The National Road Series returns this Sunday with the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix, one of the most challenging races on the domestic calendar.

Here is our preview.

What is it?

The historic Ampleforth Abbey hosts the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix, the 19th running of the event which makes up the the fifth round of the Women’s National Road Series and fourth round of the Open competition, respectively.

Taking riders into the beautiful natural landscape of the Howardian Hills, the rolling terrain promises to deliver exciting racing, with the series overall on the line in this, the penultimate round, as it heads towards its climax at the Curlew Cup and Beaumont Trophy next month. 

First run in 2005 as the National Road Race Championships, where Russell Downing and Nicole Cooke took home the jerseys, the race has been become a highlight of the domestic calendar with Ian Stannard, who also claimed National Championship glory in 2012, Sharon Laws, Abi Smith, James Shaw and Alex Richardson among an illustrious set of winners.

Last year Saint Piran dominated the Open race, with an unprecedented 1-2-3-4-5, led home by Harry Birchill, while 19-year-old Mille Couzens sprinted to victory from a group of ten riders in the women’s race.

Route 

The route remains unchanged from last year and has become a classic of the domestic calendar. 

Starting around a 25.7km ‘long circuit’, the races then switch to a 16.1km ‘short circuit’, which cuts out the most westerly part of the long circuit which the riders through the village of Oulston and the toughest climb of the race. Both circuits  pass through the finish line, situated outside Ampleforth Abbey, on the steepest section of a challenging ascent.

The women’s race takes in the long circuit twice before finishing with three loops of three of the short for a distance of 101.4km, while the Open race takes in three long circuits and five short for a testing 161km route.

Both circuits are punctuated by a series of testing climbs and technical country roads, making this race one of the most selective on the calendar, with the final ascent up to the Abbey set to decide the winner should it come down to a sprint.

The long circuit

Running anti-clockwise, the riders head north up the ‘East Lane Climb’, with start / finish line outside the Abbey half way up it. Continuing, they take a left turn before descending into Ampleforth village.

Heading south, and most likely into a head wind, the  riders then ascend the ‘N Moor Ln’ climb as they reach Thorpe Beck. Averaging almost 7% for 1.5km and topping out at 10.9%, the climb is likely to be a decisive place in the race, featuring on both circuits. Once at the summit, the circuit takes a sharp right turn towards Oulston, delivering a short sharp rise before they reach the village. A relatively sustained section of descent then begins, taking the riders left through Oulston, then south, before heading east towards the River Foss.

As they reach the river, the ‘second climb’ begins, the toughest of the three main climbs on the course. Featuring only on the long circuit, the climb is 1.1m long, with an average gradient of 7.9%. It tops out at  a gruelling 15% halfway up, with another sting in the tail towards the top. Although it is likely to wear down the riders and prove a good launch pad for attacks, its placement early in the race means it is unlikely to be decisive.

After a short dip, the course then rises again into Yearsley. From here, the route then descends pretty much all the way to Gilling, where the riders then head east and then north back to Ampleforth Abbey, finishing with the 2km East Lane Climb. Averaging only 4%, on paper it appears more of a power climb for the roulers; however, with the finish line situated just after the steepest section, it could prove decisive, and not only on the final lap.

The short circuit

Similar to the long circuit, the short circuit cuts out the section taking in Oulston, and the 2nd climb, with riders continuing straight to Yearsley, rejoining the long circuit there for the trip back to the Abbey.

Riders to Watch

Women’s race

All eyes will be on Eilidh Shaw (Alba Development Road Team), who is in pole position to take over the series lead with a strong performance here, currently sitting just one point behind leader Lucy Harris in the overall standings. Buoyed by her selection to race the Tour de L’Avenir Femmes, the former Scottish champion has been in majestic form this summer and should be in the mix.

As well as American Kiera Bond, who demonstrated her ability throughout the National Circuit Series including a win the Sheffield GP, the Alba Development RT contains new signing Lauren Dickson, the revelation of the Lancaster GP where she finished second. The former triathlete seemed not to be surprised by her podium finish and should again go well on the hilly parcours.

Lucy Harris (Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting) leads the series after a string of consistent performances, holding on to her advantage after finishing in the peloton at the Lancaster GP. Harris has a strong team around her including Lucy Gadd, Bexy Dew and Lizi Brooke, who should find the course to her liking.

With the team’s future now secure, the riders will feel unshackled from the pressure and uncertainty surrounding their futures and will be looking to start a new era in the perfect way.

DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK bring a formidable team to Yorkshire, led by Lancaster GP winner Frankie Hall, who sits third in the series. Supported by Tammy Miller, who was third after joining Hall in the decisive break at Lancaster as well as the likes of Ruth Shier and Lucy Lee, fresh off the back of a trip to Belgium, expect the UCI Continental squad to race aggressively from the front once again.

The junior Shibden Apex RT team may be having issues with their team car, leading to them appealing for help but their riders continue to work as a well oiled machine with Esther Wong leading the line for the Yorkshire squad here. With a 4th place in the Lincoln GP her standout result this season, the second year junior has yet to be outside the top ten in the three National Road Series rounds she has ridden this year.

FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing rider American Katherine Sheridan – 7^th last year – and Lizzie Hermolle (Team Boompods) – 5^th at the Lancaster GP – are good outside bets for a strong result, while Caitlin Dimbleby (Unattached) started the season with some standout results and is back on form after a strong showing in Lancaster.

Open race

Series leader George Kimber (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling) delivered perhaps his finest National A performance in the Lancaster GP, bridging to the winning move with victor Ben Granger, then finishing on the podium. Consistent and able to win on a variety of courses, the Devon-born engineer finds himself in the box seat to win the series overall with top challengers Ollie Rees and Adam Lewis absent for this round. He will be backed up by a strong team with newly crowned Scottish Road Race Champion Logan Maclean and track star Will Perrett offering support.

Saint Piran have yet to reach the dizzy heights of 2023 and a repeat of the incredible 1-2-3-4-5 from last year looks almost impossible. However, the Cornish squad bring a strong team led by Rowan Baker, the East Cleveland GP winner impressing in France in recent weeks. James McKay sits 5th in the series, one of the closest threats to Kimber on the start line, as he looks for yet another National Road Series podium. They are joined by the likes of Harry Birchill, who hasn’t yet shown the form in 2024 which saw him win this race last year, Tyler Hannay and Olympic medallist Ollie Wood, fresh from the Paris games.

Matt Holmes (One Good Thing Orientation Marketing) took a superb comeback win at the Lincoln GP and will find the hilly nature of this race to his liking, while Damien Clayton (Le Col RT) has been one of the most consistent performers at National B level this season and will be looking to make the step up after racing infrequently over the summer. He currently sits 4th overall in the series, the closest challenger to Kimber on paper.

Wheelsebase CabTech Castelli raced almost perfectly at Lancaster GP before their hopes fell apart on the final lap. They bring another strong team with the ambition of taking their first National Road Series win. Thomas Armstrong sits 6th in the series, the climber enjoying his best season in the UK, while Tom Martin can never be ruled out.

Finn McHenry (The Cycling Academy) was the surprise package of the Lancaster GP, taking the Climber’s Competition on the way to 4th place, the Irishman one of the riders to have been out on a trip to France before racing here. Matt Lord (Richardsons Trek-DAS) is another rider to have raced across the channel and has steadily improved this year.

Further down the startlist, Tom Williams (Thriva-SRCT) is in excellent form, winning two of the three stages of the Clive Tiley Memorial Stage Race last weekend. Matt King leads an X-Speed United contingent, the Lincoln GP podium finisher an outsider here on much hillier terrain. James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield) has been in good form recently and along with David Hird is the best bet for a result for Dave Coulson’s outfit.

Ràs Tailteann winner Dom Jackson (Foran CC) is another rider with the ability to win a race of this calibre, the hilly nature suiting the former rowers credentials. Matthew Cole (Hagens Berman Jayco CT) is a promising first year U23 and another rider to keep an eye on.

Timings

The women’s race begins at 9.15 and finishes at approximately 12.25, while the men’s start is at 14.00 with an estimated finish of 18.25. 

Coverage

Fans can follow the race on British Cycling’s social media channels and watch it live on Monument TV. 

We’ll also be covering the action at Ampleforth, with Joe Hudson on the ground posting updates on our Instagram stories.

