The second of six rounds of the 2024 British Women’s Team Cup, the Dave Peck Memorial is an 85km road race organised by Twickenham Cycling Club. The race was established in 2012 in memory of former Twickenham CC chair Dave Peck, who died in a cycling accident in 2011.
Isabell Darvill won in 2022, reaching the line first in a bunch sprint, while Ruth Shier took a commanding solo win in last year’s race.
Route
The race starts with a neutralised stretch from the headquarters’ parking area at St Ann’s Heath Junior School. After a rolling start at the top of Chobham Lane, competitors join the Staple Hill circuit at the roundabout leading onto the B386.
The course consists of ten laps combining the Valley End and Staple Hill circuits, with the finish line positioned just beyond the Staple Hill summit. Overall, the course is relatively flat, featuring only 76 metres of elevation gain per lap. The flat terrain, coupled with broad, straight roads, generally hampers the success of breakaway attempts, but as Shier demonstrated last season, a bunch sprint is by no means inevitable.
The ascent on Staple Hill, which starts about one kilometer from the finish line, is not particularly steep by UK standards but does include gradients reaching up to 8% at certain points. This climb is usually where the sprint for the finish is initiated. 2022 winner Darvill said, “It is one of those climbs that there is not enough time from the top of the hill to the finish line to start a sprint so you have got to just go”.
Riders to watch
Ruth Shier of the UCI Continental outfit DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK is back to defend her title, and whilst she has had a quiet start to the season, the 2023 Lancaster Grand Prix winner should never be underestimated. She is joined by two strong teammates in Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne and Sian Botteley. Hodgkins-Byrne was tenth in this race last season, just a few weeks before her brilliant second at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, while Botteley had a podium at the Halesowen A&CC British Team Cup Race last year.
Caitlin Dimbleby wins the 2024 RCR FatCreations Road Race. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
The outstanding favourite has to be Caitlin Dimbleby (FTP-Fulfil the Potential-Racing). Dimbleby took a mightily impressive sprint win on the final climb at the RCR FatCreations race – the first round of the British Team Cup – last month. And she backed that up with fourth at the East Cleveland Classic last weekend.
Loughborough Lightning’s Lucy Harris is another form rider. She had top tens in the first two rounds of the National Road Series this year and was fourth at the RCR FatCreations race. It feels like a National B road race win is just around the corner for Harris.
The Phoenix Collective is also worth watching. Lydia Wattswon the bunch sprint for second in last year’s race, while Molly Patch has racked up four National B road race top tens this season already, and was a solid 16th at the East Cleveland Classic.
Timings
The race begins at 11.00.
Weather
The weather should be mild with no rain forecast as it stands, so it should be good conditions for racing and spectating alike.
How to follow
The British Women’s Team Cup socials on Twitter and Instagram are likely to be your best bet for keeping tabs on the action.
The British Women’s Team Cup continues this weekend with the Dave Peck Memorial road race in Surrey.
Here is our preview, with startlist, route and timing details.
Featured image: Calum Brookes
What is it?
The second of six rounds of the 2024 British Women’s Team Cup, the Dave Peck Memorial is an 85km road race organised by Twickenham Cycling Club. The race was established in 2012 in memory of former Twickenham CC chair Dave Peck, who died in a cycling accident in 2011.
Isabell Darvill won in 2022, reaching the line first in a bunch sprint, while Ruth Shier took a commanding solo win in last year’s race.
Route
The race starts with a neutralised stretch from the headquarters’ parking area at St Ann’s Heath Junior School. After a rolling start at the top of Chobham Lane, competitors join the Staple Hill circuit at the roundabout leading onto the B386.
The course consists of ten laps combining the Valley End and Staple Hill circuits, with the finish line positioned just beyond the Staple Hill summit. Overall, the course is relatively flat, featuring only 76 metres of elevation gain per lap. The flat terrain, coupled with broad, straight roads, generally hampers the success of breakaway attempts, but as Shier demonstrated last season, a bunch sprint is by no means inevitable.
The ascent on Staple Hill, which starts about one kilometer from the finish line, is not particularly steep by UK standards but does include gradients reaching up to 8% at certain points. This climb is usually where the sprint for the finish is initiated. 2022 winner Darvill said, “It is one of those climbs that there is not enough time from the top of the hill to the finish line to start a sprint so you have got to just go”.
Riders to watch
Ruth Shier of the UCI Continental outfit DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK is back to defend her title, and whilst she has had a quiet start to the season, the 2023 Lancaster Grand Prix winner should never be underestimated. She is joined by two strong teammates in Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne and Sian Botteley. Hodgkins-Byrne was tenth in this race last season, just a few weeks before her brilliant second at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, while Botteley had a podium at the Halesowen A&CC British Team Cup Race last year.
The outstanding favourite has to be Caitlin Dimbleby (FTP-Fulfil the Potential-Racing). Dimbleby took a mightily impressive sprint win on the final climb at the RCR FatCreations race – the first round of the British Team Cup – last month. And she backed that up with fourth at the East Cleveland Classic last weekend.
Loughborough Lightning’s Lucy Harris is another form rider. She had top tens in the first two rounds of the National Road Series this year and was fourth at the RCR FatCreations race. It feels like a National B road race win is just around the corner for Harris.
The Phoenix Collective is also worth watching. Lydia Watts won the bunch sprint for second in last year’s race, while Molly Patch has racked up four National B road race top tens this season already, and was a solid 16th at the East Cleveland Classic.
Timings
The race begins at 11.00.
Weather
The weather should be mild with no rain forecast as it stands, so it should be good conditions for racing and spectating alike.
How to follow
The British Women’s Team Cup socials on Twitter and Instagram are likely to be your best bet for keeping tabs on the action.
Find out more
The British Women’s Team Cup website.
Provisional startlist
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