The wait is over. On Sunday 9 February, the British domestic road racing season kicks off in style with the Portsdown Classic. A race with heritage and heart, it’s where winter form is tested and early-season ambitions take shape. Expect drama on Portsdown Hill, chaos in the crosswinds, and a final showdown on Crooked Walk Lane’s tough slopes.
Here is our preview.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
The Perfs Pedal was one of the crown jewels of the British road racing calendar. First run in 1964, it was the race that signalled the start of the season, providing riders with an early test of form after their winter training. Over the decades, the race’s illustrious roll call of winners has included Ian Hallam, Dave LeGrys, Chris Newton, Sean Yates, Tim Harris, Alex Dowsett, Jack Rootkin-Gray and most recently, Saint Piran’s Sam Culverwell.
The race faced an uncertain future when long-standing organiser Mick Waite stepped down. But thanks to Seb Ottley, the event was revived under a new name and with a revised finish as the Portsdown Classic. Now sponsored by T&M Cable Services, whose personal connection via Sam Fox of Racing Club Ravenna adds charm to the partnership, the race continues to thrive. Supporting sponsor Harry Johnson’s Full Beans Cycling Company also returns, embodying the grassroots ethos that defines the event. This year, Ottley has introduced chip timing, ensuring precise results and responding to feedback from last year’s competitors.
Sam Culverwell wins the 2024 edition. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
The Route
The Portsdown Classic may be short at just 72 kilometres, but its relentless terrain and challenging weather conditions demand respect. Five laps of a lumpy 13.6-kilometre circuit around Portsdown Hill deliver punchy climbs, sweeping descents, and the ever-present threat of coastal crosswinds.
The race begins with a neutralised start from Southdowns College before the climbing starts in earnest at kilometre four. The sharpest gradients (up to 10.6%) come after the village of Boarhunt, setting the tone for a race of attrition. Riders then hit the exposed stretch along Portsdown Hill Road, flanked by Portsmouth Harbour on one side and an army barracks on the other. This section often splinters the peloton as crosswinds wreak havoc.
The finale is as unforgiving as the rest of the race. Leaving the main circuit, the route veers onto Crooked Walk Lane, where the finish line lies atop a savage climb with double-digit gradients. Last year, the crowds braved the cold to cheer riders over the line, and this year promises no less drama for those lining the roadside.
If the 2024 edition is anything to go by, the 2025 Portsdown Classic will once again prove that in British road racing, it’s not the length of the race but the intensity that counts.
Tom Williams, now racing for Italian Conti team Monzon-Incolor-Gub, is one such contender. The 21-year-old was our breakthrough rider of 2024. His victory at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic marked him as a rider to watch, but his season’s crowning moment came in August with a crushing win at the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix. This performance earned him a swift transfer to Saint Piran. Williams has spent the winter training in Spain and will be eager to translate those hard yards into an early season win.
Rowan Baker. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
New domestic outfit Raptor Factory Racing made a splash with the launch of their squad, which features three former Saint Piran riders. They bring a strong team to the race, spearheaded by Rowan Baker. The 2024 East Cleveland Classic winner knows this race well, having finished third last year and fifth the year before. Talented 19-year-old Alex Franks will be looking to make an impression after a long break from racing, while Tom Heal, a former winner of the prestigious Jock Wadley Memorial Road Race, adds further depth. Heal also secured podium finishes in National B races last year and offers another strong option for the team.
Speaking of Jock Wadley winners, Jacob Vaughan lines up in the colours of his club team VC Londres. The Londoner focuses mostly on gravel these days but won the Jock Wadley last season in gritty conditions and knows this race well, having won in the Perfs Pedal in 2019 when in the colours of Canyon dhb.
Jacob Vaughan wins the 2024 Jock Wadley Memorial. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
MucOff-SRCT-Storck field will also be a team to watch, particularly in the shape of Will Truelove, who ended 2024 with an excellent second at the Beaumont Trophy, and reigning BUCS road race champion Ed Morgan.
Foran CT brings an Anglo-Irish flavour to the race, led by Dom Jackson. The 2024 Rás winner was fifth here last season and is capable of an even stronger result this time. His teammate Danylo Riwnyj enjoyed a consistent 2024 campaign and is a rider capable of breaking into the top ten.
Dom Jackson at the 2024 Portsdown Classic. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Richardson Trek DAS’s Jordan Giles, a two-time National B road race winner in 2024, is another rider to watch. Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) had a breakout year last season, running Rowan Baker close in the Under-23 National Road Series and claiming victory at the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race. He’ll be looking to prove that 2024 was no fluke.
Clay Davies (RideRevolution) was one of the standout domestic riders last season but may find the terrain here a little too lumpy for his liking. Tom Couzens (Montezuma’s Eventrex Race Team), however, will hope his cyclocross form translates well to the road. Meanwhile, Sam Clark (Obidos Cycling Team), a former Yorkshire Under-23 Classic winner, will be keen to put a challenging 2024 behind him.
Timings
The race kicks off at 11.00 and should finish around 13.00.
How to follow
We will be on the ground, so keep an eye out on our Instagram account for interviews and, drum roll, we will be trialling our new live ticker here!
