A historic National B Road Race promoted Doncaster Wheelers, the Danum Trophy returns on Sunday for its 51st running, starting from Sprotbrough, just to the west of the host club’s home city.
Defending champion Toby Barnes heads the startlist, the Lichfield rider looking for an unprecedented third straight win in a race where the strongest riders tend to make their advantage count. A stellar list of former winners includes Chris Walker (1986), Russ Downing (1997), Graham Briggs (2003 and 2015), a young Tom Pidcock (2017) and Matt Holmes (2018).
Image: Emma Wilcock
Route
Eleven laps of a 9.5km circuit make up the race’s 103km (65 miles), the course typical of a National B with rolling terrain and an uphill finish, each lap containing a not insignificant 125m of climbing.
The focal point of the lap comes a third of the way through it, the road rising out of Denaby Ings Nature Reserve up to Cadeby for 1.5km at an average gradient of 4.1%. The numbers suggest it’s a power climb, although a maximum gradient of 11% after 1km offers the perfect launch pad for attackers, with action out of both ends of the bunch likely, especially as the fatigue sets in.
Inclement weather has been an unfortunate theme of the early season, forcing race cancellations and hitting the Peaks 2-Day with a barrage of snow, sleet and hale. Continuing the trend, exceptionally strong winds are set to batter much of England and play a major part in proceedings in South Yorkshire on Sunday. South westerly gusts of up to 45mph will blow across the course with much of the lap set to take in crosswinds which should blow the race to pieces – a survival of the strongest with positioning key. Never before has the organisers’ description of the race being for ‘hardmen’ been so accurate.
The long uphill drag to the finish line in High Melton is set to be in a cross-head wind – a tactical sprint to the line could be on the cards with any rider trying a solo effort for victory facing a difficult final 2km.
Timings
Race start (approx)
10.00
Race finish (approx)
Not stated
Riders to watch
Toby Barnes has proven he knows how to win on the circuit, recording victories in both of the past two editions and he brings with him a strong Spectra Racing squad to attempt the hat-trick. Second last year, teammate Jenson Young has the attributes to tackle the course and conditions with a fast finish if it comes down to it, while the squad also field Ed Morgan, the Welsman a winner of multiple National B races who demonstrated he’s in good shape with 6th at the Capernwray road race last weekend.
Toby Barnes wins the 2023 Danum Trophy. Image: Emma Wilcock
Saint Piran are used to being favourites in almost every race they enter on these shores and they field two potential winners from their UCI Team in the shape of Sheffield’s 2023 breakout star James McKay and Bradley Symonds. They will be joined by puncheur Dylan Westley from their USKIS squad, a man with a fast finish at the end of a tough race. The team could look to Spectra to control the race as they take on a different role to usual.
Ross Lamb makes his comeback after a season out, the former Ribble Weldtite rider having signed for North Macedonian Continental Team Novapor-Speedbike. Having been a consistent performer at the sharp end of races prior to his lay-off, the Mansfield rider will hope to start where he left off.
Damien Clayton’s (Le Col Race Team) retirement is going from strength to strength, the local rider impressing during the Peaks 2 Day with a stage win and second overall. The terrain here should suit him more than the roads around Holmfirth as he looks for first National B win in almost two years.
Clayton wins stage 1 of the 2024 Peaks 2 Day. Image: Emma Wilcock
Cycling Sheffield have had a brilliant start to the season, the team represented by Eddie Soens winner Jack Hartley and road captain Matt Warhurst, winner of last year’s Oakenclough Road Race in windy conditions. Hartley admitted he may be a marked man since outsprinting Matt Bostock at Aintree, although the windy conditions will favour a rider of his style.
Ali Slater (Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy) will be unfazed by the wind having been training around the baron surroundings of Lincolnshire, the former JLT-Condor rider always goes well at this time of year in the build up to the Lincoln GP. Alex Luhrs (Leadout Performance) won this race back in 2019 for Ribble Weldtite and has enjoyed an excellent 2024 so far after four seasons out of the sport. The 30 year old impressed with an attacking 5th at the Clayton Spring Classic back in February and was 2nd in the National B Gifford Road Race last month.
Will Perrett (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) transferred his excellent track form onto the road over Easter in Ireland at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan with an attacking ride to 8th on GC, while another track rider in John Archibald (Huub-Wattshop) will be hoping to return to winning ways after joking his ambition is to win a sprint after second place finish from a small group in a Regional A race a fortnight ago. The Scot was racing as a professional just a few years ago and the horrendous conditions could play into his exceptional time rrialling engine.
