Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) took victory at the East Cleveland Classic, sprinting to the win atop Saltburn Bank, to cap a start to the season which has seen podiums in the National Road Series and a top five in Europe.
Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) took a first National Road Series win to remember, as he out-sprinted George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team) to take Open victory by the blink of an eye.
Featured Image: Olly Hassell/SWPix.com
Reports
Women’s Race
There was sunshine by the seaside as the Women’s National Road Series took to the roads hugging the Yorkshire coast and the serpentine challenge of Saltburn Bank.
Having fired a shot across the bows of their competition with a controlling performance, and victory, at the CiCLE Classic last month, all eyes were on another strong Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team squad and what the red and black outfit would do in East Cleveland.
Initially, it was to play the waiting game – no sense in burning matches too early when the Bank makes up 99% of the final kilometre to the finish line.
2025 Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, England. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
That meant others were pulling on the front of the peloton and were setting a strong pace. The first ascent was led by Capernwray winner Esther Wong (Torelli), as well as Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) and Robyn Clay, who was heading a trio of DAS – Hutchinson riders trying to dominate the early running.
National Road Series leader Lucy Harris was the highest of the Smurfit riders as she ensconced herself within the top 10.
She was furthest forward on the first tour, but come the second she was getting reinforcements as both Lucy Gadd and Niamh Murphy got in position as enforcers for any potential attacks.
Not that they were swift in coming. Even with two laps completed the same leaders were powering things forward in a lead bunch that was barely thinning – compared to previous editions the front pack was still providing strength in numbers. Again it was Wong and McWilliam at the front, with Lizi Brooke swapping with team-mate Clay.
Rinse and repeat for the penultimate lap, but with the notable addition of Kate Richardson (Handsling Alba Development Road Team) amongst a throng of riders tackling the climb. Come this point, there was a prevailing view that this race would feature a first, the first bunch sprint in the history of the East Cleveland Classic, even the last two National Champs – which used a slightly tweaked version of this course – were won by a solo attack.
2025 Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, England. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Could 2025 finally break that run? The news from the final passes through Guisborough and Boosbeck was that no one had flipped the coin, no one wanted to be the one to try a move that might not succeed. Even with pressure increasing towards Kilton Thorpe, the elastic wasn’t going to snap until at least the smell of seaside fish and chips wafted through the peloton.
It was, then, going to come down to Sun-kissed Saltburn. A break of nine had a minor advantage going through Brotton, but as the race descended into Saltburn Neah Evans (Handsling Alba Development Road Team) provided the motor to pull them back in and ensure it was going to be a big bunch tackling the climb.
Heading up the hill, it wasn’t clear who was getting their wheels ahead but as the climb flatten out, it was the green, white and black of Hess that became more and more prominent – flanked by the blue of Handsling Alba Development Road Team – on the never-ending sprint to the line above Saltburn’s Valley Gardens.
2025 Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, England. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
The bunch sprint – such as it was with tired legs just about beating out a steady cadence – was unfolding in favour with Hess, and with across to team-mate Holly Ramsey, it was McWilliam who took her first National Road Series win of the year. Ramsey took second, a first podium in the Series, with Amelia Tyler adding more podium success for the Alba squad.
Victory in North Yorkshire, and second at last month’s CiCLE Classic, has put McWilliam into the National Road Series leader’s jersey ahead of next month’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
Compared to previous opening rounds of recent years, this first race of 2025 for the Open National Road Series was a voyage into the unknown. Gone are the previous dominators like Saint Piran, Madison Genesis, in their place are squads looking to fill the void and assert themselves as the new forces.
That frisson of excitement and adventure translated itself into what was a frenetic six laps on the coast hugging course. Even the opening tour brought a small breakaway as teams meeting for the first Nat A of the season looked to test the strength of their rivals. There was no staying power in it though, as the small group’s 15sec advantage shrunk to nought by the time they got to sea level.
Replaced by a large group, Peter Cocker (DAS Richardsons) led the first tackling of the climb in anger with Ollie Hucks (TAAP Kalas) and representatives from Wheelbase CabTech Castelli and Raptor Factory Racing keeping him honest.
