The final round of Cold Dark North‘s Proper Northern Road Race Series takes place this Saturday 18 May with the Aughton road races.
This is our preview.
Updated: 9.30, 17 May 2024
Featured image: Ellen Isherwood
What is it?
These races are classified as National B road races and this year, they form the third and final round of the highly esteemed Cold Dark North’s Proper Northern Road Race Series.
Sammie Stuart won the 2022 and 2023 editions of the women’s race, while Jack Rootkin-Gray and Ed Morgan were the respective open race winners in those years.
Cold Dark North’s races are some of the best in the UK. Well-run, brilliantly promoted, on great parcours, and offering excellent prizes. If there were awards for road race organisers, Cold Dark North would surely be in the running to win them. Somehow, however, entries for this round have been very low. It was the same story for round 2 at Oakenclough. With the races clashing with a string of other key events, both at home and abroad, it might be time for British Cycling to begin coordinating National B level races at a national level, to help avoid calendar clashes, rather than leaving race date decisions to the regions.
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.
The Series so far…
Tyler Hannay (Saint Piran) and Robyn Clay (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) won the first round at the Capernwray road race. The victors of round 2 at the Oakenclough road race were Damien Clayton (Le Col) and Tammy Miller (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK).
Clay and Miller lead the women’s individual standings, both with 105 points, while Lizi Brooke (Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd) is third, on 92 points. In the team competition, DAS-Hutchinson-Brother is 16 points ahead of Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd.
Josh Housley (HUUB BCC RT) is at the top of the open individual standings on 62 points, closely followed by Clayton and Hannay, who both have 60 points. Wheelbase CabTech Castelli lead the team standings on 60 points, 8 ahead of the now-defunct USKIS Saint Piran team.
Route
The race takes place north east of Lancaster, passing near to the villages of Aughton, Swarthdale and Gressingham. The latter is where Gressingham Duck takes its name from having been first bred there in 1980. The menu on Saturday, however, will feature mainly hilly terrain, tight country lanes and fast descents.
The circuit is around 10km in length and features 171 metres of climbing per lap. The open races involves 11 laps, while the women’s event features 8 laps.
The course is not as savage as those at Capernwray and Oakenclough. The rolling parcours suits organised breakaways and has a milder uphill finish than its predecessors.
Timings
9.30
Open road race
13.30
Women’s road race
Riders to watch
Open race
The open race will be critical in deciding the individual series winner, with leader Josh Housley and second-placed Damien Clayton both on the startlist. Housley’s best result this year was third at the Oakenclough road race, while Clayton leads our national road race rankings after three National B road race wins this year – including Oakenclough – marking him out as the favourite.
Clayton wins the 2024 Oakenclough road race. Image: Ellen Isherwood
Alex Luhrs (Moonglu RT) is another dangerman. The winner of the Drummond Trophy this year, Luhrs is enjoying an excellent return to full-time racing in 2024. William Perrett (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) was aggressive at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, on the attack with John Archibald, and shone at the East Cleveland Classic too, finishing sixth.
Keep an eye on StolenGoat’s Gabriel Dellar. Dellar will take great confidence from his first National B road race last week at the Bec CC road race. Under-23 Maxwell Hereward (360cycling) is another rider that could go well. 7th at the Capernwray road race demonstrates he can thrive on this type of terrain.
The late addition of Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), who finished in the top ten of both the previous rounds of the Proper Northern Road Race Series, adds another contender to the list.
Women’s race
In the women’s race, series leader Tamsin Miller (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) is in prime position to seal the her crown with her nearest rivals not racing. A good climber, the Oakenclough road race winner stands a good chance of collecting another race victory here.
Miller pips Brooke at the 2024 Oakenclough road race. Image: Ellen Isherwood
Miller also has 2023 Lancaster Grand Prix winner Ruth Shier for company. Shier, a late entrant, will be one to watch in her own right if she can find her 2023 form.
The Alba Development Road Team are likely to pose Miller’s greatest challenge. The UCI Continental outfit fields four riders, including Amelia Tyler – fifth at the ANEXO CAMS CiCLE Classic – Abi Plowman, who finished fifth overall at the Peaks 2 Day.
Team Boompods also field a strong team, spearheaded by Elizabeth Hermolle who was second at the RCR FatCreations road race earlier this year. Watch out too for Corinne Side. The Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees – Hargreaves Contracting rider hasn’t been on top form yet in 2024, but the 2023 Curlew Cup winner shouldn’t be underestimated.
