The penultimate round of the British Team Cup takes place in Naseby this Sunday at the Duncan Murray Wines Road Race.

This is our preview.

Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental

What is it?

A National B road race run which has been run by Welland Valley Cycling Club from Market Harborough, Leicestershire, for many years. The race forms Round 6 of the ever-popular British Team Cup, the penultimate round of this season’s competition. The sponsor is local wine merchant Duncan Murray Wines.  Duncan has been a member of Welland Valley Cycling Club for very many years.

Ruth Shier, now of DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK, won last year’s event, with Anna Brearley (London Academy) and Maddie Heywood (then of FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing now of Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting) rounding out the podium.

The British Team Cup so far…

Caitlin Dimbleby (then of FTP-Fulfil the Potential-Racing, now racing as a private member) 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).

Tour of Britain Women stage 1 breakaway star Lucy Harris (then at Loughborough Lightning, now at Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting) was the victor at Round 3, the Banbury Star CC Road Race. Round 4, the London Dynamo Summer Road Race, was won by Floren Scrafton (FTP-Fulfil the Potential-Racing). Junior Mari Porton (Tofauti Everyone Active) won Round 5 at the Solihull CC Summer Road Race, taking a fine sprint win against a large field.

This is a team competition and the standings are extremely tight with just two rounds remaining. FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Racing are ahead by only 6 points over Loughborough Lightning, with Brother UK – On Form development squad only a further 4 points back. With points available right down to 60th place, every position will count in these remaining rounds.

Pos	Team	Points
1	FTP (Fulfil The Potential) Racing	776
2	Loughborough Lightning	770
3	Brother UK – On Form	766
4	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon	648
5	The Phoenix Collective	645
6	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK	566
7	London Academy Orange Race Team	528
8	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd	414
9	Doltcini – O’Shea	362
10	Saint Piran WRT	296

The route

The race is four laps of the undulating 20 km Naseby circuit, roughly equidistant between Rugby to the west and Kettering to the east. The total race distance is 80 km and at only 162 m of elevation per lap, this is not a race for the climbers.

However, the race finishes at the end of a punishing rise to Fairfax’s View, meaning the out-and-out sprinters won’t necessarily have it all their way either.

Incidentally, the organiser tells us that is from here that General Sir Thomas Fairfax surveyed the battle of Naseby in June 1644, one of the key battles in English history, before leading a charge that led to victory. Fairfax was a leader in Cromwell’s army (Cromwell was there too).  The race route loops around the site of the battle.

Riders to watch

There race feels fairly open. None of the UCI Continental teams are represented, at least not in any number, which might make this an unpredictable affair.

A few names stand out, however. Sian Botteley (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) is the only UCI Continental rider on the startlist. She has several Nat B top tens on her palmares this year, as well as UCI road race experience. She’ll be hoping to go several places better than her 9th here last season.

Lizzie Hermolle (Team Boompods) continued her breakthrough season with 5th at the Lancaster Grand Prix last weekend and has come mightily close to winning a Nat B road race in 2024 too. Second at the RCR Fatcreations Road Race in March was followed by second at the Aughton road race and third at the North West, Yorkshire & North East Regional Road Race Championships later in the year.

Junior Mari Porton (Tofauti Everyone Active) stormed to the sprint win at the Solihull CC Summer Road Race and was third in an uphill sprint finish at the Witham Hall Grand Prix this year. 6th in this race last year, it would be hard to bet against her if the race comes down to a sprint.

Georgia Lancaster (Loughborough Lightning) could be one of those rivalling Porton if a bunch sprint decides things. She won the Solihull CC Summer Road Race in 2023 and seemed to be back in good form after a challenging season when was second behind Porton in this year’s edition. Lancaster’s teammate Georgina Oakley was close to winning the North West, Yorkshire & North East Regional Road Race Championships where she was second so could be another sprint contender – she finished 7th in the race last year too.

