With the National Road Championships now only days away, some of the best domestic riders head to Leicestershire for a final chance to hone their form with a rare National B stage race, featuring two road stages and a short road bike time trial.
Promoted by the now familiar partnership of prolific organisers Yomp Bonk Crew (YBC) with the support of University of Nottingham CC, the two day race comprises of two road stages and a short road bike time trial for both the open and women’s fields, with points and team classification prizes on offer as well as the general classification.
Highlights of the race will be available on social media, with a TV Moto recording the action and riders using go pro cameras courtesy of Monument Cycling and University of Nottingham Sport, a rare and exciting addition to a race of this level.
Schedule
Saturday 15 June
Time
Race
Stage
8.01
Women’s race
Stage 1 time trial
10.00
Open race
Stage 1 road race
14.30
Women’s race
Stage 2 road race
Sunday 16 June
Time
Race
Stage
8.01
Open race
Stage 2 time trial
10.00
Women’s race
Stage 3 road race
14.00
Open race
Stage 3 road race
The stages
Day 1
Women’s race – Stage 1 time trial
Centred around the villages of Willoughby on the Wolds and Widmerpool, Saturday’s action is to be played out on the same course that hosted last year’s East Midlands Road Race Championships.
The women’s race kicks off proceedings with the first rider off at 8am for a short 7km test against the clock, with time trial specific equipment banned.
Containing only two left turns and starting and finishing in Willoughby, riders face a flat out test of power and speed, the long drag from the village of Widmerpool the key section where riders will be aiming to make the difference.
Open race – Stage 1 / Women’s race – Stage 2
Later, the open and women’s fields will do battle in their respective road races around the course, the men covering 105km in 12 laps, the women covering 72km, taking on the course 8.5 times.
Matt King proved victorious twelve months ago in the divisional championships, outsprinting Ollie Peckover in a selective race with significant time gaps, while Frankie Hall’s long range solo attack saw her take a commanding victory in the women’s race. The short course offers multiple chances to attack: multiple ascents of the the long, gradual climb to the finish line, featuring an uneven gradient, the perfect place to claim an advantage.
Day 2
Open race – Stage 2 time trial
The race moves south on Sunday, with the open time trial kicking off proceedings, starting and finishing just outside Burton on the Wolds on a truncated Six Hills circuit. 13.2km in length, the test against the clock will force time gaps, which may prove decisive for the overall win.
Women’s race Stage 3 / Men’s race – Stage 3
Later, the women will take to the course for an 80km road race, covering 5.5 laps with the finish line just past the village of Walton on the Wolds; the open race covering a lap more for a 97km race; both set to decide the overall GC for the weekend.
The 15.2km course is typical of a National B race. Taking its name from a local village, ‘Six Hills’ is not literal – the parcours are rolling in nature with 100m of elevation gain per lap. As the race passes Walton on the Wolds, it will take in the first of two short kickers toward the finish. As the race crests the second of these it turns left onto Paudy Lane, an exposed false flat road which caused splits in the 2023 edition of the Owen Blower National B road race. Agressive racing should be the order of the day with the weekend’s parcours offering a large range of riders the chance to excel.
How it works
General classification
Each race – open category and women’s – will have an overall winner i.e. the rider that completes the three stages in the shortest time. A leaders jersey sponsored by CAMS will be awarded to the general classification leader after each stage.
Points competition
A points jersey sponsored by Midland Chain Waxing will be awarded at the end of each road race stage to the points classification leader.
Stage
Women’s race
Open race
Stage 1
No points
At end of Lap 3, Lap 6 & Lap 9
Stage 2
At end of Lap 2, Lap 4 & Lap 6
No points
Stage 3
At end of Lap 1, Lap 2 & Lap 3
At end of Lap 2, Lap 3 & Lap 4
The points awarded will be as follows: 1st (3 points); 2nd (2 points); 3rd (1 point).
Other prizes
There will also be a prize for best local rider (highest in GC from the East Midlands), and a team classification prize.
Riders to watch
Women’s race
Entries on the line are still available for the women’s race, with 48 riders set to start.
