Rowan Baker (Raptor Factory Racing) stole the show on the final stage of the Peaks 2 Day, taking a stunning solo victory by over four minutes, and with it the overall title. Baker’s heroics followed a thrilling time trial on the fabled slopes of Holme Moss in the morning which saw the GC fight intensify, hill climb prodigy Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova RT) storming to victory in 7:26.
In the women’s race, the final stage delivered a tense 85km battle on the short, hilly Carlecotes circuit, where Lucy Gadd (Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team) successfully defended her GC lead while Esther Wong (Torelli) took a hard-fought sprint victory.
With its sharp climbs and technical descents, the Carlecotes course was always going to test the riders. Smurfit Westrock, holding first and third overall, set a fast but controlled tempo, determined to shut down attacks and keep Gadd safe. The early laps saw multiple attacks, but the peloton stayed compact, with Smurfit Westrock and DAS-Hutchinson ensuring no moves gained traction.
However, as the race wore on, the intensity began to take its toll. Lap by lap, riders dropped from the bunch, unable to hold the high pace over the repeated climbs. By the penultimate lap, just 11 riders remained in contention.
With overnight leader Lucy Gadd holding just an 11-second lead over Elizabeth Hermolle (DAS-Hutchinson), Smurfit Westrock played the defensive game, shutting down moves and keeping the race together. “My team were amazing and controlled the race,” Gadd said. “We had five riders in the front group of 11, and they brought back attacks to set up the final.”
Esther Wong (Torelli), sitting fourth overall, was aggressive throughout, hoping to jump onto the podium. She attacked on the penultimate lap, hoping to break clear, but was reeled in on the descent. “After that, I just accepted I wasn’t getting away,” she admitted. “I focused on winning the sprint instead.”
Coming into the final sprint, Wong’s patience paid off as she launched a perfectly timed effort to edge out Hermolle and Holly Ramsey (Hess Cycling Team) for the stage win.
Despite not feeling at her best, Gadd held firm, crossing the line just three seconds behind Wong to seal the overall title. “My team set a hard pace on the last climb to prevent any big moves. I was never at risk of losing my 11-second lead,” she said.
Her teammate Lucy Harris finished safely in the front group to secure third place overall, rounding off a dominant display from Smurfit Westrock. “This is a team win, one we’re incredibly proud of,” Gadd said.
For Wong, her first victory of the season was bittersweet – she missed the podium but proved she’s one of the strongest riders in the peloton. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season,” she said.
Open race
Stage 2
Few time trials on the National B calendar capture the imagination quite like the Holme Moss TT, a brutal 3km ascent where riders battle gradients exceeding 12% to reach the summit’s iconic road sign. With clear conditions and a strong tailwind, the stage was primed for fireworks—and it didn’t disappoint.
Rowan Baker (Raptor Factory Racing), second overall after Stage 1, laid down the early benchmark with a 7:58, but his time was soon beaten by Jake Edwards (360Cycling), one of the breakthrough riders of the season, who stopped the clock at 7:55. Then came the GC battle—race leader Adam Howell (Muc-Off – SRCT – Storck) smashed the standings with a blistering 7:39, but it was Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova RT) who stole the show. The Harrogate Nova rider delivered a stunning 7:26, not only securing the stage win but slashing his GC deficit to Howell to just 17 seconds heading into the final stage.
Elsewhere, James McKay and Tom Armstrong (both Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) were handed 10-second penalties for crossing the white line, a costly mistake in a race where every second counts.
Stage 3
After the morning’s time trial up the fabled slopes of Holme Moss, 10 riders sat within two minutes of race leader, and surprise package, Adam Howell; the 20-year-old holding a 17 second advantage over junior sensation Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) and 49 seconds over the pre-race favourites Rowan Baker and Howell’s MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK teammate Will Truelove, who sat in fourth and fifth respectively.
With 100km to decide the race’s fate over ten laps of the hilly Carlecotes circuit, the pace was electric from the off with a number of riders abandoning early in proceedings. Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli), sitting in 10th overall, was the first to go on the attack, Josh Housley (Primera-TeamJobs) next to counter up one of the many climbs on the route. Quickly reeled in, the attacks continued to rain down, Armstrong’s teammate Tom Martin the next to show his hand, hoping to repeat last year’s escape which saw him take the overall victory, this time with talented climber Ryan Williams (Cycling Sheffield) for company.
With the danger obvious, the pair were soon brought back as more riders took advantage of the parcour to fire themselves up the road. Rowan Baker, sitting in fourth overall at just shy of 50 seconds, decided the fourth lap was the time to make his move as he put in an effort on one of the long climbs, collecting riders already up the road as he continued his attack all the way to the top.