The wait is over. On Sunday 9 February, the British domestic road racing season kicks off in style with the Portsdown Classic. A race with heritage and heart, it’s where winter form is tested and early-season ambitions take shape. Expect drama on Portsdown Hill, chaos in the crosswinds, and a final showdown on Crooked Walk Lane’s tough slopes.
Here is our preview.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
What is it?
The Perfs Pedal was one of the crown jewels of the British road racing calendar. First run in 1964, it was the race that signalled the start of the season, providing riders with an early test of form after their winter training. Over the decades, the race’s illustrious roll call of winners has included Ian Hallam, Dave LeGrys, Chris Newton, Sean Yates, Tim Harris, Alex Dowsett, Jack Rootkin-Gray and most recently, Saint Piran’s Sam Culverwell.
The race faced an uncertain future when long-standing organiser Mick Waite stepped down. But thanks to Seb Ottley, the event was revived under a new name and with a revised finish as the Portsdown Classic. Now sponsored by T&M Cable Services, whose personal connection via Sam Fox of Racing Club Ravenna adds charm to the partnership, the race continues to thrive. Supporting sponsor Harry Johnson’s Full Beans Cycling Company also returns, embodying the grassroots ethos that defines the event. This year, Ottley has introduced chip timing, ensuring precise results and responding to feedback from last year’s competitors.
The Route
The Portsdown Classic may be short at just 72 kilometres, but its relentless terrain and challenging weather conditions demand respect. Five laps of a lumpy 13.6-kilometre circuit around Portsdown Hill deliver punchy climbs, sweeping descents, and the ever-present threat of coastal crosswinds.
The race begins with a neutralised start from Southdowns College before the climbing starts in earnest at kilometre four. The sharpest gradients (up to 10.6%) come after the village of Boarhunt, setting the tone for a race of attrition. Riders then hit the exposed stretch along Portsdown Hill Road, flanked by Portsmouth Harbour on one side and an army barracks on the other. This section often splinters the peloton as crosswinds wreak havoc.
The finale is as unforgiving as the rest of the race. Leaving the main circuit, the route veers onto Crooked Walk Lane, where the finish line lies atop a savage climb with double-digit gradients. Last year, the crowds braved the cold to cheer riders over the line, and this year promises no less drama for those lining the roadside.
If the 2024 edition is anything to go by, the 2025 Portsdown Classic will once again prove that in British road racing, it’s not the length of the race but the intensity that counts.
Contenders
Saint Piran dominated the 2023 and 2024 editions of the race. Although the Cornish UCI Continental team has since disbanded, several of their former riders are among this year’s favourites.
Tom Williams, now racing for Italian Conti team Monzon-Incolor-Gub, is one such contender. The 21-year-old was our breakthrough rider of 2024. His victory at the Yorkshire Under-23 Classic marked him as a rider to watch, but his season’s crowning moment came in August with a crushing win at the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix. This performance earned him a swift transfer to Saint Piran. Williams has spent the winter training in Spain and will be eager to translate those hard yards into an early season win.
New domestic outfit Raptor Factory Racing made a splash with the launch of their squad, which features three former Saint Piran riders. They bring a strong team to the race, spearheaded by Rowan Baker. The 2024 East Cleveland Classic winner knows this race well, having finished third last year and fifth the year before. Talented 19-year-old Alex Franks will be looking to make an impression after a long break from racing, while Tom Heal, a former winner of the prestigious Jock Wadley Memorial Road Race, adds further depth. Heal also secured podium finishes in National B races last year and offers another strong option for the team.
Speaking of Jock Wadley winners, Jacob Vaughan lines up in the colours of his club team VC Londres. The Londoner focuses mostly on gravel these days but won the Jock Wadley last season in gritty conditions and knows this race well, having won in the Perfs Pedal in 2019 when in the colours of Canyon dhb.
MucOff-SRCT-Storck field will also be a team to watch, particularly in the shape of Will Truelove, who ended 2024 with an excellent second at the Beaumont Trophy, and reigning BUCS road race champion Ed Morgan.
Foran CT brings an Anglo-Irish flavour to the race, led by Dom Jackson. The 2024 Rás winner was fifth here last season and is capable of an even stronger result this time. His teammate Danylo Riwnyj enjoyed a consistent 2024 campaign and is a rider capable of breaking into the top ten.
Richardson Trek DAS’s Jordan Giles, a two-time National B road race winner in 2024, is another rider to watch. Archie Peet (Reflex Racing) had a breakout year last season, running Rowan Baker close in the Under-23 National Road Series and claiming victory at the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race. He’ll be looking to prove that 2024 was no fluke.
Clay Davies (RideRevolution) was one of the standout domestic riders last season but may find the terrain here a little too lumpy for his liking. Tom Couzens (Montezuma’s Eventrex Race Team), however, will hope his cyclocross form translates well to the road. Meanwhile, Sam Clark (Obidos Cycling Team), a former Yorkshire Under-23 Classic winner, will be keen to put a challenging 2024 behind him.
Timings
The race kicks off at 11.00 and should finish around 13.00.
How to follow
We will be on the ground, so keep an eye out on our Instagram account for interviews and, drum roll, we will be trialling our new live ticker here!
You can also follow the live leaderboard here.
Provisional startlist
3TheoAndersonChippenham & Dist Whls1st35TheoHesterSchils – Doltcini Racing Team2nd48TobyLangstoneLe Col Race Team2nd60AugustOraVC Londres2ndReserves
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