With no limit on team numbers, Pro-Noctis-200 Degrees Coffee- Hargreaves Contracting lead the way with six riders, including former National Circuit Race Champion Jo Tindley. She is joined by the likes of Lucy Harris, the current National Road Series leader, who took wins at the Banbury Star CC Road Race and the Jose Gilbert Memorial Trophy last month. Both riders have have just completed the Tour of Britain Women, where both had impressive solo breakaway cameos.
Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain Women – Stage 1: Welshpool to Llandudno, Wales – Lucy Harris of Pro-Noctis-200° Coffee-Hargreaves Contracting. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
During the Tour, the team were rocked by the news that Zoe Langham’s partner, Adam Thorpe, was involved in a very serious accident with a van whilst out riding his bike. Langham, understandably, left the race. The team at The British Continental send Adam, Zoe and everyone concerned our very best wishes.
Floren Scrafton wins the 2024 London Dynamo Summer Road Race, 9 June 2024. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Away from the UCI teams, the British-Bolivian rider Floren Scrafton (FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing) announced herself on the domestic scene on Sunday by winning the London Dynamo Summer Road Race, suggesting she could be a contender again this weekend.
Georgia Lancaster (Loughborough Lightning) was 4th in the recent East Midlands Road Race Championship, a promising sign on her gradual return from injury and illness earlier this season, while Hannah Clough (University of Nottingham) has had a remarkable rise, having never finished outside the top ten in a race having only got her licence less than a month ago. With two National B top tens to her name already, another strong result is on the cards. Lotty Dawson (Brother UK-Team On From) is another rider in a good vein of form, having finished sixth and third in her last two National B road races.
Lotty Dawson on her way to third at the Dave Peck Memorial. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Katy Hill (London Academy) has been one of the rising stars of the domestic women’s road racing scene this season, but she is though to have broken her wrists in a crash at the London Dynamo Summer Road Races, so is unlikely to start. Molly Patch (The Phoenix Collective) missed the same race through illness. If she can return to fitness in time, she could be contender having shown her stage racing prowess with 8th overall at the Peaks 2 Day earlier this year.
Open race
A stacked field of 70 riders are set to take the start in the open race, with teams limited to just four riders, a rule which is sure to promote aggressive racing.
UCI Continental giants Saint Piran arrive in the Midlands with only three, however, including domestic scene stalwart Alex Richardson, who is honing his form ahead of a shot at another medal from the National Road Championships. The Londoner has endured a mixed 2024, famously celebrating a lap early at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, but appears in good shape and has won three National B races this year. Richardson will be joined by James McKay, who made the East Cleveland Classic podium, who returns to competition following an illness, and Dylan Hicks, stage winner in the UCI ranked Tour of Hellas last month. Saint Piran are rarely away from the podium in the UK, and the trio look set to continue the trend this weekend.
Alex Richardson at the London Dynamo Summer Road Race, 9 June 2024. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Dom Jackson (Foran CT) has stage race form, taking a stunning victory in the Rás Tailteann last month and will look to continue his good form here, while Alex Luhrs leads a strong Moonglu RT outfit, having been on the podium in his last three National B races, winning two in his comeback season after four years away from the sport.
Dom Jackson leads Josh Housley in the break at the London Dynamo Summer Road Race, 9 June 2024. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Damien Clayton leads The British Continental National Road Race Rankings and the Le Col RT rider has been embroiled in some memorable battles with messrs Hartley and Luhrs in recent weeks, in a season which has seen the Yorkshireman take four wins and rarely finish outside the top ten.
Damien Clayton at the London Dynamo Summer Road Race, 9 June 2024. Credit: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Track star Will Perrett (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) ran Dom Jackson close in the Rás last month, and continues to be a threat in road races despite having one eye on Olympic selection. His Spirit team join forces with Lifting Gear Products to form a composite team featuring hill climb specialist Andrew Nichols, who is a joker in the pack having previously finished inside the top ten at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
Another composite team comes from title sponsors CAMS, who enter an eye catching squad including British Cycling Task Force chair Ed Clancy OBE and former WorldTour pro Alex Dowsett, who will be eyeing the time trial, as well as Ross Lamb, the Nottinghamshire rider on the comeback trail from a health condition which almost ended his career.