2025 Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, England. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Typical for the race’s northern location, gone was the sunshine of the Women’s race, replaced by growing cloud and an ever-stiffening breeze, providing a noticeable headwind on the long run up the finish straight.
With the wind came the breaks, and the second lap featured a notable effort at cracking the races into a thousand pieces as Cocker was joined by Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Alex Franks (Raptor Factory Racing) and Dom Jackson (Foran CT) in a four-up break that had about two-dozen seconds on Josh Housley (Primera-TeamJobs), and Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) who themselves had a handy bit of a lead on the rest of a chasing pack that was starting to thin down.
Hitting the halfway mark, those two groups merged and had eight additional members to add firepower and grow an advantage of more than a minute to a pack behind that what still sizeable but shedding numbers every time through.
Including the vastly experienced George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team), that 14-rider group was pulling well even as Matt Bostock (TEKKERZ CC) had to stop on the first stage of the Saltburn Bank climb to re-seat his chain.
2025 Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, England. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
The biggest question floating in the air was whether that 14 would have enough energy left in reserve to hang on until the end?
As quick as the question was floated, it was lost to the wind as the leading group – down one member but still looking strong – were benefitted greatly by the chasing group behind completely exploding. Groups of 10-15 riders were scattered around the roads of East Cleveland as any chance of a cohesive attack faded away.
Onto the final lap, there was no rest at the front as Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) launched an attack through Kilton Thorpe and gained 36 seconds. A few minutes later and two became three as Kimber joined in and helped grow that lead to over one minute.
With the final climb looming large, it was Martin who cracked first and the leaders shrunk back to two.
2025 Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Yorkshire, England. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
The run for the line probably won’t be topped for the rest of the season. Matching each other pedal stroke for pedal stroke, Kimber and Howell were evenly matched into the headwind battering the finish line, so even in fact that the pair crossed the line in such a dead heat that neither dared to celebrate.
After a minute or two of speculation, it was Howell who took the win – claiming his first Nat A glory by a fraction of a second. His success also confirms him as the National Road Series leader ahead of May’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) took victory at the East Cleveland Classic, sprinting to the win atop Saltburn Bank, to cap a start to the season which has seen podiums in the National Road Series and a top five in Europe.
Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) took a first National Road Series win to remember, as he out-sprinted George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team) to take Open victory by the blink of an eye.
Featured Image: Olly Hassell/SWPix.com
Reports
Women’s Race
There was sunshine by the seaside as the Women’s National Road Series took to the roads hugging the Yorkshire coast and the serpentine challenge of Saltburn Bank.
Having fired a shot across the bows of their competition with a controlling performance, and victory, at the CiCLE Classic last month, all eyes were on another strong Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team squad and what the red and black outfit would do in East Cleveland.
Initially, it was to play the waiting game – no sense in burning matches too early when the Bank makes up 99% of the final kilometre to the finish line.
That meant others were pulling on the front of the peloton and were setting a strong pace. The first ascent was led by Capernwray winner Esther Wong (Torelli), as well as Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) and Robyn Clay, who was heading a trio of DAS – Hutchinson riders trying to dominate the early running.
National Road Series leader Lucy Harris was the highest of the Smurfit riders as she ensconced herself within the top 10.
She was furthest forward on the first tour, but come the second she was getting reinforcements as both Lucy Gadd and Niamh Murphy got in position as enforcers for any potential attacks.
Not that they were swift in coming. Even with two laps completed the same leaders were powering things forward in a lead bunch that was barely thinning – compared to previous editions the front pack was still providing strength in numbers. Again it was Wong and McWilliam at the front, with Lizi Brooke swapping with team-mate Clay.
Rinse and repeat for the penultimate lap, but with the notable addition of Kate Richardson (Handsling Alba Development Road Team) amongst a throng of riders tackling the climb. Come this point, there was a prevailing view that this race would feature a first, the first bunch sprint in the history of the East Cleveland Classic, even the last two National Champs – which used a slightly tweaked version of this course – were won by a solo attack.