By the summit only two riders remained with him: Will Taylor (Moonglu Spatzwear) and first year U23 Jake Edwards (360 Cycling), who had beaten Baker earlier in the time trial and sat a place ahead of him on the GC.
The trio worked well as the gap quickly opened to the chasing peloton – a minute in the opening lap, as Baker, who told the British Continental that his “legs felt great”, pushed the pace on every ascent.
With the pace high, the ponytailed Edwards was the first to find the tempo too high on the seventh lap, losing contact, and hopes of overall victory, but gaining a growing reputation as one of the young riders to watch this season at the same time. Taylor suffered the same fate a lap later, the insatiable Baker attacking him on a short, steep kicker and not looking back. The Raptor Factory Racing rider’s advantage grew to over two minutes to Taylor, and four to the decimated peloton, with one lap remaining.
Baker, winner of the East Cleveland Classic last season with a similar solo attack, continued to press on and hammer home a strong message to his rivals as the kilometres ticked down, his advantage over Taylor 4:36 by the time he dismounted his bike and lifted it across the line to celebrate a remarkable victory. Howell, who started the stage as GC leader, came home just four seconds after Taylor to finish 3rd on the stage, leading home a fractured peloton. Second on GC, it was mixed emotions for a rider who propelled himself to the top tier of domestic road racing over the weekend.
Only 23 riders finished the final stage such was the ferocity, and difficulty, of the race across the weekend; Will Truelove rounding out the overall podium after a 5th place finish behind Baker on the stage. 17-year-old Harry Hudson lived up to his promise, collecting the KOM prize alongside his Holme Moss stage win, while Baker’s Raptor Factory Racing team took home the team prize, the winner quick to praise his teammates for their role in his win, anchoring the chase groups behind as his advantage continued to increase.
Baker threw down a heavy gauntlet to his rivals with such an emphatic victory less than a month away from the opening round of the National Road Series. He heads to the Wally Gimber and Kennel Hill Classic National Bs in the next few weeks, while Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli will be licking their wounds after a disappointing weekend; the only way up for the Cumbrian team after a weekend with few highlights, Max Bufton their best GC finisher in 9th.
Rowan Baker (Raptor Factory Racing) stole the show on the final stage of the Peaks 2 Day, taking a stunning solo victory by over four minutes, and with it the overall title. Baker’s heroics followed a thrilling time trial on the fabled slopes of Holme Moss in the morning which saw the GC fight intensify, hill climb prodigy Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova RT) storming to victory in 7:26.
In the women’s race, the final stage delivered a tense 85km battle on the short, hilly Carlecotes circuit, where Lucy Gadd (Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team) successfully defended her GC lead while Esther Wong (Torelli) took a hard-fought sprint victory.
Featured image: Bob MacGregor
Report
Women’s race
Stage 3
With its sharp climbs and technical descents, the Carlecotes course was always going to test the riders. Smurfit Westrock, holding first and third overall, set a fast but controlled tempo, determined to shut down attacks and keep Gadd safe. The early laps saw multiple attacks, but the peloton stayed compact, with Smurfit Westrock and DAS-Hutchinson ensuring no moves gained traction.
However, as the race wore on, the intensity began to take its toll. Lap by lap, riders dropped from the bunch, unable to hold the high pace over the repeated climbs. By the penultimate lap, just 11 riders remained in contention.
With overnight leader Lucy Gadd holding just an 11-second lead over Elizabeth Hermolle (DAS-Hutchinson), Smurfit Westrock played the defensive game, shutting down moves and keeping the race together. “My team were amazing and controlled the race,” Gadd said. “We had five riders in the front group of 11, and they brought back attacks to set up the final.”
Esther Wong (Torelli), sitting fourth overall, was aggressive throughout, hoping to jump onto the podium. She attacked on the penultimate lap, hoping to break clear, but was reeled in on the descent. “After that, I just accepted I wasn’t getting away,” she admitted. “I focused on winning the sprint instead.”
Coming into the final sprint, Wong’s patience paid off as she launched a perfectly timed effort to edge out Hermolle and Holly Ramsey (Hess Cycling Team) for the stage win.
Despite not feeling at her best, Gadd held firm, crossing the line just three seconds behind Wong to seal the overall title. “My team set a hard pace on the last climb to prevent any big moves. I was never at risk of losing my 11-second lead,” she said.
Her teammate Lucy Harris finished safely in the front group to secure third place overall, rounding off a dominant display from Smurfit Westrock. “This is a team win, one we’re incredibly proud of,” Gadd said.
