The Oakenclough road races, comprising separate open and women’s events, are held near the edge of the Forest of Bowland, close to Garstang village, both of which are near Preston. These races are classified as National B road races and this year, they are part of the second round of the highly esteemed Cold Dark North’s Proper Northern Road Race Series.
Past champions of these races include notable cyclists such as James Gullen, Steve Lampier, Karla Boddly, and Nicky Juniper. Last year‘s winners were Cat Ferguson and Matt Warhurst.
Unfortunately entry levels for both races have been unusually low for this event, perhaps suffering from calendar clashes with the PB Performance Espoirs road race (round 2 of the Under-23 Open National Road Series), the Drummond Trophy (round 2 of the Scottish Alba Road Series) and the Dave Peck Memorial (round 2 of the British Team Cup).
As a result Cold Dark North are accepting late entries. Riders should contact racing@colddarknorth.co.uk if they wish to enter.
Cat Ferguson sprints to the win in 2023. Image: Ellen Isherwood
The Proper Northern Road Race Series: how it works
The Series consists of three races, all taking place on grippy roads with summit or hilltop finishes.
Round
Date
Race
1
31 Mar
Capernwray Road Race
2
21 Apr
Oakenclough Road Race
3
19 May
Aughton Road Race.
The Series includes both an individual competition and a team competition.
In the individual competition, the first 20 riders across the line in each race score points. From 1st place through to 20th the points scale is: 60, 52, 45, 40, 35, 31, 27, 23, 20, 17, 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1. The rider who accumulates the most points across the three races wins the competition.
For the team competition, each individual finisher earns points for their team based on the UCI points scale used for the Tour de France GC, which assigns points from 1st place down to 60th. The points earned by the top three finishers of each team are added up to determine the team rankings for each race. Best placed team gets 60 pts, etc. The final ranking of teams will be on the basis of the total points earned across the three rounds.
As winners of the Capernwray road races (round 1), Robyn Clay (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) and Tyler Hannay (Saint Piran) are the current individual series leaders. However, neither race at Oakenclough. In the women’s rankings, this leaves Clay’s teammates Morven Yeoman and Tammy Miller, currently second and third in the rankings respectively, in prime position to take Clay’s crown. And in the Open rankings, Thomas Armstrong (8th) and Josh Housley (10th) are the highest ranked riders currently entered to race Oakenclough.
DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK and Wheelbase CabTech Castelli lead the respective team standings.
Route
The circuit spans 17.4 kilometers with 248 metres of ascent per lap, culminating at the summit of the Delph Lane climb.
The open race will encompass six laps, while the women’s race is scheduled for five, subject to final confirmation by the commissaires on race day. The course is technical, characterised by narrow roads, sharp bends, and steep descents. It begins in the village of Claughton near the race headquarters, adding an extra 5km uphill section before the first official lap starts.
The highlight of the course is the climb to Delph, which extends over the final 5.8km. The difficulty of the climb increases progressively as it nears the finish line.
As illustrated in the graphic below, the final 200 meters are especially demanding, with a steep grade of 12.6% at its most severe, favoring the punchers in the crucial final moments.
Timings
9.00
Open road race
13.00
Women’s road race
Weather
Last year’s edition was wet, wet, wet but the forecast this year suggests the race should be a dry, mild edition.
Riders to watch
Open race
In a slim open race field, Cycling Sheffield rider Matthew Warhurst is back to defend his 2023 victory. He is joined by teammate Max Krasinski, a stage winner at the Peaks 2 Day last month.
Jenson Young (Spectra Racing) had an excellent start to the road season last year, winning the Yorkshire U23 Classic in the process. He has been quieter so far this year in the road but this might be an opportunity for him to make his mark in 2024. Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) has had a consistent 2024, demonstrating his good form with 8th at the tough East Cleveland Classic last weekend.
Ben Pease (Moonglu RT) and Josh Housley (HUUB BCC Race Team) are two notable outsiders capable of a win. Pease had several Nat B podiums last season, while Housley has had a solid 2024 start with three top tens in Nat B road races.
Women’s race
The women’s field might be compact but it is packed with quality, boasting 15 UCI Continental riders. Morven Yeoman and her DAS-Hutchinson-Brother teammates dominated round 1 at Capernwray; such is Yeoman’s form this season, the 19-year-old is our favourite for Oakenclough. Her teammates Tamsin Miller and Francesca Hall are also potential winners, and with Darcie Richards and Sophie Thackray also on the startling, the DAS team looks formidable.
Morven Yeoman celebrates a DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 1-2-3 at Capernwray. Image: Ellen Isherwood
Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting is the team most likely to rival DAS. Lizi Brooke, 4th at Capernwray, is an excellent climber awaiting her first national road race win. Teammates Bexy Dew and Lucy Ellmore are also both capable of a win on their day.
Alba too have a strong team, with Abi Plowman (5th overall at the Peaks 2 Day) probably their best bet for a result.
Others to watch include Team Boompods’ Elizabeth Hermolle (second in the RCR FatCreations road race), London Academy’s Katy Hill, who has quietly impressed us so far this season, and Lifeplus Wahoo rider Madelaine Leech.
