The Evesham Vale Road Race is one of three National road races taking place this weekend.
Feature image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
Organised by Evesham and District Wheelers CC, it is a 100 kilometre National B men’s road race set around the village of Inkberrow in Worcestershire. It is a popular early season race that normally attracts a strong field and this year is no different.
The route
Situated halfway between Worcester and Stratford-upon-Avon, the route incorporates four and a half laps of a sporting 22 kilometre circuit. It is a relatively flat affair but what little climbing there is comes in the run-up to the finish line, which should help those looking to make a decisive move in the race finale.
Timings
| 09.30 | Race start |
| 12.00 | Race finish (expected timetable) |
Contenders
James McKay (Saint Piran) was the breakthrough performer on the domestic road racing circuit last year. His only race so far this year was the brutally hard GP Criquielion (1.1) where he finished a solid 53rd. His form is unknown, but he’ll be a marked rider regardless. He is joined by teammate Bradley Symonds.
New RIBBLE REBELLION recruit Jim Brown is another standout name. The fast finisher is a UCI stage race winner and will be looking to use this race to hone his form ahead of a season packed with crit racing.
Speaking of fast finishers, last weekend’s Eddie Soens Memorial winner Jack Hartley lines up, supported by a strong Cycling Sheffield team. A form rider, he will be one to watch.
The Thriva-SRCT team makes its 2024 debut, with a team that includes 2023 PB Performance Espoirs Road Race winner Will Truelove. Look out too for new Spectra Racing rider Ed Morgan, who won the Aughton road race last season, Ride Revolution Coaching pair Clay Davies and Daniel McDermott, who were regularly in the top placings in Nat B events last season, as was Ben Pease (Moonglu RT).
Provisional startlist
| No. | Forename | Surname | Team | Cat |
| 4 | David | Bolland | 05/03 | 2nd |
| 19 | Preslav | Dimitrov | 05/03 | 2nd |
| 33 | Sam | Holwill | Bridgnorth Cycling Club | 2nd |
| 58 | Ben | Pierce | Bridgnorth Cycling Club | 2nd |
| 80 | Luke | Wyatt | Cardiff Ajax CC | 2nd |
| 72 | Ben | Stockdale | Cotswold Cycles RT | 2nd |
| 61 | Niall | Quiggin | Cycling Club Isle of Man | 2nd |
| 11 | Sam | Chaplin | Cycling Sheffield | 2nd |
| 29 | Jack | Hartley | Cycling Sheffield | 1st |
| 30 | James | Hartley | Cycling Sheffield | 1st |
| 42 | Max | Krasinski | Cycling Sheffield | 2nd |
| 79 | James | Wordsworth | Cycling Sheffield | 1st |
| 35 | Josh | Housley | Derby CC Webuycycle Huub RT | Elite |
| 21 | Patrick | Fotheringham | Halesowen A & CC | 2nd |
| 24 | Charlie | Genner | Halesowen A & CC | 2nd |
| 47 | Piers | Mahn | Halesowen A & CC | 2nd |
| 5 | Luke | Brennan | HUUB BCC Race Team | 2nd |
| 23 | Dan | Galpin | HUUB BCC Race Team | 2nd |
| 64 | William | Salter | HUUB BCC Race Team | 1st |
| 71 | George | Stephen | HUUB BCC Race Team | 1st |
| 76 | Rhys | Thomas | HUUB BCC Race Team | 2nd |
| 44 | Steve | Lampier | Kernow Racing Team | 2nd |