For Wong, her first victory of the season was bittersweet – she missed the podium but proved she’s one of the strongest riders in the peloton. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season,” she said.
Open race
Stage 2
Few time trials on the National B calendar capture the imagination quite like the Holme Moss TT, a brutal 3km ascent where riders battle gradients exceeding 12% to reach the summit’s iconic road sign. With clear conditions and a strong tailwind, the stage was primed for fireworks—and it didn’t disappoint.
Rowan Baker (Raptor Factory Racing), second overall after Stage 1, laid down the early benchmark with a 7:58, but his time was soon beaten by Jake Edwards (360Cycling), one of the breakthrough riders of the season, who stopped the clock at 7:55. Then came the GC battle—race leader Adam Howell (Muc-Off – SRCT – Storck) smashed the standings with a blistering 7:39, but it was Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova RT) who stole the show. The Harrogate Nova rider delivered a stunning 7:26, not only securing the stage win but slashing his GC deficit to Howell to just 17 seconds heading into the final stage.
Elsewhere, James McKay and Tom Armstrong (both Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) were handed 10-second penalties for crossing the white line, a costly mistake in a race where every second counts.
Stage 3
After the morning’s time trial up the fabled slopes of Holme Moss, 10 riders sat within two minutes of race leader, and surprise package, Adam Howell; the 20-year-old holding a 17 second advantage over junior sensation Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova Race Team) and 49 seconds over the pre-race favourites Rowan Baker and Howell’s MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK teammate Will Truelove, who sat in fourth and fifth respectively.
With 100km to decide the race’s fate over ten laps of the hilly Carlecotes circuit, the pace was electric from the off with a number of riders abandoning early in proceedings. Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli), sitting in 10th overall, was the first to go on the attack, Josh Housley (Primera-TeamJobs) next to counter up one of the many climbs on the route. Quickly reeled in, the attacks continued to rain down, Armstrong’s teammate Tom Martin the next to show his hand, hoping to repeat last year’s escape which saw him take the overall victory, this time with talented climber Ryan Williams (Cycling Sheffield) for company.
With the danger obvious, the pair were soon brought back as more riders took advantage of the parcour to fire themselves up the road. Rowan Baker, sitting in fourth overall at just shy of 50 seconds, decided the fourth lap was the time to make his move as he put in an effort on one of the long climbs, collecting riders already up the road as he continued his attack all the way to the top.
By the summit only two riders remained with him: Will Taylor (Moonglu Spatzwear) and first year U23 Jake Edwards (360 Cycling), who had beaten Baker earlier in the time trial and sat a place ahead of him on the GC.
The trio worked well as the gap quickly opened to the chasing peloton – a minute in the opening lap, as Baker, who told the British Continental that his “legs felt great”, pushed the pace on every ascent.
With the pace high, the ponytailed Edwards was the first to find the tempo too high on the seventh lap, losing contact, and hopes of overall victory, but gaining a growing reputation as one of the young riders to watch this season at the same time. Taylor suffered the same fate a lap later, the insatiable Baker attacking him on a short, steep kicker and not looking back. The Raptor Factory Racing rider’s advantage grew to over two minutes to Taylor, and four to the decimated peloton, with one lap remaining.
Baker, winner of the East Cleveland Classic last season with a similar solo attack, continued to press on and hammer home a strong message to his rivals as the kilometres ticked down, his advantage over Taylor 4:36 by the time he dismounted his bike and lifted it across the line to celebrate a remarkable victory. Howell, who started the stage as GC leader, came home just four seconds after Taylor to finish 3rd on the stage, leading home a fractured peloton. Second on GC, it was mixed emotions for a rider who propelled himself to the top tier of domestic road racing over the weekend.
Only 23 riders finished the final stage such was the ferocity, and difficulty, of the race across the weekend; Will Truelove rounding out the overall podium after a 5th place finish behind Baker on the stage. 17-year-old Harry Hudson lived up to his promise, collecting the KOM prize alongside his Holme Moss stage win, while Baker’s Raptor Factory Racing team took home the team prize, the winner quick to praise his teammates for their role in his win, anchoring the chase groups behind as his advantage continued to increase.
Baker threw down a heavy gauntlet to his rivals with such an emphatic victory less than a month away from the opening round of the National Road Series. He heads to the Wally Gimber and Kennel Hill Classic National Bs in the next few weeks, while Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli will be licking their wounds after a disappointing weekend; the only way up for the Cumbrian team after a weekend with few highlights, Max Bufton their best GC finisher in 9th.
Results
Women’s race
Stage 3
General classification
Open
Stage 2
Stage 3
General classification
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