Provisional startlists

Women’s race

No.	Rider	Age	Team
1	Keira Bond	U23	Alba Development Road Team
2	Lulu Bartlett	Senior	Alba Development Road Team
3	Arianne Holland	Senior	Alba Development Road Team
4	Beth Morrow	U23	Alba Development Road Team
5	Abi Plowman	Senior	Alba Development Road Team
6	Eilidh Shaw – U23	U23	Alba Development Road Team
7	Millie Skinner	Senior	Alba Development Road Team
8	Amelia Tyler – U23	U23	Alba Development Road Team
9	Rachel Brown	Senior	Brother UK – On Form
10	Lotty Dawson – U23	U23	Brother UK – On Form
11	Hope Inglis – U23	U23	Brother UK – On Form
12	Grace Ward	Junior	Brother UK – On Form
13	Grace Reynolds	Senior	Brother UK – On Form
14	Helena Shapton	Senior	Brother UK – On Form
15	Rosie Simmons	Senior	Brother UK – On Form
16	Tuva Mauland – U23	U23	Brother UK – On Form
17	Sian Botteley	Senior	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
18	Frankie Hall	Senior	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
19	Lucy Lee	Senior	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
20	Tamsin Miller	Senior	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
21	Tiffany Keep	Senior	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
22	Mia Griffin	Senior	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
23	Morven Yeoman	U23	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
24	Sannah Zaman	U23	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
25	Georgia Bullard	Senior	Doltcini – OShea
26	Connie Hayes	Senior	Doltcini – OShea
27	Tilly McKibben	U23	Doltcini – OShea
28	Anna Boniface	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
29	Harriet Evans	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
30	Rebecca Hair	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
31	Marie-Louise Kertzman	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
32	Floren Scrafton	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
33	Katherine Sheridan	Senior	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
34	Skye Davidson	Senior	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
35	Laura Davies	Senior	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
36	Nicola Greenwood	Senior	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
37	Isabella Johnson	U23	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
38	Rebekah Nash	Senior	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
39	Anna Brearley	Senior	London Academy
40	Sasha Dyke	Senior	London Academy
41	Savannah Morgan	Senior	London Academy
42	Lucy Neatham	Senior	London Academy
43	Penny Colloff	Senior	Loughborough Lightning
44	Elena Day	U23	Loughborough Lightning
45	Jayati Hine	Senior	Loughborough Lightning
46	Olivia Kelly	Senior	Loughborough Lightning
47	Miriam Jessett	Senior	Loughborough Lightning
48	Alice Lethbridge	Senior	Loughborough Lightning
49	Georgia Lancaster	U23	Loughborough Lightning
50	Georgina Oakley	Senior	Loughborough Lightning
51	Lizi Brooke	Senior	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
52	Bexy Dew	Senior	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
53	Lucy Gadd	Senior	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
54	Amy Gornall	Senior	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
55	Lucy Harris	Senior	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
56	Maddie Heywood	Senior	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
57	Annabel Ramsay	U23	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
58	Jo Tindley	Senior	Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting
59	Hannah Bayes	Senior	Saint Piran WRT
60	Anastasia Bowler	Senior	Saint Piran WRT
61	Rachel Galler	Senior	Saint Piran WRT
62	Eilish Gilbert	Senior	Saint Piran WRT
63	Elizabeth McKinnon	U23	Saint Piran WRT
64	Ailsa McLagan	Senior	Saint Piran WRT
65	Alice Colling	Junior	Shibden Apex RT
66	Isabel Mayes	Junior	Shibden Apex RT
67	Ruby Oakes	Junior	Shibden Apex RT
68	Esther Wong	Junior	Shibden Apex RT
69	Kayla Dinnin	Junior	Solas Cycling
70	Isla Easto	Junior	Solas Cycling
71	Evelyn Field	Junior	Solas Cycling
72	Megan Anderson	Senior	Team Boompods
73	Rebecca Babbage	Senior	Team Boompods
74	Bethany Bennett	U23	Team Boompods
75	Amy Drysdale	Senior	Team Boompods
76	Elizabeth Hermolle	Senior	Team Boompods
77	Sian Marsh	Senior	Team Boompods
78	Gemma Mitchell	Senior	Team Boompods
79	Katie Painter	U23	ASSOS UK Racing Team
80	Amy Bradley	Senior	Bike Gallery
81	Ella Brown	Senior	Cowley Road Condors
82	Lauren Dickson	Senior	Alba Development Road Team
83	Elektra Georgiakakis	Senior	FTP Fusion
84	Senior	U23	Kingston Wheelers CC
85	Megan Lloyd	Junior	Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films
86	Sasha Halsey	Senior	London Dynamo
87	Jemma Speers	Senior	North Down CC
88	Freya Whiteside	U23	Nouvelles Cycling x Prendas
89	Cecilia Hime	Senior	Paradigm Cycles
90	Jennifer Powell	Senior	Performance Development Team
91	Charlotte Deykin	Senior	Peterborough Cycle Hub
92	Anna Flynn	U23	Spectra Racing
93	Corinne Side	Senior	Spectra Racing
94	Sarah Byrne	Senior	Tactic UK WRT
95	Jessie Carridge	Senior	The Phoenix Collective
96	Molly Patch	Senior	The Phoenix Collective
97	Hannah Clough	U23	University of Nottingham CC
98	Jihanna Bonilla-Allard	Senior	Unattached
99	Caitlin Dimbleby	Senior	Unattached
100	Helen Jackson	Senior	Kendal Cycle Club
101	Laura Furness	Senior	Army Cycling Union
102	Kirstie Drayford	U23	Jadan Vive le Velo
103	Katy Hill	Senior	London Academy
104	Madelaine Leech	U23	Lifeplus Wahoo
105	Ella Tandy	Senior	Tofauti Everyone Active