Ed Clancy at the 2024 Portsdown Classic, 11 Feb 2024. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
With the National Road Championships now only days away, some of the best domestic riders head to Leicestershire for a final chance to hone their form with a rare National B stage race, featuring two road stages and a short road bike time trial.
This is our preview.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
What is it?
Promoted by the now familiar partnership of prolific organisers Yomp Bonk Crew (YBC) with the support of University of Nottingham CC, the two day race comprises of two road stages and a short road bike time trial for both the open and women’s fields, with points and team classification prizes on offer as well as the general classification.
Highlights of the race will be available on social media, with a TV Moto recording the action and riders using go pro cameras courtesy of Monument Cycling and University of Nottingham Sport, a rare and exciting addition to a race of this level.
Schedule
Saturday 15 June
Sunday 16 June
The stages
Day 1
Women’s race – Stage 1 time trial
Centred around the villages of Willoughby on the Wolds and Widmerpool, Saturday’s action is to be played out on the same course that hosted last year’s East Midlands Road Race Championships.
The women’s race kicks off proceedings with the first rider off at 8am for a short 7km test against the clock, with time trial specific equipment banned.
Containing only two left turns and starting and finishing in Willoughby, riders face a flat out test of power and speed, the long drag from the village of Widmerpool the key section where riders will be aiming to make the difference.
Open race – Stage 1 / Women’s race – Stage 2
Later, the open and women’s fields will do battle in their respective road races around the course, the men covering 105km in 12 laps, the women covering 72km, taking on the course 8.5 times.
Matt King proved victorious twelve months ago in the divisional championships, outsprinting Ollie Peckover in a selective race with significant time gaps, while Frankie Hall’s long range solo attack saw her take a commanding victory in the women’s race. The short course offers multiple chances to attack: multiple ascents of the the long, gradual climb to the finish line, featuring an uneven gradient, the perfect place to claim an advantage.
Day 2
Open race – Stage 2 time trial
The race moves south on Sunday, with the open time trial kicking off proceedings, starting and finishing just outside Burton on the Wolds on a truncated Six Hills circuit. 13.2km in length, the test against the clock will force time gaps, which may prove decisive for the overall win.
Women’s race Stage 3 / Men’s race – Stage 3
Later, the women will take to the course for an 80km road race, covering 5.5 laps with the finish line just past the village of Walton on the Wolds; the open race covering a lap more for a 97km race; both set to decide the overall GC for the weekend.
The 15.2km course is typical of a National B race. Taking its name from a local village, ‘Six Hills’ is not literal – the parcours are rolling in nature with 100m of elevation gain per lap. As the race passes Walton on the Wolds, it will take in the first of two short kickers toward the finish. As the race crests the second of these it turns left onto Paudy Lane, an exposed false flat road which caused splits in the 2023 edition of the Owen Blower National B road race. Agressive racing should be the order of the day with the weekend’s parcours offering a large range of riders the chance to excel.
How it works
General classification
Each race – open category and women’s – will have an overall winner i.e. the rider that completes the three stages in the shortest time. A leaders jersey sponsored by CAMS will be awarded to the general classification leader after each stage.
Points competition
A points jersey sponsored by Midland Chain Waxing will be awarded at the end of each road race stage to the points classification leader.
The points awarded will be as follows: 1st (3 points); 2nd (2 points); 3rd (1 point).
Other prizes
There will also be a prize for best local rider (highest in GC from the East Midlands), and a team classification prize.
Riders to watch
Women’s race
Entries on the line are still available for the women’s race, with 48 riders set to start.
With no limit on team numbers, Pro-Noctis-200 Degrees Coffee- Hargreaves Contracting lead the way with six riders, including former National Circuit Race Champion Jo Tindley. She is joined by the likes of Lucy Harris, the current National Road Series leader, who took wins at the Banbury Star CC Road Race and the Jose Gilbert Memorial Trophy last month. Both riders have have just completed the Tour of Britain Women, where both had impressive solo breakaway cameos.
