2024 Cambridge Criterium: preview and startlists

Circuit racing returns to the agenda this weekend with the inaugural edition of the Cambridge Criterium, a standalone National A race for both the open and women’s fields.

What is it?

Monument Cycling, who have been providing live coverage of selected rounds of the National Road Series and National Circuit Series this season, turn their hand to organisation in the form of a standalone National A criterium around the picturesque streets of historic Cambridge, bringing a major race to the city for the first time since it hosted the start of Tour de France stage a decade ago.

The men will race over 50 minutes and the women 40, with a hefty purse offering the winners £1650 up for grabs.

The event harks back to the pre-Covid19 era of domestic cycling, where such city centre criteriums, such as Nottingham’s Milk Race, were a staple of the calendar. Monument Cycling are looking to bring the format up to date with a live broadcast and rider parade, introducing the pre-race favourites to the crowd.

Route

The 2.5km route is lengthy by town centre criterium standards and takes in some of the university city’s best known sites including Magdalene, St John’s and Jesus Colleges.

Featuring long straights and tight 90 degree corners, the route is typical of a town centre race, with little elevation change throughout. On paper it favours a bunch sprint, although few races in the UK end in such a way.

Riders to watch

Women’s race

Megan Barker (Tekkerz CC) heads the startlist, the 2023 National Circuit Race Champion fresh off the back of the Paris Olympics where she was the travelling reserve for Team GB. Her form has been good this season with a 6th at the Ilkley GP and 3rd in the shortened Sheffield GP, with her track speed a bonus in this discipline.

Maddie Leech takes to the start after a 4th place in the Ilkley GP back in June and a strong 12th in last weekend’s Ryedale GP. With her team folding, the time triallist will be hoping to impress at every opportunity.

Alice McWilliam (HESS Cycling) has been in excellent form in Belgium, picking up a pair of top ten finishes in UCI races this month. This will be her first criterium of the season, but a podium in the CiCLE Classic, the opening round of the National Road Series, shows she remains adept at UK racing.

Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting bring an experienced line up headed by 2021 National Champion Jo Tindley. She will be joined by consistent performer Lucy Harris, with Bexy Dew and Maddie Heywood capable of a result.

DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK dominated the team standings in the National Circuit Series. They are spearheaded by Sophie Lewis, winner of the Fort Colne and Beverley GPs this season. Lewis is supported by Sian Botteley, Darcie Richards and Ronde van Wymeswold stage winner Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne.

Jayati Hine (Loughborough Lightning) was a standout performer in the National Circuit Series with top tens in Dudley, Sheffield and Colne. Emily Proud has had a quiet season compared to 2023, where the criterium specialist broke through with a string of strong performances in the National Circuit Series. With her preferred style of racing from the front, Proud stands a good chance of making the selection.

Doltcini-O’Shea bring three young riders to the race in the form of Georgia Bullard, Matilda McKibben and Libby Smithson, the latter showing strong form during a block of racing in the Benelux over the past month.

Open race

Matt Bostock was in superb form during the National Circuit Series, the former national champion winning four of the seven rounds. His Ribble Rebellion team set out to disrupt the global criterium scene, and they’ve certainly dominated on these shores, the Manxman using his criterium skills and fast finish to great effect. Supported by Jim Brown, Tom Couzens, Max Rushby and Hugo Lutz-Atkinson, Bostock is the rider to beat.

Bostock’s major rival during the Circuit Series was his former teammate Rob Scott, now plying his trade for Tekkerz CC. Scott soloed to a memorable victory in Guildford, also taking victory in Ilkley on the way to the overall series title after a string of consistent displays. He will have the support of teammate Alec Briggs, the criterium specialist a strong sprinter and winner of the Newark GP last season.

Saint Piran have had an indifferent circuit race season, although they bring a strong squad to Cambridge. Harry Tanfield, Will Tidball and Matt Gibson are all making their way back to fitness and this is a good test for the trio against top drawer opposition. Will Roberts is a consistent performer across road, track and criterium racing, and is in good form having been recently crowned National Omnium Champion.

Rory Townsend is a rider with a strong sprint, the former Irish National Road Race Champion and UCI race winner now plying his trade with Doug Ryder’s Q36.5 team. With no teammates he might find himself outnumbered by the big teams, although he is vastly experienced in domestic criterium racing.

Toby Barnes soloed to the win in a shortened Sheffield GP and is enjoying a fine season with the Spectra Racing team, who also field Welsh Champion Ed Morgan here.

Morgan was part of the recent trip to France along with Matt Lord (Richardsons Trek-DAS), who has taken great strides forward this season and is one to watch. Lord will form part of a string team likely to feature first reserve Alex Peters, the former WorldTour rider showing signs of being back to his best with a 5th place at last week’s Ryedale GP.

Tom Armstrong is enjoying his best season in the UK and was instrumental for Wheelbase CabTech Castelli in the National Circuit Series this season, where the Cumbrian outfit took second in the team standings.

Timings

The Open race is set to kick off at 3pm, followed by the Women’s at 4.20pm.

The event will be broadcast on Monument Cycling, with the programming beginning at 2.10pm.