| 78 | Oliver | Wade | KSV Deerlijk VZW | 2nd |
| 12 | Ben | Chapman | London Dynamo | 2nd |
| 31 | Benjamin | Hellebo | London Dynamo | Elite |
| 36 | Henry | Howells | Mid Devon CC | 2nd |
| 48 | Nick | Makin | Mid Devon CC | 2nd |
| 7 | Jonny | Britton | Moonglu Race Team | 2nd |
| 51 | Ben | Mewes | Moonglu Race Team | 1st |
| 56 | Ben | Pease | Moonglu Race Team | Elite |
| 73 | Carl | Stubbs | Moonglu Race Team | 2nd |
| 34 | Joshua | Horsfield | Mud Dock Racing | 2nd |
| 27 | Barney | Hall | North Cotswold CC | 2nd |
| 67 | Andrew | Sheret | OVB | 2nd |
| 1 | William | Abbott | Primera-TeamJobs | 1st |
| 9 | Lucas | Byam | Primera-TeamJobs | 2nd |
| 53 | Ashley | Newman | Primera-TeamJobs | 2nd |
| 59 | Vaughn | Pretorius | Primera-TeamJobs | 1st |
| 15 | Peter | Cocker | Richardsons Trek DAS | 2nd |
| 46 | Matthew | Lord | Richardsons Trek DAS | 1st |
| 60 | Alexander | Pritchard | Richardsons Trek DAS | 1st |
| 66 | William | Scott | Richardsons Trek DAS | 2nd |
| 2 | Matt | Bailey | Ride Revolution Coaching | 1st |
| 17 | Clay | Davies | Ride Revolution Coaching | Elite |
| 49 | Daniel | McDermott | Ride Revolution Coaching | Elite |
| 55 | Jordan | Peacock | Ride Revolution Coaching | 2nd |
| 62 | Blake | Roberts | Ride Revolution Coaching | 1st |
| 63 | David | Roper | Rule 28 x ATP Performance | 2nd |
| 50 | James | McKay | Saint Piran | Elite |
| 75 | Bradley | Symonds | Saint Piran | 2nd |
| 38 | Carl | Jolly | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 1st |
| 26 | Freddie | Grover | SN Vitae Huub p/b BimBam Coaching | 2nd |
| 74 | Joseph | Surmon | SN Vitae Huub p/b BimBam Coaching | 2nd |
| 52 | Edward | Morgan | Spectra Racing | Elite |
| 40 | George | Kimber | Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling | Elite |
| 22 | Bernard | Galea | SPRNT | 2nd |
| 68 | Callum | Slade | Stolen Goat Race Team | 2nd |
| 39 | Fraser | Joyce | Swindon Wheelers | 2nd |
| 41 | Joshua | Knowles | TAAP Kalas | 1st |
| 45 | Harvey | Lawson | TAAP Kalas | 2nd |
| 13 | Thomas | Charles | Team PB Performance | 2nd |
| 14 | Jacques | Coates | Team PB Performance | 1st |
| 25 | Jamie | Gostick | Team PB Performance | 2nd |
| 54 | Harry | Paveley | Team PB Performance | 1st |
| 70 | Gregory | Speakman | Thames Valley Police | 2nd |
| 3 | Joseph | Beckingsale | THRIVA-SRCT | 1st |
| 6 | Benjamin | Bright | THRIVA-SRCT | 2nd |
| 20 | Matthew | Ellis | THRIVA-SRCT | 2nd |
| 77 | William | Truelove | THRIVA-SRCT | Elite |
| 10 | Renzo | Casale | University of Bath Cycling Club | 2nd |
| 16 | Harry | Codd | University of Bath Cycling Club | 2nd |
| 28 | Jacob | Hardy | University of Bath Cycling Club | 2nd |
| 37 | Ashley | Hutchison | VC St Raphael | 1st |
| 32 | Matthew | Higgins | Velo Bavarian RT | 2nd |
| 65 | Rowan | Schaack | Velo Runner | 2nd |
| 43 | Charlie | Lacaille | Velo Schils – Interbike RT | 2nd |
| 69 | Joseph | Smith | Wheelbase CabTech Castelli | 1st |
| 57 | Freddy | Pett | Wold Top The Edge Pactimo | 1st |
| 8 | Jim | Brown | RIBBLE REBELLION | 1st |
| 18 | Sean | Dawson | 1st |