The long-running Danum Trophy will crown its 51st winner this weekend as one of three National B events taking place.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
What is it?
A historic National B Road Race promoted Doncaster Wheelers, the Danum Trophy returns on Sunday for its 51st running, starting from Sprotbrough, just to the west of the host club’s home city.
Defending champion Toby Barnes heads the startlist, the Lichfield rider looking for an unprecedented third straight win in a race where the strongest riders tend to make their advantage count. A stellar list of former winners includes Chris Walker (1986), Russ Downing (1997), Graham Briggs (2003 and 2015), a young Tom Pidcock (2017) and Matt Holmes (2018).
Route
Eleven laps of a 9.5km circuit make up the race’s 103km (65 miles), the course typical of a National B with rolling terrain and an uphill finish, each lap containing a not insignificant 125m of climbing.
The focal point of the lap comes a third of the way through it, the road rising out of Denaby Ings Nature Reserve up to Cadeby for 1.5km at an average gradient of 4.1%. The numbers suggest it’s a power climb, although a maximum gradient of 11% after 1km offers the perfect launch pad for attackers, with action out of both ends of the bunch likely, especially as the fatigue sets in.
Inclement weather has been an unfortunate theme of the early season, forcing race cancellations and hitting the Peaks 2-Day with a barrage of snow, sleet and hale. Continuing the trend, exceptionally strong winds are set to batter much of England and play a major part in proceedings in South Yorkshire on Sunday. South westerly gusts of up to 45mph will blow across the course with much of the lap set to take in crosswinds which should blow the race to pieces – a survival of the strongest with positioning key. Never before has the organisers’ description of the race being for ‘hardmen’ been so accurate.
The long uphill drag to the finish line in High Melton is set to be in a cross-head wind – a tactical sprint to the line could be on the cards with any rider trying a solo effort for victory facing a difficult final 2km.
Timings
Riders to watch
Toby Barnes has proven he knows how to win on the circuit, recording victories in both of the past two editions and he brings with him a strong Spectra Racing squad to attempt the hat-trick. Second last year, teammate Jenson Young has the attributes to tackle the course and conditions with a fast finish if it comes down to it, while the squad also field Ed Morgan, the Welsman a winner of multiple National B races who demonstrated he’s in good shape with 6th at the Capernwray road race last weekend.
Saint Piran are used to being favourites in almost every race they enter on these shores and they field two potential winners from their UCI Team in the shape of Sheffield’s 2023 breakout star James McKay and Bradley Symonds. They will be joined by puncheur Dylan Westley from their USKIS squad, a man with a fast finish at the end of a tough race. The team could look to Spectra to control the race as they take on a different role to usual.
Ross Lamb makes his comeback after a season out, the former Ribble Weldtite rider having signed for North Macedonian Continental Team Novapor-Speedbike. Having been a consistent performer at the sharp end of races prior to his lay-off, the Mansfield rider will hope to start where he left off.
Damien Clayton’s (Le Col Race Team) retirement is going from strength to strength, the local rider impressing during the Peaks 2 Day with a stage win and second overall. The terrain here should suit him more than the roads around Holmfirth as he looks for first National B win in almost two years.
Cycling Sheffield have had a brilliant start to the season, the team represented by Eddie Soens winner Jack Hartley and road captain Matt Warhurst, winner of last year’s Oakenclough Road Race in windy conditions. Hartley admitted he may be a marked man since outsprinting Matt Bostock at Aintree, although the windy conditions will favour a rider of his style.
Ali Slater (Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy) will be unfazed by the wind having been training around the baron surroundings of Lincolnshire, the former JLT-Condor rider always goes well at this time of year in the build up to the Lincoln GP. Alex Luhrs (Leadout Performance) won this race back in 2019 for Ribble Weldtite and has enjoyed an excellent 2024 so far after four seasons out of the sport. The 30 year old impressed with an attacking 5th at the Clayton Spring Classic back in February and was 2nd in the National B Gifford Road Race last month.
Will Perrett (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) transferred his excellent track form onto the road over Easter in Ireland at the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan with an attacking ride to 8th on GC, while another track rider in John Archibald (Huub-Wattshop) will be hoping to return to winning ways after joking his ambition is to win a sprint after second place finish from a small group in a Regional A race a fortnight ago. The Scot was racing as a professional just a few years ago and the horrendous conditions could play into his exceptional time rrialling engine.
Provisional startlist
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