During the Tour, the team were rocked by the news that Zoe Langham’s partner, Adam Thorpe, was involved in a very serious accident with a van whilst out riding his bike. Langham, understandably, left the race. The team at The British Continental send Adam, Zoe and everyone concerned our very best wishes.
Taking the fight to Pro-Noctis will be the DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK team, with Robyn Clay making her return to racing following a nasty crash in Belgium last month. The former Lincoln GP winner is supported by Oakenclough road race winner Tamsin Miller and former Olympic rower Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne who took victory in the Dave Peck Memorial this season.
Away from the UCI teams, the British-Bolivian rider Floren Scrafton (FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing) announced herself on the domestic scene on Sunday by winning the London Dynamo Summer Road Race, suggesting she could be a contender again this weekend.
Georgia Lancaster (Loughborough Lightning) was 4th in the recent East Midlands Road Race Championship, a promising sign on her gradual return from injury and illness earlier this season, while Hannah Clough (University of Nottingham) has had a remarkable rise, having never finished outside the top ten in a race having only got her licence less than a month ago. With two National B top tens to her name already, another strong result is on the cards. Lotty Dawson (Brother UK-Team On From) is another rider in a good vein of form, having finished sixth and third in her last two National B road races.
Katy Hill (London Academy) has been one of the rising stars of the domestic women’s road racing scene this season, but she is though to have broken her wrists in a crash at the London Dynamo Summer Road Races, so is unlikely to start. Molly Patch (The Phoenix Collective) missed the same race through illness. If she can return to fitness in time, she could be contender having shown her stage racing prowess with 8th overall at the Peaks 2 Day earlier this year.
Open race
A stacked field of 70 riders are set to take the start in the open race, with teams limited to just four riders, a rule which is sure to promote aggressive racing.
UCI Continental giants Saint Piran arrive in the Midlands with only three, however, including domestic scene stalwart Alex Richardson, who is honing his form ahead of a shot at another medal from the National Road Championships. The Londoner has endured a mixed 2024, famously celebrating a lap early at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, but appears in good shape and has won three National B races this year. Richardson will be joined by James McKay, who made the East Cleveland Classic podium, who returns to competition following an illness, and Dylan Hicks, stage winner in the UCI ranked Tour of Hellas last month. Saint Piran are rarely away from the podium in the UK, and the trio look set to continue the trend this weekend.
Josh Housley won his first National B road race last weekend at the London Dynamo Summer Road Race, and arrives in excellent form as a guest rider for the Stolen Goat RT, while Will Truelove leads the Thriva-SRCT squad on the back of his second place at the Yorkshire U23 Classic at the beginning of last month.
Dom Jackson (Foran CT) has stage race form, taking a stunning victory in the Rás Tailteann last month and will look to continue his good form here, while Alex Luhrs leads a strong Moonglu RT outfit, having been on the podium in his last three National B races, winning two in his comeback season after four years away from the sport.
Jack Hartley beat Luhrs at both the GA Bennett and North of England championships and along with younger brother James forms part of a strong Cycling Sheffield team, also featuring Max Krasinski, who has caught the eye this year with a stage win the Peaks 2 Day and a second place on the opening stage of the Under-23 Tour of the Northwest.
Damien Clayton leads The British Continental National Road Race Rankings and the Le Col RT rider has been embroiled in some memorable battles with messrs Hartley and Luhrs in recent weeks, in a season which has seen the Yorkshireman take four wins and rarely finish outside the top ten.
Track star Will Perrett (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) ran Dom Jackson close in the Rás last month, and continues to be a threat in road races despite having one eye on Olympic selection. His Spirit team join forces with Lifting Gear Products to form a composite team featuring hill climb specialist Andrew Nichols, who is a joker in the pack having previously finished inside the top ten at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
Another composite team comes from title sponsors CAMS, who enter an eye catching squad including British Cycling Task Force chair Ed Clancy OBE and former WorldTour pro Alex Dowsett, who will be eyeing the time trial, as well as Ross Lamb, the Nottinghamshire rider on the comeback trail from a health condition which almost ended his career.
Provisional startlists
Women’s race
Open race
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