2024 Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix: report and results
Lucy Lee sprinted to victory for DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK before Tom Williams did the same for THRIVA-SRCT in a pair of thrilling Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix races
Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) took her first Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix win as textbook teamwork in the final kilometre launched her into a winning sprint. In the Open race, it was a also a sprint success as Tom Williams prevailed in a 12-rider duel for victory to take the top spot for THRIVA-SRCT.
In the National Road Series standings, Eilidh Shaw’s fifth for Alba Development Road Team has pushed her above Lucy Harris (Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting) and into the overall lead. In the Open competition, Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling’s George Kimber has maintained his lead at the top of the standings.
Featured image: Craig Zadoroznyj / SWPix.com
Report
Women’s race
The summer sun that normally blesses the Ryedale Grand Prix was replaced by quite a biting wind – a crosswind through Ampleforth Abbey itself – for the 83 riders who took to the roads of North Yorkshire for the penultimate round of the National Road Series.
With the course known to be a leg-sapper, the action was relatively restrained in the opening two ‘long’ laps with the peloton riding a high tempo, which caused a number of drop-outs from the rear of the group but no really aggressive attacks, at least initially.
Notable at the front, and controlling the pace for the majority of the early running, were DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK and the Alba Development Road Team – the latter aiming to overcome the one-point deficit Eilidh Shaw had over leader coming into this race, Lucy Harris.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com – 1808/2024 – British Cycling – 2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Women’s Race – Ampleforth Abbey, York, North Yorkshire –
While small attacks would be attempted out on the lanes, none stuck for any length of time. But coming through the Abbey grounds to start the third lap the bunch started to string out. Through the twists and turns onto the main road, a group of 25 riders broke off the front, splintering the race completely.
With the pace running high, that group split into two with a front group of 12 – including DAS trio Lucy Lee, Frankie Hall, and Morven Yeoman, alongside Alba duo Shaw and Lauren Dickson – as well as Elizabeth Hermolle (Team Boompods), Caitlin Dimbleby, Grace Reynolds (Brother UK – On Form), Jennifer Powell (Performance Development Team), Molly Patch (The Phoenix Collective), Shibden Apex RT Junior Ruby Oakes, and Spectra Racing’s Anna Flynn.
As the laps ticked down, and the lead grew to more than two minutes, the latter two dropped out of the lead dozen, but no one was particularly able to force anything out the front. On the bell lap, Hall launched an attack across the line and gained half-a-dozen seconds, but out into the country she joined back into the group of 10 and got set for a ferocious final sprint.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com – 1808/2024 – British Cycling – 2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Women’s Race – Ampleforth Abbey, York, North Yorkshire – Lucy Lee, DAS – Hutchinson Brother wins
Into the grounds of the Abbey for the final time, DAS formed themselves into a textbook sprint lead out for Lee, who wound up a monster of an attack to the line, just pipping Dickson to the win. Hall completed a great day for the team – and added to her own excellent run of form – with third, Dimbleby took fourth.
Fifth for Shaw has moved her into the National Road Series lead with just September’s Curlew Cup remaining. With 172 points, she now leads Harris by 16 points with Hall just five behind on 151 after her podium.
In the team standings, DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK leads the way on 520 points – a lead of 90 over Shibden Apex RT, while Alba Development Road Team lie third on 397.
Lucy Lee talks to Joe Hudson after her Ryedale Grand Prix triumph
Open race
With the wind that was breezing for the Women’s race strengthening to blustery for the Open race, the 114-strong peloton had an extra challenge to deal with on the grippy roads that made up the 161.9km test.
Things started off relatively calm, with the group sticking together for the most part on the opening tour. The only incident of real note came as the field swung back into the Abbey grounds as Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT) launched a cheeky attack off the front which netted him a lead of a handful of seconds before he was absorbed back in to the chase behind.
It didn’t take long for the first move of note to head off the front as Thomas Mein (PROJECT 1 Cycling Team) and Saint Piran’s Will Roberts were joined – over the course of the second ‘long’ lap – by Thriva-SRCT’s Tom Williams and then by James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield) and Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli).
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com – 1808/2024 – British Cycling – 2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Open Race – Ampleforth Abbey, York, North Yorkshire –
The quintet had a lead of 25 seconds at its biggest but heading across the line to start their third lap, Matt Holmes – riding for One Good Thing Orientation Marketing – pretty much reeled them in single-handedly. On the climb up to Yearsley he’d pulled them in and pushed himself to the sharp-end of the peloton.
