The British road racing season began in glorious style just outside of Portsmouth on Sunday 11 February, with Saint Piran’s Sam Culverwell outmanoeuvring 19-year-old Jamie Whitcher (BmthCycleworks VitecFire FordCE) on the final stinging climb to take victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd atop Crooked Walk Lane.
Report
This race nearly never happened. When longtime Perfs Pedal road organiser Mick Waite announced in October that he going to stop running the race, many in the cycling community feared yet another treasured British road race would disappear from the racing calendar. Step in Seb Ottley whose determination and ingenuity saved the traditional season opener with a new name, the Portsdown Classic, and a wickedly steep new finish.
With its February date, Perfs has long been known for its adverse weather conditions. Snow, ice, heavy rain and strong wins have all hampered the race – and riders – over the years. Conditions were mild for the 2024 edition, however, with temperatures creeping toward double digits, the sun occasionally poking through the clouds and a rare tailwind pushing the riders up Portsdown Hill, the main obstacle on the 13.6km circuit.
The early break. Image: Ian Wrightson/TheBritish Continental
An early crash just after the race began, however, quickly gave the peloton a reality check. The action unfurled quickly, and by the time the riders crested Portsdown Hill for the first time a group of six riders had gone clear. The break featured Sam Culverwell (Saint Piran), Huw Buck Jones (USKIS Saint Piran), Dom Jackson (Foran CCC), Jamie Whitcher (BmthCycleworks VitecFire FordCE), Matthew Gilmour (Primera-TeamJobs), and Theo Anderson (Team Inca).
An untimely puncture ended Gilmour’s time in the break at the end of the first lap, skidding out to the verge as the six took a roundabout by the lap board. At this stage the escape’s lead was a little over ten seconds. The group worked well together, however, and had a lead of 56 seconds at the end of lap two. Whatsmore, they were back to six riders again after Rowan Baker (Saint Piran) had bridged across.
The counterattack. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Behind, a four-rider counterattack had powered ahead of the reduced bunch, made up of James Somerfield (TRASH MILE), Monte Guerrini (Le Col RT), Alex Richardson (Saint Piran), and one other. The chasers dropped the unidentified rider, but were unable to eat into the lead group’s advantage. At the end of lap three, there was still a minute’s difference between the two groups, with the bunch a further 40 seconds back.
By the bell, the leading six had dropped junior Theo Anderson, dangling in nomansland, as a bolstered chase group of seven riders set about closing the deficit of a minute and a half to Culverwell and his colleagues. Cormac Nisbet (Soudal-Quickstep Devo Team), Alex Weldon (TRINITY Racing) and Red Walters (X-Speed United Continental Team) were among the chasers’ reinforcements.
Culverwell and Whitcher push clear. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
The attacks began flying from the front of the race on the final lap. Ultimately it was Culverwell and Whitcher who made the decisive move on the climb up Portsdown Hill, Whitcher happy to work with Culverwell in order to create distance from the three behind.
Culverwell, who lives nearby, used his local knowledge – and his good legs – to his advantage as the duo duked it out on the finishing along Crooked Lane Walk. With the road rising to double-digit gradients, Culverwell pulled clear to finish ahead of Whitcher, a sizeable finish line crowd enthusiastically greeting the riders under increasingly blue skies. Rowan Baker, whose fifth place last season was the first significant result of a breakthrough season, rounded out the podium.
Sam Culverwell wins the 2024 Portsdown Classic. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Saint Piran may have been the pre-race favourites, but Culverwell told us after he was far from complacent, despite the team’s numerical advantage in the winning break. “You can never take anything for granted. It’s only February as well, a lot us aren’t near top shape yet with the racing coming up in a couple of months. There was a bit of pressure after the team got a 1-2-3 last year,” he said.
Culverwell also revealed that he’d scouted out the final climb ahead of the race. “I live locally, so I have to admit I did have a look at it the other week. I knew it would play to my strengths if I left it late to the end and went for the final kick to the line on that steep bit. That’s what I did and it worked out well.”
Witcher’s second place was a surprise, and the 19-year-old was understandably delighted to finish in a Saint Piran sandwich. “You can’t really ask for a better podium when you come in behind one Saint Piran and in front of another one,” he joked after the race. It marked a remarkable return to form for the youngster who told us that he missed the last two seasons of racing after suffering from Epstein Barr virus. After an operation last June, however, he was able to get a full winter of training under his belt, and it has clearly paid dividends.
