The Under-23 Open National Road Series continues on Sunday 5 May with Round 3 at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic. Here’s a preview of the race, including route details, contenders, startlist and timings.
The third round of five in the Under-23 Open National Road Series, and organised by British Cycling Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic was created specifically for the Under-23 Open National Road Series when it began in 2022. Sam Clark won the first edition of the race in 2022, while Jenson Young was last season’s winner.
The Series so far
The Under-23 Open National Road Series began with the Stars of the South West road race on a 43.1km course starting and finishing in Tiverton, Devon. Saint Piran made the perfect start as Dylan Hicks led home a 1-2 for the team.
Round two witnessed a late attack from Archie Peet, Reflex Racing to take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race. This was a day where the favourites found themselves outmarked, and eventually out gunned.
Rowan Baker currently leads the standings with teammate Hicks in tied second with Peet. With both Baker and Hicks absent in this round, Peet is a prime position to take over as Series leader.
The race uses the Carlecotes circuit for the first time this year, a course that will be familiar to anyone that watched, or race in, the Peaks 2 Day in March.
The circuit takes in 10.5km and 204m of climbing, according to VeloViewer. With 12 laps of the course, the organisers state the race distance as 125km.
It is a challenging course. The gradients are rarely savage, but there is barely a metre of flat, and with the roads often exposed and with plenty of climbing still to tackle, this should be an attritional race.
Riders to watch
This race feels wide open. With the Saint Piran team, so dominant all season, absent for once, there is no obvious favourite, no team that has the might to control proceedings.
The Wheelbase CabTech Castelli team has arguably been best of the rest this season, and in the Smiths, Joseph Smith and Jacob Smith, they have two riders capable of winning on this terrain. Joseph was 5th overall at the Peaks 2 Day and 5th too at the punchy Capernwray road race. Jacob was a stage winner at the Peaks 2 Day, finishing 3rd overall, was 3rd at Capernwray and then claimed 10th at the first National Road Series race of the year, the East Cleveland Classic.
Krasinski wins stage 3 of the Peaks 2 Day. Image: Emma Wilcock
A few other teams look set to rival Wheelbase. Cycling Sheffield have options in David Hird, who won a round of the series last season, and Max Krasinski, who took a breakaway win on stage 3 of the Peaks 2 Day on the very same course. Thriva-SRCT will also be looking to mount a challenge. Like Hird, William Truelove won a series round in 2023, while Tom Williams has shown good form so far this season with 4th at the Dulwich Paragon Wally Gimber Trophy and 6th at the RCR Fatcreations Road Race.
Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) might have a surprise winner at the last round of the Under-23 Open National Road Series but he has been incredibly consistent this year. 6th in round 1 at the Stars of the South West road race means he now sits in tied second place in the Series rankings. And 4th at the PNE National road race last weekend demonstrates his form is solid. Sitting just two points behind Series leader Rowan Baker, he stands an excellent chance of jumping into the Series lead this weekend.
Peet wins the 2024 PB Performance Espoirs road race. Image: Emma Wilcock
Others to watch? Matthew Lord (Richardsons Trek DAS) was 10th in round 2 at the PB Performance Espoirs road race, and had a solid race at the Peaks 2 Day, finishing 8th overall. Luke Brennan (HUUB BCC RT) and Maxwell Hereward (360Cycling) sit 4th and 6th respectively in the Series standings after consistent showings in the first two rounds. First-year under-23 Ben Marsh (PROJECT 1) was 2nd at the Jock Wadley Memorial and returns to UK racing after a block of challenging racing in Italy and France. And Joe Shillabeer (Shibden-A.Fawcett Racing) will be looking to repeat his performance in last year’s edition of this race, when he came 2nd.
The Under-23 Open National Road Series continues on Sunday 5 May with Round 3 at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic. Here’s a preview of the race, including route details, contenders, startlist and timings.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
What is it?
The third round of five in the Under-23 Open National Road Series, and organised by British Cycling Yorkshire, the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic was created specifically for the Under-23 Open National Road Series when it began in 2022. Sam Clark won the first edition of the race in 2022, while Jenson Young was last season’s winner.
The Series so far
The Under-23 Open National Road Series began with the Stars of the South West road race on a 43.1km course starting and finishing in Tiverton, Devon. Saint Piran made the perfect start as Dylan Hicks led home a 1-2 for the team.
Round two witnessed a late attack from Archie Peet, Reflex Racing to take a solo win in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race. This was a day where the favourites found themselves outmarked, and eventually out gunned.
Rowan Baker currently leads the standings with teammate Hicks in tied second with Peet. With both Baker and Hicks absent in this round, Peet is a prime position to take over as Series leader.
Route
The race uses the Carlecotes circuit for the first time this year, a course that will be familiar to anyone that watched, or race in, the Peaks 2 Day in March.
The circuit takes in 10.5km and 204m of climbing, according to VeloViewer. With 12 laps of the course, the organisers state the race distance as 125km.
It is a challenging course. The gradients are rarely savage, but there is barely a metre of flat, and with the roads often exposed and with plenty of climbing still to tackle, this should be an attritional race.
Riders to watch
This race feels wide open. With the Saint Piran team, so dominant all season, absent for once, there is no obvious favourite, no team that has the might to control proceedings.
The Wheelbase CabTech Castelli team has arguably been best of the rest this season, and in the Smiths, Joseph Smith and Jacob Smith, they have two riders capable of winning on this terrain. Joseph was 5th overall at the Peaks 2 Day and 5th too at the punchy Capernwray road race. Jacob was a stage winner at the Peaks 2 Day, finishing 3rd overall, was 3rd at Capernwray and then claimed 10th at the first National Road Series race of the year, the East Cleveland Classic.
A few other teams look set to rival Wheelbase. Cycling Sheffield have options in David Hird, who won a round of the series last season, and Max Krasinski, who took a breakaway win on stage 3 of the Peaks 2 Day on the very same course. Thriva-SRCT will also be looking to mount a challenge. Like Hird, William Truelove won a series round in 2023, while Tom Williams has shown good form so far this season with 4th at the Dulwich Paragon Wally Gimber Trophy and 6th at the RCR Fatcreations Road Race.
Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) might have a surprise winner at the last round of the Under-23 Open National Road Series but he has been incredibly consistent this year. 6th in round 1 at the Stars of the South West road race means he now sits in tied second place in the Series rankings. And 4th at the PNE National road race last weekend demonstrates his form is solid. Sitting just two points behind Series leader Rowan Baker, he stands an excellent chance of jumping into the Series lead this weekend.
Others to watch? Matthew Lord (Richardsons Trek DAS) was 10th in round 2 at the PB Performance Espoirs road race, and had a solid race at the Peaks 2 Day, finishing 8th overall. Luke Brennan (HUUB BCC RT) and Maxwell Hereward (360Cycling) sit 4th and 6th respectively in the Series standings after consistent showings in the first two rounds. First-year under-23 Ben Marsh (PROJECT 1) was 2nd at the Jock Wadley Memorial and returns to UK racing after a block of challenging racing in Italy and France. And Joe Shillabeer (Shibden-A.Fawcett Racing) will be looking to repeat his performance in last year’s edition of this race, when he came 2nd.
Timings
Provisional startlist
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.