Innovative courses, iconic landscapes, biblical weather and stacked fields. It’s no wonder that the Peaks 2 Day has captured the imagination in its short three-year history and earned itself a reputation as a premier National B race and staple of the early season calendar. Here is our preview of the fourth edition of the three-stage event, which returns this weekend with editions for both the Open and Women’s fields.
First run in 2022, the race is the work of Yomp Bonk Crew, a group of young organisers offering a breath of fresh air to race organisation and promotion.
A rare UK stage race, the Peaks 2 Day has quickly garnered prestige; strong fields across both the Open and Women’s races tempted by stunning landscapes and the hilly terrain the race offers. This edition promises to further cement the race’s place in the calendar, using parcours from both sides of the National Park with a new course alongside the now traditional time trial up Holme Moss, a climb etched into the history of cycling in Britain long before it claimed worldwide fame as the Tour de France peloton ascended it to raucous crowds back in 2014.
Large fields will hope to add their names to an already prestigious list of winners. George Peden, Ollie Peckover and Tom Martin have claimed the Open race, with Becky Storrie, Tammy Miller and now WorldTour star Imogen Wolff victors in the Women’s edition. Cumbrian Martin and returns to defend his crown after battling the elements to win a thrilling edition on a freezing weekend last year.
Image: Emma Wilcock
Schedule
Saturday 15 March
Time
Race
Stage
9.00
Women’s race
Stage 1 time trial
1.1.00
Open race
Stage 1 road race
15.00
Women’s race
Stage 2 road race
Sunday 16 March
Time
Race
Stage
9.00
Open race
Stage 2 time trial
11.00
Women’s race
Stage 3 road race
15.00
Open race
Stage 3 road race
The stages
Overview
Both the Open and Women’s races consist of three stages: two road races and a short time trial spread across the weekend. Saturday’s action is set around the Longor course on the south western edge of the National Park, with the action moving to the North East of the Peak on Sunday, kicking off with a Holme Moss time trial for the Open race, followed by road racing on the Carlecotes course just outside Holmfirth to complete the event for both fields.
Day 1
Women’s Stage One: Longor Time Trial
The action kicks off at 9am with a short 5.9km road bike time trial, starting in Longor itself and following the final easterly stretch of the course used for the afternoon’s road races. Despite its short length, the course packs a punch with 278m of elevation, short bursts of double digit gradients greeting the riders from the off as the road rises almost all the way to the finish line with only small periods of descent giving some relief.
Although the average gradient for the climb is below 4%, the test looks a tougher one than that. A measured effort will be crucial, the changes in gradient making the opening stage a difficult one to read.
Open Stage One / Women’s Stage Two: Longor Road Race
11 am sees the Open race begin with a 100km road race taking in three laps of the full Longor course, a new course for the race, while the Women’s race will resume at 3 pm with a 67km race across two laps of the aforementioned Longor course.
With each lap packing in almost 700m of elevation, the races are set to favour attacking riders; the climbers looking to make use of the Onecote climb, a 1.3km test with an average gradient of 6.3%, as well as the tough climb to the finish already tested in the morning time trial by the women.
The opening road stage has seen some large gaps in previous years, the up and down nature of the course and stage race format posing an unusual tactical, and physical, conundrum for the riders.
Day Two
Open Stage Two: Holme Moss Time Trial
One of the great spectacles of National B racing makes a welcome return, the only remaining feature of last year’s route, A 3km test up the famous Holme Moss climb. Ascending 221m to the famous road sign at the summit, gradients reach north of 12% as some of the UK’s best Hill Climb specialists look to create an advantage over some of the strongest riders on the domestic circuit who will not be used to doing such an effort under these conditions.
Open and Women’s Stage Three
Both races reach their finale on the short and hilly Carlecotes course: first a gruelling 8 lap, 85km duel for the women, before a 10 lap, 106km test concludes the open race. With 1400 and 1800m of climbing respectively, the races will still be very much up for grabs whatever the overall picture coming into the final stages.
The circuit features two main climbs, neither gratuitously steep, with both averaging just under 4%. With the climb to the finish over 2.2km in length, the course offers opportunities for the strongest riders to shine. Fatigue at the end of a tough weekend will certainly be a factor in deciding who will take overall glory, as well as a complex tactical picture, making this one of the best races to follow of the year.
