Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching) narrowly defeated Bernard Galea (SPRNT) to take the win at the Open National B road race. Regional honours went to Oliver Hucks (TAAP Kalas) in the Central and William Truelove (Thriva-SRCT) in the West Midlands championships.
The Inkberrow circuit in the West Midlands played host to a captivating edition of the Open National B, which doubled as the West Midlands and Central Regional Championships. This 132 km race, organized by West Midlands Road Racing, saw riders battling not only for overall victory but also for divisional honors within their respective regions.
The undulating course, featuring 224 metres of elevation per lap over the 22.4 km circuit, promised a challenging day of racing under hot sun. With 5.9 laps to tackle, the riders faced a test of endurance and strategy.
As the neutralised section ended, the pace quickened dramatically, setting the tone for a fast and furious opening. Within the first few kilometres, a breakaway began to form, signaling the start of a tactical battle.
John Archibald (HUUB Wattshop) was among the first to make his move, launching a series of blistering attacks in an attempt to drag a chasing group away from the peloton. His efforts, though valiant, were quickly nullified by the alert main group, which was determined not to let any early breaks gain too much ground.
A group of around 15 riders eventually got away and, as the riders settled into the second lap, a decisive bridging move took shape. Among those bridging across to the break was Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), who would later recount the effort it took to join the front group. For the next 60 kilometres, the breakaway worked like a well-oiled machine, each rider taking their turn to keep the pace high and maintain their advantage.
However, as the miles wore on, the toll of the relentless pace began to show. Ollie Hucks (TAAP Kalas) and Josh Housley (HUUB BCC RT) tested the group with a surge over the climb before the finish, shedding some of the weaker riders and reducing the lead group to six: Davies, Hucks, Housley, Dean Watson (Wold Top The Edge Pactimo), Bernard Galea (SPRNT) and Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT).
The peloton’s deficit stretching into minutes, the leading six knew they had a real shot at victory. Behind them, a few determined chasers dangled in between but were safely adrift for the leading sextet. The breakaway continued to cooperate, sensing the growing opportunity for a podium finish.
As the race neared its conclusion, the final climb loomed large, and it was here that the real drama began. Housley made a bold bid for solo glory, attacking with everything he had. For a moment, it seemed he might just pull off the escape, but Hucks and Galea had other plans, reeling him back in with a concerted effort.
In the end, it came down to a nail-biting sprint finish. Four riders—Davies, Galea, Housley, and Hucks—charged towards the line and with a final burst of speed, Davies managed to edge out Galea by the narrowest of margins, claiming a hard-fought victory. Housley rounded out the overall podium.
For the Central region, Hucks took top honors, followed by Riwnyj in second and Charles Page (Foran CT) in third. In the West Midlands Championships, William Truelove of Thriva-SRCT emerged victorious, with John Archibald and James Satoor (Bridgnorth Cycling Club) completing the podium.
Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching) narrowly defeated Bernard Galea (SPRNT) to take the win at the Open National B road race. Regional honours went to Oliver Hucks (TAAP Kalas) in the Central and William Truelove (Thriva-SRCT) in the West Midlands championships.
Featured image: Gary Main
Report
The Inkberrow circuit in the West Midlands played host to a captivating edition of the Open National B, which doubled as the West Midlands and Central Regional Championships. This 132 km race, organized by West Midlands Road Racing, saw riders battling not only for overall victory but also for divisional honors within their respective regions.
The undulating course, featuring 224 metres of elevation per lap over the 22.4 km circuit, promised a challenging day of racing under hot sun. With 5.9 laps to tackle, the riders faced a test of endurance and strategy.
As the neutralised section ended, the pace quickened dramatically, setting the tone for a fast and furious opening. Within the first few kilometres, a breakaway began to form, signaling the start of a tactical battle.
John Archibald (HUUB Wattshop) was among the first to make his move, launching a series of blistering attacks in an attempt to drag a chasing group away from the peloton. His efforts, though valiant, were quickly nullified by the alert main group, which was determined not to let any early breaks gain too much ground.
A group of around 15 riders eventually got away and, as the riders settled into the second lap, a decisive bridging move took shape. Among those bridging across to the break was Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching), who would later recount the effort it took to join the front group. For the next 60 kilometres, the breakaway worked like a well-oiled machine, each rider taking their turn to keep the pace high and maintain their advantage.
However, as the miles wore on, the toll of the relentless pace began to show. Ollie Hucks (TAAP Kalas) and Josh Housley (HUUB BCC RT) tested the group with a surge over the climb before the finish, shedding some of the weaker riders and reducing the lead group to six: Davies, Hucks, Housley, Dean Watson (Wold Top The Edge Pactimo), Bernard Galea (SPRNT) and Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT).
The peloton’s deficit stretching into minutes, the leading six knew they had a real shot at victory. Behind them, a few determined chasers dangled in between but were safely adrift for the leading sextet. The breakaway continued to cooperate, sensing the growing opportunity for a podium finish.
As the race neared its conclusion, the final climb loomed large, and it was here that the real drama began. Housley made a bold bid for solo glory, attacking with everything he had. For a moment, it seemed he might just pull off the escape, but Hucks and Galea had other plans, reeling him back in with a concerted effort.
In the end, it came down to a nail-biting sprint finish. Four riders—Davies, Galea, Housley, and Hucks—charged towards the line and with a final burst of speed, Davies managed to edge out Galea by the narrowest of margins, claiming a hard-fought victory. Housley rounded out the overall podium.
For the Central region, Hucks took top honors, followed by Riwnyj in second and Charles Page (Foran CT) in third. In the West Midlands Championships, William Truelove of Thriva-SRCT emerged victorious, with John Archibald and James Satoor (Bridgnorth Cycling Club) completing the podium.
Results
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