Not put off by Holmes closing down a move so quickly, another four chanced their arm and launched a move off the front: Dom Jackson (Foran CT), Logan Maclean (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling), Bradley Symonds (Saint Piran), and Jake Edwards (Cog Set Papyrus Racing Club).
They built up a lead close to 20 seconds but come the approach to the line and the completion of the final 25.8km longer circuit, they’d been reabsorbed. Wheelbase’s Thomas Armstrong and Spirit’s George Kimber – decked out in the National Road Series leader’s jersey – did the hard graft in shutting down their move.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com – 1808/2024 – British Cycling – 2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Open Race – Ampleforth Abbey, York, North Yorkshire –
The counter-attack quickly came as Mein launched a move up the climb out of Ampleforth village and – again – built himself a lead of 21 seconds. However, coming in to Gilling East, he was joined by a group of 14 riders who bridged across. Notable in their ranks – Kimber, and the Wheelbase pair of Martin and Lee Rosie.
Merging together again, the race descended into tit-for-tat skirmishes as Holmes, for example, kept the race in a constant flux as he attacked under the shadow of the Abbey. Bradley Symonds (Saint Piran) was another who chanced his arm with three laps to go only to see his attack be snuffed out by the chasers.
The last of the major attackers was Tom Martin, who built an advantage of more than 45 seconds but with two laps still to complete the cards were stacked against him and he was absorbed back into the bunch as the bell rang for the final lap.
That final tour was rare in that no real major attacks went, despite a few riders trying last gasp moves. That meant, for the first time in quite a while in Ryedale Grand Prix history, we were set for a bunch sprint to the line.
Picture by Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com – 1808/2024 – British Cycling – 2024 Lloyds Bank National Road Series – The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix – Open Race – Ampleforth Abbey, York, North Yorkshire – Tom Williams, Thriva SRCT wins
Still a dozen strong as the race reached a thrilling conclusion, who would ride away with the victory was still anyone’s call. But Tom Williams was in the mood for a fight and he launched a brutal attack to the line – taking the chequered flag a couple of lengths clear of Matt Holmes, with Rowan Baker (Saint Piran) best of the rabble of riders behind to take the final podium place.
With his nearest rivals skipping this round, Kimber has boosted his points tally to 139, but his nearest competition now has a different make-up. James McKay (Saint Piran) is now in second, 11 points down while Holmes is another six points down in third.
Saint Piran still has a handy lead in the team competition with 414 points compared to Wheelbase CabTech Castelli on 321.
George Kimber talks to Joe Hudson about retaining his series leader’s jersey
Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) took her first Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix win as textbook teamwork in the final kilometre launched her into a winning sprint. In the Open race, it was a also a sprint success as Tom Williams prevailed in a 12-rider duel for victory to take the top spot for THRIVA-SRCT.
In the National Road Series standings, Eilidh Shaw’s fifth for Alba Development Road Team has pushed her above Lucy Harris (Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting) and into the overall lead. In the Open competition, Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling’s George Kimber has maintained his lead at the top of the standings.
Featured image: Craig Zadoroznyj / SWPix.com
Report
Women’s race
The summer sun that normally blesses the Ryedale Grand Prix was replaced by quite a biting wind – a crosswind through Ampleforth Abbey itself – for the 83 riders who took to the roads of North Yorkshire for the penultimate round of the National Road Series.
With the course known to be a leg-sapper, the action was relatively restrained in the opening two ‘long’ laps with the peloton riding a high tempo, which caused a number of drop-outs from the rear of the group but no really aggressive attacks, at least initially.
Notable at the front, and controlling the pace for the majority of the early running, were DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK and the Alba Development Road Team – the latter aiming to overcome the one-point deficit Eilidh Shaw had over leader coming into this race, Lucy Harris.
While small attacks would be attempted out on the lanes, none stuck for any length of time. But coming through the Abbey grounds to start the third lap the bunch started to string out. Through the twists and turns onto the main road, a group of 25 riders broke off the front, splintering the race completely.
With the pace running high, that group split into two with a front group of 12 – including DAS trio Lucy Lee, Frankie Hall, and Morven Yeoman, alongside Alba duo Shaw and Lauren Dickson – as well as Elizabeth Hermolle (Team Boompods), Caitlin Dimbleby, Grace Reynolds (Brother UK – On Form), Jennifer Powell (Performance Development Team), Molly Patch (The Phoenix Collective), Shibden Apex RT Junior Ruby Oakes, and Spectra Racing’s Anna Flynn.
