
Lick your lips in anticipation and pin your numbers on because the start of domestic road racing season is just around the corner. The Portsdown Classic, the reincarnation of the treasured Perfs Pedal road race, will begin the British racing calendar on Sunday 11 February with 72 kilometres of full gas racing featuring some big names and past winners.
In advance of Britain’s answer to Belgium’s ‘opening weekend’, here is a look at the route, the history, the startlist and the contenders.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
The Perfs Pedal road race is – or was – one of the treasures of the British road racing calendar. Established in 1964, the race served as the traditional opener to the domestic road racing season (for men at least). Taking place near Portsmouth in the south of England, it was an important early-season marker of fitness, and attracted a strong field of riders all eager to test their form after a winter of training.
The race has a long list of illustrious winners. Ian Hallam, Dave LeGrys, Chris Newton, Sean Yates, Tim Harris and Alex Dowsett are all past victors. Last season’s edition saw Jack Rootkin-Gray, now a WorldTour rider, take the win.
The race’s rich heritage was under threat when Mick Waite, the long-standing organiser, announced his decision to stop running the event, only for Seb Ottley to step in and save the race, albeit under a new name (the Portsdown Classic) and with a rejigged finish.
Promoted by Ottley’s club Racing Club Ravenna, and sponsored by local company T&M Cable Services, the race remains a ‘National B‘ road race.
The route
The race uses the same main circuit used in recent editions of the Perfs Pedal, but ends on a new, uphill, finish on Crooked Walk Lane. It is short, just 72 kilometres long. But what it lacks in length it often makes up for with tough weather conditions, and a field of riders eager to prove their early-season form.
After a neutralised start from the race HQ at Southdowns College, the route features five laps of a lumpy 13.6 km circuit around Portsdown Hill. The climbing starts just at about 4 km into the circuit, with the steepest sections (maximum gradient of 10.6 %) arriving after the village of Boarhunt as the riders head south towards Portsdown Hill Road.
The course then takes a left onto Portsdown Hill Road, which is exposed, the harbour to the riders’ right, an army barracks to the left, meaning coastal crosswinds can often be a feature of the race.
The race then switches off the main circuit to the new finish on Crooked Walk Lane. It offers a savage double-digit gradient finish to what might well already have been savage racing. If a small group arrives together at the finish it should provide a thrilling reward to roadside fans huddled in the cold at the line.
Contenders
Note that the startlist is provisional only, and subject to change.
Saint Piran dominated the race last year. In an ominous sign of things to come, Jack Rootkin-Gray led home a team 1-2-3. Domination from the men in black looks likely again this year. The team fields four riders, including serial National B road race winner – and last season’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix champ – Alex Richardson, who so nearly won this race in 2022. He is joined by new Saint Piran Rowan Baker, who was 5th at Perfs last year in a breakthrough ride. Sam Culverwell and Dylan Hicks also take the start for the team and are both well-capable of a top result.
Saint Piran also has three riders from its USKIS development team on the startlist. Second-year under-23 Huw Buck Jones regularly impressed at National B level last season, national junior road race champion Finn Mason makes his under-23 debut, while Yorkshireman Dylan Westley, who has been more accustomed to racing in Spain in recent years, is a strong talent who might enjoy the terrain, if not the weather.
New TRINITY Racing recruit Alex Beldon was a two-time winner in the national junior road series last year. Another UCI Continental rider, Red Walters (X-Speed United), was a Tour of Bulgarian (2.2) stage winner last season and will be easy to spot in his fetching Grenadian national road race jersey.
Look more closely at the startlist and it has something of a masters exhibition match about it. Three-time Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy OBE (CAMS), who recently featured on our podcast, is a surprise entrant. He hasn’t raced regularly on the road since 2019, when he won two stages of the Manx International stage race. Alex Dowsett (Nopinz Race Team), a winner of the race back in 2007 is another unexpected starter. He only retired at the end of 2022, so we’ll be keen to see how is shape is still.
Two other former winners adorn the startlist. Alex Paton won in 2018 and lined up last year too, finishing 52nd. Jacob Vaughan (Tekkerz CC) was the 2019 champion. He is more of a regular on gravel than road these days but could well feature if he’s had a good winter.
What we love about this race is that there is often a surprise performer or two. Last year Rowan Baker’s 5th place was the first good ride of a breakthrough season. No doubt this year’s edition will provide more clues about potential breakthrough riders for 2024.
Timings
The race kicks off at 11.00 and should finish around 13.00.
Provisional startlist
Startlist as published at 16.00, 9 February 2024
Reserves
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