British-Bolivian Floren Scrafton (FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing) has had an excellent season and will be a threat if she can recreate the form which won her the London Dynamo Summer Road Race in June. Cecilia Hime (Paradigm Cycles) was second at the very same London Dynamo race this year and was in the top ten of the Duncan Murray Wines road race in 2023.

Finally, Ruby Oakes (Shibden Apex RT) is another junior to keep an eye on. The youngster has been exceptional in domestic elite races this year, grabbing 11th at the Lancaster Grand Prix and 12th at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, two of the toughest one-day races in the UK.

Provisional startlist

Bib	Rider	Age	Team	Points
1	Claire Ablett	Senior	PDQ Cycle Coaching Property Elite	0
2	Alderney Baker	U23	Team Empella	11
3	Charlotte Berry	Senior	The Phoenix Collective	47
4	Anna Boniface	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing	19
5	Sian Botteley	Senior	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK	88
6	Isabella Boyles	Junior	Banbury Star CC	0
7	Anna Brearley	Senior	London Academy	0
8	Lily Brindle	Junior	Brother UK – On Form	46
9	Miriam Bullock	Senior	London Academy	17
10	Katie-Anne Calton	U23	Saint Piran WRT	0
11	Emily Chilton	Senior	Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon	10
12	Hannah Clough	Senior	University of Nottingham Cycling Club	55
13	Rebecca Clowes	Senior	Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon	38
14	Penny Colloff	Senior	Loughborough Lightning	72
15	Alice Connor	Senior	London Academy	0
16	Louisa Cooper	Senior	PDQ Cycle Coaching Property Elite	0
17	Elena Day	Senior	Loughborough Lightning	0
18	Ruth Dunstan	Senior	PDQ Cycle Coaching Property Elite	2
19	Sasha Dyke	Senior	London Academy	93
20	Harriet Evans	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing	7
21	Alison Fovargue	Senior	Team Empella	0
22	Laura Furness	Senior	Army Cycling Union	0
23	Olivia Gardner	Senior	Team V-Sprint Racing	0
24	Ingrid Gascoigne	Junior	Team Empella	0
25	Elektra Georgiakakis	Senior	FTP Fusion	0
26	Rebecca Hair	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing	2
27	Elizabeth Hermolle	Senior	Team Boompods	260
28	Cecilia Hime	Senior	Paradigm Cycles	81
29	Ellen Inglis	U23	Brother UK – On Form	0
30	Amber Junker-Brameld	U23	Brother UK – On Form	0
31	Olivia Kelly	Senior	Loughborough Lightning	37
32	Jacqueline Kinsey	U23	Doltcini – Cycle Division	0
33	Roisin Lally	U23	Loughborough Lightning	7
34	Georgia Lancaster	Junior	Loughborough Lightning	108
35	Jennifer Lemen	Senior	PDQ Cycle Coaching Property Elite	23
36	Nicola Lynch	Senior	Newmarket Cycling &Triathlon Club	0
37	Tuva Mauland	Junior	Brother UK – On Form	0
38	Gemma Mitchell	Senior	Team Boompods	60
39	Lucy Neatham	Senior	London Academy	2
40	Ruby Oakes	Junior	Shibden Apex RT	114
41	Georgina Oakley	Senior	Loughborough Lightning	98
42	Clare Parkin	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing	0
43	Kimmae Payn	Senior	Army Cycling Union	0
44	Mari Porton	Junior	Tofauti Everyone Active	149
45	Floren Scrafton	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing	107
46	Helena Shapton	Senior	Contiki Velo Bavarian RT	72
47	Rosie Simmons	U23	Brother UK – On Form	10
48	Peggy Simpkins	U23	Doltcini – Cycle Division	0
49	Elaine Simpson	Senior	Nottingham Clarion CC	0
50	Lindsay Toy	U23	Doltcini – Cycle Division	0
51	Beth Watson	Junior	Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon	0
52	Lydia Watts	Senior	The Phoenix Collective	73
53	Rosie Wayland	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing	7