The British Team Cup continues this weekend with the return of the Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club Road Race, which forms round 3 of the Cup competition. Here is our preview, with route details, contenders and startlist.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
A National B race put on by the Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club. The race forms round 3 of the 2024 British Team Cup, a series designed to bolster the domestic racing scene for women. Last year’s edition of the race was won by Emily Proud (Le Col RT). A Regional A open race takes place on the same course in the morning.
The route
The race consists of four anti-clockwise laps of a challenging course, starting with a rolling start approximately 800 metres north of the race headquarters at Drayton.
Riders then proceed along the B4100 Warwick Road, which includes two fast descents before making a sharp left turn onto a quieter country lane that exits at the base of the infamous Knowle at Edge Hill.
This climb, though short, is brutal, with a gradient exceeding 15% over some of its 110 vertical metres, making it a prime spot for spectators.
The pace quickens in the second half of the lap, featuring a gradual downhill leading to a left turn into Ratley. Another left turn takes riders onto the A422 Stratford Road. After a brief stretch on this main road, they turn left again into Quarry Road for a fast descent into Horley village, which ends with a very sharp left turn, requiring caution.
A short but exhausting rise then takes the riders either to the finish line or back onto the Warwick Road to complete the lap.
The Cup so far…
Caitlin Dimbleby (then of FTP-Fulfil the Potential- Racing, now at Alba Road Development Team) sprinted to victory from a select group in Round 1 at the RCR FatCreations Road Race. In Round 2, the Dave Peck Memorial was won by Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK).
The British Team Cup is a team competition, however (the clue is in the name), so despite not winning a round so far, the Phoenix Collective’s consistency has earned them the top spot in the competition. UCI Continental team DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK sit second, with FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Racing in third.
Pos
Team
Points
1
The Phoenix Collective
420
2
DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
410
3
FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Racing
348
4
Loughborough Lightning
262
5
Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
220
6
London Academy Orange
217
7
Brother UK – On Form
202
8
Saint Piran WRT
171
9
Army Cycling Union
162
10
London Dynamo Race Team
154
British Cup standings after Round 2
Riders to watch
New National Road Series leader Lucy Harris (Loughborough Lightning) is perhaps the star name on the startlist. The full-time meteorological data scientist is having her best season yet, finishing in the top ten of every National Road Series round so far. The former Cowley Road Condors rider has yet to win National B road race. Could that change this weekend?
Lucy Harris (left) at the 2024 RCR FatCreations road race. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Only four UCI Continental riders appear on the startlist, and each have a chance of winning. DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK’s Ruth Shier is the current Lancaster Grand Prix champion and while her form hasn’t hit 2023’s heights as yet, the breakaway specialist won’t be a rider the peloton will want to let of their sights without a fight. Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting field two riders, Bexy Dew and Maddie Heywood. Dew is a threat in particular, one of the most consistent performers on the National B road racing circuit. Doltcini-O’Shea’s Niamh Murphy won the Royal Navy Cup earlier this year and the 18-year-old has had solid results in Europe for a first-year under-23 too.
Taking of consistency, the Phoenix Collective top the British Team Cup leaderboard thanks to an impressive collective effort from the small squad. Molly Patch has spearheaded the team’s efforts this year, always aggressive, earning her two top five results so far in National B road races. Lydia Watts was second at the Dave Peck Memorial in April and her fast finish could earn her a win here. Charlotte Berry is also capable of a top finish on her day.
The Phoenix Collective at the 2024 RCR FatCreations road race. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
One of the breakthrough riders this year has been Katy Hill (London Academy). Like Patch, she is an aggressive rider, and has featured in the break in key races like the CiCLE Classic and the Lincoln Grand Prix this season. 7th at the RCR FatCreations Road Race has been her best result to date but with her form and aggression, we think she is capable of even better. Another quietly impressive rider is Isabella Johnson (Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon). The under-23 was 5th at the Dave Peck and 12th at Witham Hall.
The British Team Cup continues this weekend with the return of the Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club Road Race, which forms round 3 of the Cup competition. Here is our preview, with route details, contenders and startlist.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
A National B race put on by the Banbury Star Cyclists’ Club. The race forms round 3 of the 2024 British Team Cup, a series designed to bolster the domestic racing scene for women. Last year’s edition of the race was won by Emily Proud (Le Col RT). A Regional A open race takes place on the same course in the morning.
The route
The race consists of four anti-clockwise laps of a challenging course, starting with a rolling start approximately 800 metres north of the race headquarters at Drayton.
Riders then proceed along the B4100 Warwick Road, which includes two fast descents before making a sharp left turn onto a quieter country lane that exits at the base of the infamous Knowle at Edge Hill.
This climb, though short, is brutal, with a gradient exceeding 15% over some of its 110 vertical metres, making it a prime spot for spectators.
The pace quickens in the second half of the lap, featuring a gradual downhill leading to a left turn into Ratley. Another left turn takes riders onto the A422 Stratford Road. After a brief stretch on this main road, they turn left again into Quarry Road for a fast descent into Horley village, which ends with a very sharp left turn, requiring caution.
A short but exhausting rise then takes the riders either to the finish line or back onto the Warwick Road to complete the lap.
The Cup so far…
Caitlin Dimbleby (then of FTP-Fulfil the Potential- Racing, now at Alba Road Development Team) sprinted to victory from a select group in Round 1 at the RCR FatCreations Road Race. In Round 2, the Dave Peck Memorial was won by Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK).
The British Team Cup is a team competition, however (the clue is in the name), so despite not winning a round so far, the Phoenix Collective’s consistency has earned them the top spot in the competition. UCI Continental team DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK sit second, with FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Racing in third.
Riders to watch
New National Road Series leader Lucy Harris (Loughborough Lightning) is perhaps the star name on the startlist. The full-time meteorological data scientist is having her best season yet, finishing in the top ten of every National Road Series round so far. The former Cowley Road Condors rider has yet to win National B road race. Could that change this weekend?
Only four UCI Continental riders appear on the startlist, and each have a chance of winning. DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK’s Ruth Shier is the current Lancaster Grand Prix champion and while her form hasn’t hit 2023’s heights as yet, the breakaway specialist won’t be a rider the peloton will want to let of their sights without a fight. Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting field two riders, Bexy Dew and Maddie Heywood. Dew is a threat in particular, one of the most consistent performers on the National B road racing circuit. Doltcini-O’Shea’s Niamh Murphy won the Royal Navy Cup earlier this year and the 18-year-old has had solid results in Europe for a first-year under-23 too.
Taking of consistency, the Phoenix Collective top the British Team Cup leaderboard thanks to an impressive collective effort from the small squad. Molly Patch has spearheaded the team’s efforts this year, always aggressive, earning her two top five results so far in National B road races. Lydia Watts was second at the Dave Peck Memorial in April and her fast finish could earn her a win here. Charlotte Berry is also capable of a top finish on her day.
One of the breakthrough riders this year has been Katy Hill (London Academy). Like Patch, she is an aggressive rider, and has featured in the break in key races like the CiCLE Classic and the Lincoln Grand Prix this season. 7th at the RCR FatCreations Road Race has been her best result to date but with her form and aggression, we think she is capable of even better. Another quietly impressive rider is Isabella Johnson (Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon). The under-23 was 5th at the Dave Peck and 12th at Witham Hall.
Timings
Start: 13.00
Provisional startlist
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