Weather
After snow marred the race last year, forcing the cancellation of the opening Women’s time trial stage and creating biblical conditions for the Open finale, this year’s forecast looks remarkably placid. A cold start gives way to highs of 9 degrees, with very light winds forecast.
How it works
Each race – Open category and women’s – will have an overall winner i.e. the rider that completes the three stages in the shortest time. In the event of riders finishing on the same time, the general classification will be determined by the finishing positions on stages 1, 2 and 3.
In addition, there is a climbing competition with points being awarded for the first six riders across the top of the climb of the specified KOM/QOM laps.
Stage
Open race
Women’s race
Stage 1
Laps 1 & 2
Double points given for the TT
Stage 2
Double points given for the TT
Lap 1
Stage 3
Laps 2, 5 & 8
Laps 2, 4 & 6
The points awarded will be as follows: 1st (6 points); 2nd (5 points); 3rd (4 points); 4th (3 points); 5th (2 points); 6th (1 point). In the event of a tie, the placings will be determined based on the number of higher placed results.
There will also be a prize for best local rider.
Riders to watch
Open Race
A full field of 80 makes up a startlist worthy of a National A race.
Heading the field is defending champion Tom Martin (Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli), who will be looking to double up ahead of a trip to Belgium for a gravel race at the end of the month. A talented climber, Martin’s aggressive, all-in style saw him take overall victory against the odds on the final stage last year, and the Carlecotes circuit plays to his strengths once again where the strongest efforts should be rewarded.
Tom Martin at the 2024 Peaks 2 Day. Image: Emma Wilcock
He forms part of an exceptionally strong Wheelbase team, the Cumbrian outfit fielding five riders in total. Tom Armstrong enjoyed his best season to date in 2024, where he finished third in the National Road Series. The Yorkshireman is another talented climber and will enjoy the terrain, as will James McKay who was second in that series a year ago riding for the now defunct Saint Piran. One of the strongest riders in the country, Sheffield’s McKay will be looking to prove he belongs at Continental level as he debuts for his new team. Dexter Leeming-Sykes is another rider on debut for Wheelbase, and after a tough year in France will hope to return to the 2023 form that saw him breakthrough to the upper echelons of the sport in the UK. With Max Bufton in support, the team, clad in their distinctive green jerseys, will be difficult to stop as they look to throw down the gauntlet with less than a month to go to the opening round of the National Road Series, the East Cleveland Classic.
Rowan Baker won that race in emphatic style last season and could prove to be a thorn in the Wheelbase side over the weekend as he spearheads a Raptor Factory Racing team which also contains two of his former Saint Piran teammates: experienced climber Bradley Symonds, and UCI race winner and all-rounder Dylan Hicks. With Alex Franks and National B winner Thomas Heal in support, the stage is set for a mouth-watering clash between the two biggest teams in the race.
Rowan Baker wins the 2024 RCR FatCreations road race. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Moonglu Spatzwear enter a five-man team, and although on paper they aren’t as strong as those aforementioned, they do have stage race pedigree with Ronde van Wymeswold winner and TT specialist Ben Pease leading their charge.
First year U23 Nathan Smith leads a youthful Cycling Sheffield outfit as he steps up after a glittering junior career which included second place at the Bizkaiko Itzulia stage race in the Basque Country. Described by team boss Dave Coulson as a “real climber”, he will find the terrain to his liking, the question being if Sunday’s road stage offers gradients steep enough for him to excel.
There are a number of other riders in the field who will be hoping to spoil the party for the likes of Wheelbase and Raptor, including Josh Housley, who makes his Primera-TeamJobs debut after a breakthrough 2024. Inaugural winner George Peden returns alongside PB Performance teammate and Welsh Champion Sam Llewelyn, while Sam Walsham (Reflex Nopinz) has started the season in fine form with a win at Darley Moor and second at the Clayton Spring Classic.
Josh Housley. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Will Truelove (Muc-Off – SRCT – Storck) ended 2024 on a high with 2nd in the Beaumont Trophy, and is on the cusp of another big win having taken the opening round of the 2023 U23 National Road Series.
