Alex Beldon secured his second consecutive victory with a perfectly timed attack at the prestigious Danum Trophy, outsmarting rivals on South Yorkshire’s punishing circuit. Aided by textbook teamwork from MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK teammate Ed Morgan, Beldon overcame a resilient Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) in the tense finale.
Alex Beldon secured his second consecutive victory with a perfectly timed attack at the prestigious Danum Trophy, outsmarting rivals on South Yorkshire’s punishing circuit. Aided by textbook teamwork from MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK teammate Ed Morgan, Beldon overcame a resilient Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) in the tense finale.
The Danum Trophy is cycling stripped bare; a true hardman’s classic. First held in 1969 under the guidance of Birdwell Wheelers, this storied race celebrated its 52nd edition today in the rugged South Yorkshire terrain, now proudly promoted by Doncaster Wheelers C.C.
With 12 and a quarter laps around a deceptively tough 9.5km loop taking in Sprotbrough and High Melton, this year’s race offered nowhere to hide. Over 117 kilometres, riders faced an unrelenting series of climbs amounting to more than 1,500 metres of ascent—every rise a potential launchpad, every descent a test of nerve.
Early skirmishes gave way to a decisive move on the third lap, as Alex Beldon (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) strategically jumped on John Archibald’s (HUUB-Wattshop) counterattack to Adam Howell’s earlier effort. Their pairing looked formidable, immediately opening a gap and cooperating smoothly over several laps until Archibald, luckless, punctured out of contention, leaving Beldon isolated but determined.
With fatigue biting deep, a quartet including by Ed Morgan (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK), Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) and Alex Ball (BCC RT) bridged across with around three laps remaining. Recognising their numerical advantage, Morgan attacked decisively with about a lap and a half to go, allowing Beldon to conserve energy. Will Truelove’s (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) group joined them with one lap remaining, and shortly after, Perrett made a bold move, prompting Beldon to bridge solo before the final climb. Catching Morgan at the base, the MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK teammates lifted the pace, extending their slender advantage.
In the tense finale, Morgan repeatedly attacked, forcing Perrett to chase and leaving Beldon fresh for his decisive surge with 500 metres remaining. With Perrett isolated, the gap quickly opened, and Beldon powered home unchallenged, finishing ahead of Morgan, who took a well-earned second after his tireless work.
Remarkably, this triumph marks Beldon’s second consecutive victory, following his success at last weekend’s PB Performance Espoirs road race. Even more impressively, he secured today’s win just 24 hours after finishing ninth at the punishing Capernwray road race. In just his second year as an under-23 rider, Beldon is rapidly cementing his reputation as a name to watch in British cycling.
Alex Beldon secured his second consecutive victory with a perfectly timed attack at the prestigious Danum Trophy, outsmarting rivals on South Yorkshire’s punishing circuit. Aided by textbook teamwork from MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK teammate Ed Morgan, Beldon overcame a resilient Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) in the tense finale.
Featured image: Sarah Jane Swinscoe
Report
The Danum Trophy is cycling stripped bare; a true hardman’s classic. First held in 1969 under the guidance of Birdwell Wheelers, this storied race celebrated its 52nd edition today in the rugged South Yorkshire terrain, now proudly promoted by Doncaster Wheelers C.C.
With 12 and a quarter laps around a deceptively tough 9.5km loop taking in Sprotbrough and High Melton, this year’s race offered nowhere to hide. Over 117 kilometres, riders faced an unrelenting series of climbs amounting to more than 1,500 metres of ascent—every rise a potential launchpad, every descent a test of nerve.
Early skirmishes gave way to a decisive move on the third lap, as Alex Beldon (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) strategically jumped on John Archibald’s (HUUB-Wattshop) counterattack to Adam Howell’s earlier effort. Their pairing looked formidable, immediately opening a gap and cooperating smoothly over several laps until Archibald, luckless, punctured out of contention, leaving Beldon isolated but determined.
With fatigue biting deep, a quartet including by Ed Morgan (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK), Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) and Alex Ball (BCC RT) bridged across with around three laps remaining. Recognising their numerical advantage, Morgan attacked decisively with about a lap and a half to go, allowing Beldon to conserve energy. Will Truelove’s (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) group joined them with one lap remaining, and shortly after, Perrett made a bold move, prompting Beldon to bridge solo before the final climb. Catching Morgan at the base, the MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK teammates lifted the pace, extending their slender advantage.
In the tense finale, Morgan repeatedly attacked, forcing Perrett to chase and leaving Beldon fresh for his decisive surge with 500 metres remaining. With Perrett isolated, the gap quickly opened, and Beldon powered home unchallenged, finishing ahead of Morgan, who took a well-earned second after his tireless work.
Remarkably, this triumph marks Beldon’s second consecutive victory, following his success at last weekend’s PB Performance Espoirs road race. Even more impressively, he secured today’s win just 24 hours after finishing ninth at the punishing Capernwray road race. In just his second year as an under-23 rider, Beldon is rapidly cementing his reputation as a name to watch in British cycling.
Results
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