Could 2025 finally break that run? The news from the final passes through Guisborough and Boosbeck was that no one had flipped the coin, no one wanted to be the one to try a move that might not succeed. Even with pressure increasing towards Kilton Thorpe, the elastic wasn’t going to snap until at least the smell of seaside fish and chips wafted through the peloton.
It was, then, going to come down to Sun-kissed Saltburn. A break of nine had a minor advantage going through Brotton, but as the race descended into Saltburn Neah Evans (Handsling Alba Development Road Team) provided the motor to pull them back in and ensure it was going to be a big bunch tackling the climb.
Heading up the hill, it wasn’t clear who was getting their wheels ahead but as the climb flatten out, it was the green, white and black of Hess that became more and more prominent – flanked by the blue of Handsling Alba Development Road Team – on the never-ending sprint to the line above Saltburn’s Valley Gardens.
The bunch sprint – such as it was with tired legs just about beating out a steady cadence – was unfolding in favour with Hess, and with across to team-mate Holly Ramsey, it was McWilliam who took her first National Road Series win of the year. Ramsey took second, a first podium in the Series, with Amelia Tyler adding more podium success for the Alba squad.
Victory in North Yorkshire, and second at last month’s CiCLE Classic, has put McWilliam into the National Road Series leader’s jersey ahead of next month’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
Open Race
Compared to previous opening rounds of recent years, this first race of 2025 for the Open National Road Series was a voyage into the unknown. Gone are the previous dominators like Saint Piran, Madison Genesis, in their place are squads looking to fill the void and assert themselves as the new forces.
That frisson of excitement and adventure translated itself into what was a frenetic six laps on the coast hugging course. Even the opening tour brought a small breakaway as teams meeting for the first Nat A of the season looked to test the strength of their rivals. There was no staying power in it though, as the small group’s 15sec advantage shrunk to nought by the time they got to sea level.
Replaced by a large group, Peter Cocker (DAS Richardsons) led the first tackling of the climb in anger with Ollie Hucks (TAAP Kalas) and representatives from Wheelbase CabTech Castelli and Raptor Factory Racing keeping him honest.
Typical for the race’s northern location, gone was the sunshine of the Women’s race, replaced by growing cloud and an ever-stiffening breeze, providing a noticeable headwind on the long run up the finish straight.
With the wind came the breaks, and the second lap featured a notable effort at cracking the races into a thousand pieces as Cocker was joined by Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Alex Franks (Raptor Factory Racing) and Dom Jackson (Foran CT) in a four-up break that had about two-dozen seconds on Josh Housley (Primera-TeamJobs), and Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) who themselves had a handy bit of a lead on the rest of a chasing pack that was starting to thin down.
Hitting the halfway mark, those two groups merged and had eight additional members to add firepower and grow an advantage of more than a minute to a pack behind that what still sizeable but shedding numbers every time through.
Including the vastly experienced George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team), that 14-rider group was pulling well even as Matt Bostock (TEKKERZ CC) had to stop on the first stage of the Saltburn Bank climb to re-seat his chain.
The biggest question floating in the air was whether that 14 would have enough energy left in reserve to hang on until the end?
As quick as the question was floated, it was lost to the wind as the leading group – down one member but still looking strong – were benefitted greatly by the chasing group behind completely exploding. Groups of 10-15 riders were scattered around the roads of East Cleveland as any chance of a cohesive attack faded away.
Onto the final lap, there was no rest at the front as Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) launched an attack through Kilton Thorpe and gained 36 seconds. A few minutes later and two became three as Kimber joined in and helped grow that lead to over one minute.
With the final climb looming large, it was Martin who cracked first and the leaders shrunk back to two.
The run for the line probably won’t be topped for the rest of the season. Matching each other pedal stroke for pedal stroke, Kimber and Howell were evenly matched into the headwind battering the finish line, so even in fact that the pair crossed the line in such a dead heat that neither dared to celebrate.
After a minute or two of speculation, it was Howell who took the win – claiming his first Nat A glory by a fraction of a second. His success also confirms him as the National Road Series leader ahead of May’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
Results
Women’s Race
Open Race
National Road Series – Individual standings
Women
Open
National Road Series – Team standings
Women
Open
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