The race also features some of the best hill climb specialists in the country, who will get to show their skills on Holme Moss as well as the two road stages. National Champion Harry MacFarlane (Ride Revolution Coaching) makes the journey from London, and although the Holme Moss climb may prove slightly too long for him, he is an experienced hand at National B racing on terrain that suits him. One hill climb specialist who will enjoy the time trial is Andrew Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products). The Sheffield rider has also made the top ten in the Lincoln GP before, proving he should not be underestimated, especially on such hilly terrain.
Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) may still be a second year junior, although that makes his ride at last year’s Hill Climb Championships all the more remarkable, as he demolished his opposition on the way to the junior title in a time that would have taken a medal in the senior event. Hill climbs are where some of Britain’s greatest riders cut their teeth, and although he is inexperienced at National B level, Hudson could well be one to watch over the weekend, particularly when the road goes uphill.
Women’s Race
DAS-Hutchinson have been the dominant team in domestic cycling for a number of years now, and bring a strong four-woman squad to the race as they begin their domestic season. Curlew Cup and Lincoln GP winner Robyn Clay is the standout name, alongside the experienced Lucy Lee, who has proven she can perform on the biggest stages. Elizabeth Hermolle has impressed before in hilly races as she moves from Team Boompods, while first year U23 Ruby Oakes is already a National B winner from 2024.
Robyn Clay at the 2024 Ronde van Wymeswold. Image: Robyn Clay
They will have stiff opposition from a revamped Handsling Alba Development Road Team, who field six riders including Sheffield GP winner Keira Bond, the American’s aggressive style well suited to both the terrain and stage race format. She will be joined by 2024 CiCLE Classic winner and crucial new signing El King as the team look to make their numbers count.
Smurfit Westrock CT got their domestic season off to the perfect start with Bexy Dew winning the inaugural North Lincolnshire Women’s Classic on Sunday, and they have six riders in attendance here as they look to continue their success. Alex Morrice brings WorldTour experience with her, complimenting Lucy Harris, who was second overall in the National Road Series last year and Lucy Gadd, who finished second in this race 12 months ago, less than 30 seconds off a memorable win.
Bexy Dew at the North Lincolnshire Women’s Classic. Image: Joe Hudson Photo
Kate Richardson (Hess Cycling Team) experienced a rollercoaster 2024 and makes a welcome return to road racing following a devastating hit and run incident last June. A former individual pursuit national champion and Lincoln GP winner, the 22-year-old should find the time trial to her liking and has the experience to place her among the favourites for the GC.
Melissa Denman (Stolen Goat RT) put in her best National B performance on Sunday, finishing second after breaking away with Dew, proving she is in good form, while 19-year-old Matilda McKibben (AC O’Shea Racing Team) has shown well on hilly courses before and will look to take another step in her development this season.
Innovative courses, iconic landscapes, biblical weather and stacked fields. It’s no wonder that the Peaks 2 Day has captured the imagination in its short three-year history and earned itself a reputation as a premier National B race and staple of the early season calendar. Here is our preview of the fourth edition of the three-stage event, which returns this weekend with editions for both the Open and Women’s fields.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
What is it?
First run in 2022, the race is the work of Yomp Bonk Crew, a group of young organisers offering a breath of fresh air to race organisation and promotion.
A rare UK stage race, the Peaks 2 Day has quickly garnered prestige; strong fields across both the Open and Women’s races tempted by stunning landscapes and the hilly terrain the race offers. This edition promises to further cement the race’s place in the calendar, using parcours from both sides of the National Park with a new course alongside the now traditional time trial up Holme Moss, a climb etched into the history of cycling in Britain long before it claimed worldwide fame as the Tour de France peloton ascended it to raucous crowds back in 2014.
Large fields will hope to add their names to an already prestigious list of winners. George Peden, Ollie Peckover and Tom Martin have claimed the Open race, with Becky Storrie, Tammy Miller and now WorldTour star Imogen Wolff victors in the Women’s edition. Cumbrian Martin and returns to defend his crown after battling the elements to win a thrilling edition on a freezing weekend last year.
Schedule
Saturday 15 March
Sunday 16 March
The stages
Overview
Both the Open and Women’s races consist of three stages: two road races and a short time trial spread across the weekend. Saturday’s action is set around the Longor course on the south western edge of the National Park, with the action moving to the North East of the Peak on Sunday, kicking off with a Holme Moss time trial for the Open race, followed by road racing on the Carlecotes course just outside Holmfirth to complete the event for both fields.