As the laps ticked down, and the lead grew to more than two minutes, the latter two dropped out of the lead dozen, but no one was particularly able to force anything out the front. On the bell lap, Hall launched an attack across the line and gained half-a-dozen seconds, but out into the country she joined back into the group of 10 and got set for a ferocious final sprint.
Into the grounds of the Abbey for the final time, DAS formed themselves into a textbook sprint lead out for Lee, who wound up a monster of an attack to the line, just pipping Dickson to the win. Hall completed a great day for the team – and added to her own excellent run of form – with third, Dimbleby took fourth.
Fifth for Shaw has moved her into the National Road Series lead with just September’s Curlew Cup remaining. With 172 points, she now leads Harris by 16 points with Hall just five behind on 151 after her podium.
In the team standings, DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK leads the way on 520 points – a lead of 90 over Shibden Apex RT, while Alba Development Road Team lie third on 397.
Open race
With the wind that was breezing for the Women’s race strengthening to blustery for the Open race, the 114-strong peloton had an extra challenge to deal with on the grippy roads that made up the 161.9km test.
Things started off relatively calm, with the group sticking together for the most part on the opening tour. The only incident of real note came as the field swung back into the Abbey grounds as Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT) launched a cheeky attack off the front which netted him a lead of a handful of seconds before he was absorbed back in to the chase behind.
It didn’t take long for the first move of note to head off the front as Thomas Mein (PROJECT 1 Cycling Team) and Saint Piran’s Will Roberts were joined – over the course of the second ‘long’ lap – by Thriva-SRCT’s Tom Williams and then by James Hartley (Cycling Sheffield) and Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli).
The quintet had a lead of 25 seconds at its biggest but heading across the line to start their third lap, Matt Holmes – riding for One Good Thing Orientation Marketing – pretty much reeled them in single-handedly. On the climb up to Yearsley he’d pulled them in and pushed himself to the sharp-end of the peloton.
Not put off by Holmes closing down a move so quickly, another four chanced their arm and launched a move off the front: Dom Jackson (Foran CT), Logan Maclean (Spirit TBW Stuart Hall Cycling), Bradley Symonds (Saint Piran), and Jake Edwards (Cog Set Papyrus Racing Club).
They built up a lead close to 20 seconds but come the approach to the line and the completion of the final 25.8km longer circuit, they’d been reabsorbed. Wheelbase’s Thomas Armstrong and Spirit’s George Kimber – decked out in the National Road Series leader’s jersey – did the hard graft in shutting down their move.
The counter-attack quickly came as Mein launched a move up the climb out of Ampleforth village and – again – built himself a lead of 21 seconds. However, coming in to Gilling East, he was joined by a group of 14 riders who bridged across. Notable in their ranks – Kimber, and the Wheelbase pair of Martin and Lee Rosie.
Merging together again, the race descended into tit-for-tat skirmishes as Holmes, for example, kept the race in a constant flux as he attacked under the shadow of the Abbey. Bradley Symonds (Saint Piran) was another who chanced his arm with three laps to go only to see his attack be snuffed out by the chasers.
The last of the major attackers was Tom Martin, who built an advantage of more than 45 seconds but with two laps still to complete the cards were stacked against him and he was absorbed back into the bunch as the bell rang for the final lap.
That final tour was rare in that no real major attacks went, despite a few riders trying last gasp moves. That meant, for the first time in quite a while in Ryedale Grand Prix history, we were set for a bunch sprint to the line.
Still a dozen strong as the race reached a thrilling conclusion, who would ride away with the victory was still anyone’s call. But Tom Williams was in the mood for a fight and he launched a brutal attack to the line – taking the chequered flag a couple of lengths clear of Matt Holmes, with Rowan Baker (Saint Piran) best of the rabble of riders behind to take the final podium place.
With his nearest rivals skipping this round, Kimber has boosted his points tally to 139, but his nearest competition now has a different make-up. James McKay (Saint Piran) is now in second, 11 points down while Holmes is another six points down in third.
Saint Piran still has a handy lead in the team competition with 414 points compared to Wheelbase CabTech Castelli on 321.
Results
Women’s Race
Open Race
National Road Series standings
Women
Individual
Team
Open
Individual
Team
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