Provisional startlists

Women’s race

No.	Rider	Team
1	Megan Barker	TEKKERZ CC
2	Sophie Lewis	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
3	Sian Botteley	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
4	Charlotte Hodgkins Byrne	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
5	Darcie Richards	DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
6	Georgia Bullard	Doltcini – OShea
7	Matilda McKibben	Doltcini – OShea
8	Libby Smithson	Doltcini – OShea
9	Emily Chilton	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
10	Bex Clowes	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
11	Nicola Greenwood	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
12	Isabella Johnson	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
13	Rebekah Nash	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
14	Beth Watson	Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
15	Alice Connor	London Academy
16	Louise Davidson	London Academy
17	Sasha Dyke	London Academy
18	Emma Jane Hornsby	London Academy
19	Esme Wiley	London Academy
20	Penny Colloff	Loughborough Lightning
21	Jayati Hine	Loughborough Lightning
22	Olivia Kelly	Loughborough Lightning
23	Georgia Lancaster	Loughborough Lightning
24	Alice Lethbridge	Loughborough Lightning
25	Georgina Oakley	Loughborough Lightning
26	Bexy Dew	Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd
27	Lucy Harris	Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd
28	Maddie Heywood	Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd
29	Jo Tindley	Pro-Noctis – 200 Degrees Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd
30	Hannah Bayes	Saint Piran WRT
31	Anastasia Bowler	Saint Piran WRT
32	Katie-Anne Calton	Saint Piran WRT
33	Sophie Holmes	Saint Piran WRT
34	Xan Crees	Spectra Racing
35	Sam Fawcett	Spectra Racing
36	Katie Scott	Spectra Racing
37	Katie Painter	ASSOS UK Racing Team
38	Lotty Dawson	Brother UK – On Form
39	Jennifer Andrews	Cycle Club Ashwell (CCA)
40	Mathilde Pauls	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
41	Elizabeth Sanders	FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
42	Alice McWilliam	Hess Cycling Team
43	Trhas Teklehaimanot Tesfay	Kingston Wheelers CC
44	Emily Proud	Le Col Race Team
45	Maddie Leach	Lifeplus Wahoo
46	Erin Avill	Nouvelles Cycling x Prendas
47	Cecilia Hime	Paradigm Cycles
48	Charlotte Deykin	Peterborough Cycle Hub
49	Alderney Baker	Team Empella
50	Ella Barnwell	Team Inspired (UCI Track Team)
51	Lydia Watts	The Phoenix Collective

Open race

No.	Rider	Team
1	Matthew Bostock	Ribble Rebellion
2	Thomas Couzens	Ribble Rebellion
3	Max Lutz-Atkinson	Ribble Rebellion
4	Max Rushby	Ribble Rebellion
5	Jim Brown	Ribble Rebellion
6	Peter Cocker	Richardsons Trek DAS
7	Cai Davies	Richardsons Trek DAS
8	Matthew Lord	Richardsons Trek DAS
9	Olivier Mangham	Richardsons Trek DAS
10	Steven Parsonage	Richardsons Trek DAS
11	Alexander Pritchard	Richardsons Trek DAS
12	William Scott	Richardsons Trek DAS
13	Jake Hales	Ride Revolution Coaching
14	Bob McGlue	Ride Revolution Coaching
15	Blake Roberts	Ride Revolution Coaching
16	Matthew Gibson	Saint Piran
17	Finn Mason	Saint Piran
18	William Roberts	Saint Piran
19	Harry Tanfield	Saint Piran
20	William Tidball	Saint Piran
21	Toby Barnes	Spectra Racing
22	Ed Morgan	Spectra Racing
23	Joe Shillabeer	Spectra Racing
24	Joe Wilson	Spectra Racing
25	Simon Wyllie	Spectra Racing
26	Alec Briggs	TEKKERZ CC
27	Oscar Amey	TEKKERZ CC
28	Alfie Amey	TEKKERZ CC
29	Joe Holt	TEKKERZ CC
30	Rob Scott	TEKKERZ CC
31	Benji Tuchner	TEKKERZ CC
32	Scott Redding	THRIVA-SRCT
33	Jake Jackson	THRIVA-SRCT
34	William Truelove	THRIVA-SRCT
35	Thomas Armstrong	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
36	Aaron King	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
37	Callum Laborde	Wheelbase CabTech Castelli
38	Tyler Lemmon	ASSOS UK Racing Team
39	Alwyn Frank	Brighton Mitre CC
40	Joe Adlam-Cook	Cambridge University CC
41	Matthew Rizzo-Naudi	Cambridge University CC
42	Gary Freeman	DAP Cycling Club
43	Hugo Lutz-Atkinson	EuroCyclingTrips – Yoeleo
44	James McCormick	Finchley Racing Team
45	George Daly	Geared Up RT
46	Aaron Freeman	London Dynamo
47	Kieran Jarvis	Optimum Coaching
48	Max Bolton	Oxford University Cycling Club
49	Rory Townsend	Q36.5 Pro Cycling
50	Archie Peet	Reflex Racing
51	Frank Longstaff	Schils – Doltcini Racing Team
52	Jacob Arnell	Southborough & District Whls
53	James Dent	Team PB Performance
54	Nathan Hardy	Team PB Performance
55	Casper Brazier	TRASH MILE
56	Thomas Timberlake	TRASH MILE
57	Harry Johnson	VC St Raphael
58	Philip Large	Wold Top The Edge Pactimo
59	Freddy Pett	Wold Top The Edge Pactimo
60	Jonty King	Wolfox x Pedal Mafia RT
61	Matthew Webber	Wolfox x Pedal Mafia RT
62	Alan Jay Brazier	THRIVA-SRCT
63	Adam Lightfoot	TEKKERZ CC
64	Leigh Phillips	Wolfox x Pedal Mafia RT
65	Craig Rogers	Spectra Racing
66	Dylan Starkey	Spectra Racing