The final round of Cold Dark North‘s Proper Northern Road Race Series takes place this Saturday 18 May with the Aughton road races.
This is our preview.
Updated: 9.30, 17 May 2024
Featured image: Ellen Isherwood
What is it?
These races are classified as National B road races and this year, they form the third and final round of the highly esteemed Cold Dark North’s Proper Northern Road Race Series.
Sammie Stuart won the 2022 and 2023 editions of the women’s race, while Jack Rootkin-Gray and Ed Morgan were the respective open race winners in those years.
Cold Dark North’s races are some of the best in the UK. Well-run, brilliantly promoted, on great parcours, and offering excellent prizes. If there were awards for road race organisers, Cold Dark North would surely be in the running to win them. Somehow, however, entries for this round have been very low. It was the same story for round 2 at Oakenclough. With the races clashing with a string of other key events, both at home and abroad, it might be time for British Cycling to begin coordinating National B level races at a national level, to help avoid calendar clashes, rather than leaving race date decisions to the regions.
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.
The Series so far…
Tyler Hannay (Saint Piran) and Robyn Clay (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) won the first round at the Capernwray road race. The victors of round 2 at the Oakenclough road race were Damien Clayton (Le Col) and Tammy Miller (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK).
Clay and Miller lead the women’s individual standings, both with 105 points, while Lizi Brooke (Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd) is third, on 92 points. In the team competition, DAS-Hutchinson-Brother is 16 points ahead of Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd.
Josh Housley (HUUB BCC RT) is at the top of the open individual standings on 62 points, closely followed by Clayton and Hannay, who both have 60 points. Wheelbase CabTech Castelli lead the team standings on 60 points, 8 ahead of the now-defunct USKIS Saint Piran team.
Route
The race takes place north east of Lancaster, passing near to the villages of Aughton, Swarthdale and Gressingham. The latter is where Gressingham Duck takes its name from having been first bred there in 1980. The menu on Saturday, however, will feature mainly hilly terrain, tight country lanes and fast descents.
The circuit is around 10km in length and features 171 metres of climbing per lap. The open races involves 11 laps, while the women’s event features 8 laps.
The course is not as savage as those at Capernwray and Oakenclough. The rolling parcours suits organised breakaways and has a milder uphill finish than its predecessors.
Timings
Riders to watch
Open race
The open race will be critical in deciding the individual series winner, with leader Josh Housley and second-placed Damien Clayton both on the startlist. Housley’s best result this year was third at the Oakenclough road race, while Clayton leads our national road race rankings after three National B road race wins this year – including Oakenclough – marking him out as the favourite.
Alex Luhrs (Moonglu RT) is another dangerman. The winner of the Drummond Trophy this year, Luhrs is enjoying an excellent return to full-time racing in 2024. William Perrett (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) was aggressive at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, on the attack with John Archibald, and shone at the East Cleveland Classic too, finishing sixth.
Keep an eye on StolenGoat’s Gabriel Dellar. Dellar will take great confidence from his first National B road race last week at the Bec CC road race. Under-23 Maxwell Hereward (360cycling) is another rider that could go well. 7th at the Capernwray road race demonstrates he can thrive on this type of terrain.
The late addition of Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), who finished in the top ten of both the previous rounds of the Proper Northern Road Race Series, adds another contender to the list.
Women’s race
In the women’s race, series leader Tamsin Miller (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) is in prime position to seal the her crown with her nearest rivals not racing. A good climber, the Oakenclough road race winner stands a good chance of collecting another race victory here.
Miller also has 2023 Lancaster Grand Prix winner Ruth Shier for company. Shier, a late entrant, will be one to watch in her own right if she can find her 2023 form.
The Alba Development Road Team are likely to pose Miller’s greatest challenge. The UCI Continental outfit fields four riders, including Amelia Tyler – fifth at the ANEXO CAMS CiCLE Classic – Abi Plowman, who finished fifth overall at the Peaks 2 Day.
Team Boompods also field a strong team, spearheaded by Elizabeth Hermolle who was second at the RCR FatCreations road race earlier this year. Watch out too for Corinne Side. The Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees – Hargreaves Contracting rider hasn’t been on top form yet in 2024, but the 2023 Curlew Cup winner shouldn’t be underestimated.
Provisional startlists
Open race
Women’s race
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