Round 2 of Cold Dark North‘s Proper Northern Road Race Series takes place this Sunday 21 April with the Oakenclough road races.
This is our preview.
Featured image: Ellen Isherwood
What is it?
The Oakenclough road races, comprising separate open and women’s events, are held near the edge of the Forest of Bowland, close to Garstang village, both of which are near Preston. These races are classified as National B road races and this year, they are part of the second round of the highly esteemed Cold Dark North’s Proper Northern Road Race Series.
Past champions of these races include notable cyclists such as James Gullen, Steve Lampier, Karla Boddly, and Nicky Juniper. Last year‘s winners were Cat Ferguson and Matt Warhurst.
Unfortunately entry levels for both races have been unusually low for this event, perhaps suffering from calendar clashes with the PB Performance Espoirs road race (round 2 of the Under-23 Open National Road Series), the Drummond Trophy (round 2 of the Scottish Alba Road Series) and the Dave Peck Memorial (round 2 of the British Team Cup).
As a result Cold Dark North are accepting late entries. Riders should contact racing@colddarknorth.co.uk if they wish to enter.
The Proper Northern Road Race Series: how it works
The Series consists of three races, all taking place on grippy roads with summit or hilltop finishes.
The Series includes both an individual competition and a team competition.
In the individual competition, the first 20 riders across the line in each race score points. From 1st place through to 20th the points scale is: 60, 52, 45, 40, 35, 31, 27, 23, 20, 17, 15, 13, 11, 9, 7, 6, 5, 3, 2, 1. The rider who accumulates the most points across the three races wins the competition.
For the team competition, each individual finisher earns points for their team based on the UCI points scale used for the Tour de France GC, which assigns points from 1st place down to 60th. The points earned by the top three finishers of each team are added up to determine the team rankings for each race. Best placed team gets 60 pts, etc. The final ranking of teams will be on the basis of the total points earned across the three rounds.
As winners of the Capernwray road races (round 1), Robyn Clay (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) and Tyler Hannay (Saint Piran) are the current individual series leaders. However, neither race at Oakenclough. In the women’s rankings, this leaves Clay’s teammates Morven Yeoman and Tammy Miller, currently second and third in the rankings respectively, in prime position to take Clay’s crown. And in the Open rankings, Thomas Armstrong (8th) and Josh Housley (10th) are the highest ranked riders currently entered to race Oakenclough.
DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK and Wheelbase CabTech Castelli lead the respective team standings.
Route
The circuit spans 17.4 kilometers with 248 metres of ascent per lap, culminating at the summit of the Delph Lane climb.
The open race will encompass six laps, while the women’s race is scheduled for five, subject to final confirmation by the commissaires on race day. The course is technical, characterised by narrow roads, sharp bends, and steep descents. It begins in the village of Claughton near the race headquarters, adding an extra 5km uphill section before the first official lap starts.
The highlight of the course is the climb to Delph, which extends over the final 5.8km. The difficulty of the climb increases progressively as it nears the finish line.
As illustrated in the graphic below, the final 200 meters are especially demanding, with a steep grade of 12.6% at its most severe, favoring the punchers in the crucial final moments.
Timings
Weather
Last year’s edition was wet, wet, wet but the forecast this year suggests the race should be a dry, mild edition.
Riders to watch
Open race
In a slim open race field, Cycling Sheffield rider Matthew Warhurst is back to defend his 2023 victory. He is joined by teammate Max Krasinski, a stage winner at the Peaks 2 Day last month.
Jenson Young (Spectra Racing) had an excellent start to the road season last year, winning the Yorkshire U23 Classic in the process. He has been quieter so far this year in the road but this might be an opportunity for him to make his mark in 2024. Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) has had a consistent 2024, demonstrating his good form with 8th at the tough East Cleveland Classic last weekend.
Ben Pease (Moonglu RT) and Josh Housley (HUUB BCC Race Team) are two notable outsiders capable of a win. Pease had several Nat B podiums last season, while Housley has had a solid 2024 start with three top tens in Nat B road races.
Women’s race
The women’s field might be compact but it is packed with quality, boasting 15 UCI Continental riders. Morven Yeoman and her DAS-Hutchinson-Brother teammates dominated round 1 at Capernwray; such is Yeoman’s form this season, the 19-year-old is our favourite for Oakenclough. Her teammates Tamsin Miller and Francesca Hall are also potential winners, and with Darcie Richards and Sophie Thackray also on the startling, the DAS team looks formidable.
Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting is the team most likely to rival DAS. Lizi Brooke, 4th at Capernwray, is an excellent climber awaiting her first national road race win. Teammates Bexy Dew and Lucy Ellmore are also both capable of a win on their day.
Alba too have a strong team, with Abi Plowman (5th overall at the Peaks 2 Day) probably their best bet for a result.
Others to watch include Team Boompods’ Elizabeth Hermolle (second in the RCR FatCreations road race), London Academy’s Katy Hill, who has quietly impressed us so far this season, and Lifeplus Wahoo rider Madelaine Leech.
Provisional startlists
Updated: 22.45, 18 April
Open race
Women’s race
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