Open race

No.	Name	Age	Team
1	Sam Chaplin	U23	Cycling Sheffield
2	James Hartley	U23	Cycling Sheffield
3	David Hird	U23	Cycling Sheffield
4	Max Krasinski	U23	Cycling Sheffield
5	Tobias Dahlhaus	Senior	Foran CT
6	Dom Jackson	Senior	Foran CT
7	Danylo Riwnyj	Senior	Foran CT
8	Nicholas Tyrie	Senior	Foran CT
9	Matthew Brown	U23	HUUB BCC Race Team
10	Benjamin Flatau	U23	HUUB BCC Race Team
11	Dan Galpin	U23	HUUB BCC Race Team
12	Sebastian Garry	Senior	HUUB BCC Race Team
13	Josh Housley	Senior	HUUB BCC Race Team
14	Adam Kenway	Senior	HUUB BCC Race Team
15	Zak Machin	U23	HUUB BCC Race Team
16	George Stephen	U23	HUUB BCC Race Team
17	Ben Mewes	Senior	Moonglu Race Team
18	Ben Pease	Senior	Moonglu Race Team
19	Carl Stubbs	Senior	Moonglu Race Team
20	William Taylor	U23	Moonglu Race Team
21	Thomas Doig	Senior	Primera-TeamJobs
22	Matthew Gilmour	U23	Primera-TeamJobs
23	Sebastien Tyrie	Senior	Primera-TeamJobs
24	Hamish Armitt	U23	PROJECT 1 Cycling Team
25	Alexander Ball	U23	PROJECT 1 Cycling Team
26	Jenson Brown	U23	PROJECT 1 Cycling Team
27	Adam Kelly	Senior	PROJECT 1 Cycling Team
28	Thomas Mein	Senior	PROJECT 1 Cycling Team
29	Peter Cocker	Senior	Richardsons Trek DAS
30	Cai Davies	Senior	Richardsons Trek DAS
31	Jordan Giles	Senior	Richardsons Trek DAS
32	Michael Gill	Senior	Richardsons Trek DAS
33	Matthew Lord	U23	Richardsons Trek DAS
34	Olivier Mangham	U23	Richardsons Trek DAS
35	Alex Peters	Senior	Richardsons Trek DAS
36	Alexander Pritchard	Senior	Richardsons Trek DAS
37	Rowan Baker	U23	Saint Piran
38	Tyler Hannay	U23	Saint Piran
39	William Roberts	Senior	Saint Piran
40	Joshua Ludman	U23	Saint Piran
41	James McKay	Senior	Saint Piran
42	Bradley Symonds	Senior	Saint Piran
43	Dylan Westley	Senior	Saint Piran
44	Oliver Wood	Senior	Saint Piran
45	Toby Barnes	Senior	Spectra Racing
46	Edward Morgan	Senior	Spectra Racing
47	Joe Shillabeer	U23	Spectra Racing
48	John Appleby	U23	Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling
49	Alexander Bosley	U23	Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling
50	Matthew Houlberg	U23	Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling
51	George Kimber	Senior	Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling
52	Logan Maclean	Senior	Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling
53	William Perrett	Senior	Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling
54	Ethan Rowell	U23	Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling
55	Gabriel Dellar	Senior	Stolen Goat Race Team
56	Thomas Heal	Senior	Stolen Goat Race Team
57	Oliver Hurdle	Senior	Stolen Goat Race Team
58	Thomas Charles – U23	U23	Team PB Performance
59	Jamie Gostick	U23	Team PB Performance
60	Sam Llewelyn	U23	Team PB Performance
61	George Peden	Senior	Team PB Performance
62	Jude Taylor	Senior	Team PB Performance
63	Joseph Beckingsale	Senior	THRIVA-SRCT
64	Benjamin Bright	U23	THRIVA-SRCT
65	Matthew Ellis	Senior	THRIVA-SRCT
66	Jake Jackson	Senior	THRIVA-SRCT
67	Tom Williams	U23	THRIVA-SRCT
68	Cameron Adam	U23	Vanelli-Project Go
69	Elliot Bain	U23	Vanelli-Project Go
70	Conal Davidson – U23	U23	Vanelli-Project Go
71	Keir Gaffney	U23	Vanelli-Project Go
72	Craig Paterson	U23	Vanelli-Project Go