Day 1
Women’s Stage One: Longor Time Trial
The action kicks off at 9am with a short 5.9km road bike time trial, starting in Longor itself and following the final easterly stretch of the course used for the afternoon’s road races. Despite its short length, the course packs a punch with 278m of elevation, short bursts of double digit gradients greeting the riders from the off as the road rises almost all the way to the finish line with only small periods of descent giving some relief.
Although the average gradient for the climb is below 4%, the test looks a tougher one than that. A measured effort will be crucial, the changes in gradient making the opening stage a difficult one to read.
Open Stage One / Women’s Stage Two: Longor Road Race
11 am sees the Open race begin with a 100km road race taking in three laps of the full Longor course, a new course for the race, while the Women’s race will resume at 3 pm with a 67km race across two laps of the aforementioned Longor course.
With each lap packing in almost 700m of elevation, the races are set to favour attacking riders; the climbers looking to make use of the Onecote climb, a 1.3km test with an average gradient of 6.3%, as well as the tough climb to the finish already tested in the morning time trial by the women.
The opening road stage has seen some large gaps in previous years, the up and down nature of the course and stage race format posing an unusual tactical, and physical, conundrum for the riders.
Day Two
Open Stage Two: Holme Moss Time Trial
One of the great spectacles of National B racing makes a welcome return, the only remaining feature of last year’s route, A 3km test up the famous Holme Moss climb. Ascending 221m to the famous road sign at the summit, gradients reach north of 12% as some of the UK’s best Hill Climb specialists look to create an advantage over some of the strongest riders on the domestic circuit who will not be used to doing such an effort under these conditions.
Open and Women’s Stage Three
Both races reach their finale on the short and hilly Carlecotes course: first a gruelling 8 lap, 85km duel for the women, before a 10 lap, 106km test concludes the open race. With 1400 and 1800m of climbing respectively, the races will still be very much up for grabs whatever the overall picture coming into the final stages.
The circuit features two main climbs, neither gratuitously steep, with both averaging just under 4%. With the climb to the finish over 2.2km in length, the course offers opportunities for the strongest riders to shine. Fatigue at the end of a tough weekend will certainly be a factor in deciding who will take overall glory, as well as a complex tactical picture, making this one of the best races to follow of the year.
Weather
After snow marred the race last year, forcing the cancellation of the opening Women’s time trial stage and creating biblical conditions for the Open finale, this year’s forecast looks remarkably placid. A cold start gives way to highs of 9 degrees, with very light winds forecast.
How it works
Each race – Open category and women’s – will have an overall winner i.e. the rider that completes the three stages in the shortest time. In the event of riders finishing on the same time, the general classification will be determined by the finishing positions on stages 1, 2 and 3.
In addition, there is a climbing competition with points being awarded for the first six riders across the top of the climb of the specified KOM/QOM laps.
The points awarded will be as follows: 1st (6 points); 2nd (5 points); 3rd (4 points); 4th (3 points); 5th (2 points); 6th (1 point). In the event of a tie, the placings will be determined based on the number of higher placed results.
There will also be a prize for best local rider.
Riders to watch
Open Race
A full field of 80 makes up a startlist worthy of a National A race.
Heading the field is defending champion Tom Martin (Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli), who will be looking to double up ahead of a trip to Belgium for a gravel race at the end of the month. A talented climber, Martin’s aggressive, all-in style saw him take overall victory against the odds on the final stage last year, and the Carlecotes circuit plays to his strengths once again where the strongest efforts should be rewarded.
He forms part of an exceptionally strong Wheelbase team, the Cumbrian outfit fielding five riders in total. Tom Armstrong enjoyed his best season to date in 2024, where he finished third in the National Road Series. The Yorkshireman is another talented climber and will enjoy the terrain, as will James McKay who was second in that series a year ago riding for the now defunct Saint Piran. One of the strongest riders in the country, Sheffield’s McKay will be looking to prove he belongs at Continental level as he debuts for his new team. Dexter Leeming-Sykes is another rider on debut for Wheelbase, and after a tough year in France will hope to return to the 2023 form that saw him breakthrough to the upper echelons of the sport in the UK. With Max Bufton in support, the team, clad in their distinctive green jerseys, will be difficult to stop as they look to throw down the gauntlet with less than a month to go to the opening round of the National Road Series, the East Cleveland Classic.