The British road racing season began in glorious style just outside of Portsmouth on Sunday 11 February, with Saint Piran’s Sam Culverwell outmanoeuvring 19-year-old Jamie Whitcher (BmthCycleworks VitecFire FordCE) on the final stinging climb to take victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd atop Crooked Walk Lane.
Report
This race nearly never happened. When longtime Perfs Pedal road organiser Mick Waite announced in October that he going to stop running the race, many in the cycling community feared yet another treasured British road race would disappear from the racing calendar. Step in Seb Ottley whose determination and ingenuity saved the traditional season opener with a new name, the Portsdown Classic, and a wickedly steep new finish.
With its February date, Perfs has long been known for its adverse weather conditions. Snow, ice, heavy rain and strong wins have all hampered the race – and riders – over the years. Conditions were mild for the 2024 edition, however, with temperatures creeping toward double digits, the sun occasionally poking through the clouds and a rare tailwind pushing the riders up Portsdown Hill, the main obstacle on the 13.6km circuit.
The Race HQ car park was abuzz with early season optimism and bonhomie ahead of the race, with names like Alex Dowsett, Ed Clancy, and Alex Richardson lending some stardust to the startlist, and other racing legends like Sean Yates part of the melée of roadside supporters.
An early crash just after the race began, however, quickly gave the peloton a reality check. The action unfurled quickly, and by the time the riders crested Portsdown Hill for the first time a group of six riders had gone clear. The break featured Sam Culverwell (Saint Piran), Huw Buck Jones (USKIS Saint Piran), Dom Jackson (Foran CCC), Jamie Whitcher (BmthCycleworks VitecFire FordCE), Matthew Gilmour (Primera-TeamJobs), and Theo Anderson (Team Inca).
An untimely puncture ended Gilmour’s time in the break at the end of the first lap, skidding out to the verge as the six took a roundabout by the lap board. At this stage the escape’s lead was a little over ten seconds. The group worked well together, however, and had a lead of 56 seconds at the end of lap two. Whatsmore, they were back to six riders again after Rowan Baker (Saint Piran) had bridged across.
Behind, a four-rider counterattack had powered ahead of the reduced bunch, made up of James Somerfield (TRASH MILE), Monte Guerrini (Le Col RT), Alex Richardson (Saint Piran), and one other. The chasers dropped the unidentified rider, but were unable to eat into the lead group’s advantage. At the end of lap three, there was still a minute’s difference between the two groups, with the bunch a further 40 seconds back.
By the bell, the leading six had dropped junior Theo Anderson, dangling in nomansland, as a bolstered chase group of seven riders set about closing the deficit of a minute and a half to Culverwell and his colleagues. Cormac Nisbet (Soudal-Quickstep Devo Team), Alex Weldon (TRINITY Racing) and Red Walters (X-Speed United Continental Team) were among the chasers’ reinforcements.
The attacks began flying from the front of the race on the final lap. Ultimately it was Culverwell and Whitcher who made the decisive move on the climb up Portsdown Hill, Whitcher happy to work with Culverwell in order to create distance from the three behind.
Culverwell, who lives nearby, used his local knowledge – and his good legs – to his advantage as the duo duked it out on the finishing along Crooked Lane Walk. With the road rising to double-digit gradients, Culverwell pulled clear to finish ahead of Whitcher, a sizeable finish line crowd enthusiastically greeting the riders under increasingly blue skies. Rowan Baker, whose fifth place last season was the first significant result of a breakthrough season, rounded out the podium.
Saint Piran may have been the pre-race favourites, but Culverwell told us after he was far from complacent, despite the team’s numerical advantage in the winning break. “You can never take anything for granted. It’s only February as well, a lot us aren’t near top shape yet with the racing coming up in a couple of months. There was a bit of pressure after the team got a 1-2-3 last year,” he said.
Culverwell also revealed that he’d scouted out the final climb ahead of the race. “I live locally, so I have to admit I did have a look at it the other week. I knew it would play to my strengths if I left it late to the end and went for the final kick to the line on that steep bit. That’s what I did and it worked out well.”
Witcher’s second place was a surprise, and the 19-year-old was understandably delighted to finish in a Saint Piran sandwich. “You can’t really ask for a better podium when you come in behind one Saint Piran and in front of another one,” he joked after the race. It marked a remarkable return to form for the youngster who told us that he missed the last two seasons of racing after suffering from Epstein Barr virus. After an operation last June, however, he was able to get a full winter of training under his belt, and it has clearly paid dividends.
Results
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