73	Thomas Armstrong	Senior	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
74	Aaron King	U23	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
75	Callum Laborde	U23	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
76	Tom Martin	Senior	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
77	Lee Rosie	Senior	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
78	Tim Shoreman	Senior	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
79	Jacob Smith	U23	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
80	Joseph Smith	U23	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
81	Matti Dobbins	Senior	XSpeed United Continental
82	Joe Howcroft	Senior	XSpeed United Continental
83	Matthew King	Senior	XSpeed United Continental
84	George Radcliffe	U23	XSpeed United Continental
85	Matthew Leach	Senior	Addform – Vive le Velo
86	Joshua Jones	Senior	ALL IN Racing
87	Alex Galpin	U23	Beeston Cycling Club
88	Huw Buck Jones	U23	Bourg en Bresse Ain Cyclisme
89	Ben Pierce	U23	Bridgnorth Cycling Club
90	Michael Chadwick	Senior	Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy
91	Jake Edwards – U23	U23	Cog Set Papyrus Racing Club
92	Marcus Christie	Senior	Cycling Club Isle of Man
93	Corrin Leeming	U23	Cycling Club Isle of Man
94	Alex Pickering	U23	Elysium Kalas Race Team
95	Ben Goodwin	Senior	Fibrax Fenwick’s Wrexham Cycling Club
96	James Jobber	Senior	Global 6 United
97	Matthew Cole	U23	Hagens Berman Jayco RT
98	Charlie Genner	U23	Halesowen A & CC
99	George Safranauskas – U23	U23	HIVE Racing
100	Damien Clayton	Senior	Le Col Race Team
101	Aidan Wade	Senior	Leek Cyclists Club
102	George Safranauskas	U23	Mid Devon CC
103	Matthew Holmes	Senior	One Good Thing Orientation Marketing
104	Oliver Curd	U23	Primo RT
105	Colin Ward	Senior	Primo RT
106	Oliver Hucks	Senior	TAAP Kalas
107	Joshua Knowles	Senior	TAAP Kalas
108	Samuel Nisbet	U23	Reflex Racing
109	Archie Peet	U23	Reflex Racing
110	Toby Tanfield	Senior	Retelec-Ambilamp-Team Cycling Galicia
111	Matthew Bostock	Senior	Ribble Rebellion
112	Max Rushby	Senior	Ribble Rebellion
113	Daniel McDermott	Senior	Ride Revolution Coaching
114	Isaac Henley	U23	Rule 28 x ATP Performance
115	Archie Cross	Senior	Schils – Doltcini Racing Team
116	Jack Lucas	U23	Shibden-A.Fawcett RT
117	Will Thompson	U23	Shibden-A.Fawcett RT
118	Patrick Clark	Senior	Team Lifting Gear Products
119	Finn McHenry	U23	The Cycling Academy
120	Callum Salisbury	U23	The Cycling Academy
121	Timothy Torrie	Senior	trainSharp Orro Elite
122	Dean Watson	Senior	Wold Top The Edge Pactimo
123	Samuel Carrotte	U23	University of Aberdeen
124	Adam Howell	U23	VC Meudon
125	Lawrence Carpenter	Senior	Unattached
126	Deetray Jarrett	U23	Unattached
127	Matthew Warhurst	Senior	Unattached
128	Michael Weavers	Senior	Unattached
129	Degaga Zelalem Jeno	U23	Unattached
130	Álvaro Triviño Martínez	U23	London Dynamo
131	Luke Barfoot	Senior	Primera-TeamJobs
132	Ryan Christensen	Senior	Foran CT
133	Matt Clarke	Senior	Bridgnorth Cycling Club
134	Oscar Pratt	U23	Unattached
135	Will Barham	U23	Primo RT
136	Charlie Crawt	Senior	Primo RT
137	Cameron Orr	Senior	Wilier Triestina – Vittoria Factory Team
138	Reuben Orr	Senior	Clancy Briggs Cycling Academy