Rowan Baker won that race in emphatic style last season and could prove to be a thorn in the Wheelbase side over the weekend as he spearheads a Raptor Factory Racing team which also contains two of his former Saint Piran teammates: experienced climber Bradley Symonds, and UCI race winner and all-rounder Dylan Hicks. With Alex Franks and National B winner Thomas Heal in support, the stage is set for a mouth-watering clash between the two biggest teams in the race.
Moonglu Spatzwear enter a five-man team, and although on paper they aren’t as strong as those aforementioned, they do have stage race pedigree with Ronde van Wymeswold winner and TT specialist Ben Pease leading their charge.
First year U23 Nathan Smith leads a youthful Cycling Sheffield outfit as he steps up after a glittering junior career which included second place at the Bizkaiko Itzulia stage race in the Basque Country. Described by team boss Dave Coulson as a “real climber”, he will find the terrain to his liking, the question being if Sunday’s road stage offers gradients steep enough for him to excel.
There are a number of other riders in the field who will be hoping to spoil the party for the likes of Wheelbase and Raptor, including Josh Housley, who makes his Primera-TeamJobs debut after a breakthrough 2024. Inaugural winner George Peden returns alongside PB Performance teammate and Welsh Champion Sam Llewelyn, while Sam Walsham (Reflex Nopinz) has started the season in fine form with a win at Darley Moor and second at the Clayton Spring Classic.
Will Truelove (Muc-Off – SRCT – Storck) ended 2024 on a high with 2nd in the Beaumont Trophy, and is on the cusp of another big win having taken the opening round of the 2023 U23 National Road Series.
The race also features some of the best hill climb specialists in the country, who will get to show their skills on Holme Moss as well as the two road stages. National Champion Harry MacFarlane (Ride Revolution Coaching) makes the journey from London, and although the Holme Moss climb may prove slightly too long for him, he is an experienced hand at National B racing on terrain that suits him. One hill climb specialist who will enjoy the time trial is Andrew Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products). The Sheffield rider has also made the top ten in the Lincoln GP before, proving he should not be underestimated, especially on such hilly terrain.
Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) may still be a second year junior, although that makes his ride at last year’s Hill Climb Championships all the more remarkable, as he demolished his opposition on the way to the junior title in a time that would have taken a medal in the senior event. Hill climbs are where some of Britain’s greatest riders cut their teeth, and although he is inexperienced at National B level, Hudson could well be one to watch over the weekend, particularly when the road goes uphill.
Women’s Race
DAS-Hutchinson have been the dominant team in domestic cycling for a number of years now, and bring a strong four-woman squad to the race as they begin their domestic season. Curlew Cup and Lincoln GP winner Robyn Clay is the standout name, alongside the experienced Lucy Lee, who has proven she can perform on the biggest stages. Elizabeth Hermolle has impressed before in hilly races as she moves from Team Boompods, while first year U23 Ruby Oakes is already a National B winner from 2024.
They will have stiff opposition from a revamped Handsling Alba Development Road Team, who field six riders including Sheffield GP winner Keira Bond, the American’s aggressive style well suited to both the terrain and stage race format. She will be joined by 2024 CiCLE Classic winner and crucial new signing El King as the team look to make their numbers count.
Smurfit Westrock CT got their domestic season off to the perfect start with Bexy Dew winning the inaugural North Lincolnshire Women’s Classic on Sunday, and they have six riders in attendance here as they look to continue their success. Alex Morrice brings WorldTour experience with her, complimenting Lucy Harris, who was second overall in the National Road Series last year and Lucy Gadd, who finished second in this race 12 months ago, less than 30 seconds off a memorable win.
Kate Richardson (Hess Cycling Team) experienced a rollercoaster 2024 and makes a welcome return to road racing following a devastating hit and run incident last June. A former individual pursuit national champion and Lincoln GP winner, the 22-year-old should find the time trial to her liking and has the experience to place her among the favourites for the GC.
Melissa Denman (Stolen Goat RT) put in her best National B performance on Sunday, finishing second after breaking away with Dew, proving she is in good form, while 19-year-old Matilda McKibben (AC O’Shea Racing Team) has shown well on hilly courses before and will look to take another step in her development this season.
Provisional startlists
Women’s race
Updated: 22.45, 12 March
Open race
Updated: 9.00, 15 March 2025
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