2025 Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic: report and results
Ben Granger (Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM) continued his fine start to 2025 as he soloed to victory in the 18th edition of the CiCLE Classic in Oakham, capping off an excellent team performance.
Ben Granger (Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM) continued his fine start to 2025 as he soloed to victory in the 18th edition of the CiCLE Classic in Oakham, capping off an excellent team performance.
The race got underway from the historic Rutland market town amid blue skies, something of a novelty after rain marred the 2023 edition and ultimately cancelled last year’s race. With a tailwind pushing the peloton towards Wymondham for three short, sharp ‘Stuart Shaw Laps’, it was Cameron McLaren (TAAP-Kalas) who claimed the first King of the Windmill Sprints points atop Butt Lane. A lap later it was Otto Van Zenden who took the spoils as his Parkhotel Valkenburg team set a stern pace.
Logan Maclean (Scotland) and Max Bufton (Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli) were the first riders to escape as the race began to break up over the first Mataberg Sector, Maclean cleaning up the final sprint at the Windmill, and the title with it, as their advantage grew. Behind the UCI Continental Teams of Parkhotel Valkenberg and Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM made their intentions clear, setting a pace which saw the saw peloton get progressively smaller as the race headed south towards Oakham.
With the town centre and now paved Barleyberg negotiated, riders headed to Owston and onto the fearsome Somerberg for the first time, a group of 11 riders forging clear in this key, and busy section of the race including Granger, Otto Van Zenden, Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Adam Kelly (Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM), Oliver Curd (BC South East – Sigma Sports), Matthew King (Atom 6 – Decca Continental Team), Mathis Avondts (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Dylan Hicks (Raptor Factory Racing), Marijn Dingemans (Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam) and Ed Morgan (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck).
As the race wound it’s way in and out of the technical farm track sectors which gives it a character similar to Tro Bro Leon, or the Flemish Classics, local rider Matt King was the first to drop off the group, clawing his way back only to be dropped by the ferocious pace once again.
Tom Martin set the pace on the technical Somerberg section, using his gravel skills to good effect, as behind a group of four riders began to chase, the peloton within a minute.
As the race continued to weave in and out of Owston, Irish rider Adam Kelly set the pace up the climbs as behind more riders joined the chasing group, including the highly touted Fin Tarling, in-form Jamie Whitcher (BC East Midlands Carter-Legrand) and U23 National Road Series leader Alex Beldon (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck).
Meanwhile Otto Van Zenden was keeping himself occupied at the head of affairs, nipping off the front of the group to claim the sprints classification through Owston as well as winning his own, very light, weight in beer.
With the peloton continuing to break up as the sectors counted down, the race was destined to be decided between the leading group, now of 9 riders, and the chasing group which had swelled to ten; the final ascent of the Somerberg (Reverse) and the 5-star StaplePark sectors to go, before a run south to the finish, in a headwind.
Granger, an all rounder who has proven he can win both alone and in a small group, decided his Lancaster GP modus operandi was the best card to play this time, with Avondts known as an excellent sprinter. He had the advantage of teammate Kelly slamming down the anchor in the group, the Cumbrian attacking on the run in to the town centre with 5km to go, his gap already 14 seconds with a largely downhill 4km to go.
Behind, Kelly found himself in a group with Martin, the fast finishing Hicks, winner of the Junior edition in 2022, renound sprinter Avondts, and Morgan, with Martin the first to drop off leaving a chase of four riders.
Granger battled on as he passed the train station and into the Market Place, crossing the line, with his arms raised, clenching his fist as he took the first UCI win of his career. Avondts showed his turn of speed as he beat Hicks to second, Kelly and Morgan rounding out the top five. Martin held on for 7th place as riders came in in ones and twos, the brutal race taking its toll on all the riders, the traditional bunch sprint this race has so often come down to absent this year.
Ben Granger (Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM) continued his fine start to 2025 as he soloed to victory in the 18th edition of the CiCLE Classic in Oakham, capping off an excellent team performance.
Featured image: Milan Josy
Report
The race got underway from the historic Rutland market town amid blue skies, something of a novelty after rain marred the 2023 edition and ultimately cancelled last year’s race. With a tailwind pushing the peloton towards Wymondham for three short, sharp ‘Stuart Shaw Laps’, it was Cameron McLaren (TAAP-Kalas) who claimed the first King of the Windmill Sprints points atop Butt Lane. A lap later it was Otto Van Zenden who took the spoils as his Parkhotel Valkenburg team set a stern pace.
Logan Maclean (Scotland) and Max Bufton (Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli) were the first riders to escape as the race began to break up over the first Mataberg Sector, Maclean cleaning up the final sprint at the Windmill, and the title with it, as their advantage grew. Behind the UCI Continental Teams of Parkhotel Valkenberg and Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM made their intentions clear, setting a pace which saw the saw peloton get progressively smaller as the race headed south towards Oakham.
With the town centre and now paved Barleyberg negotiated, riders headed to Owston and onto the fearsome Somerberg for the first time, a group of 11 riders forging clear in this key, and busy section of the race including Granger, Otto Van Zenden, Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Adam Kelly (Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM), Oliver Curd (BC South East – Sigma Sports), Matthew King (Atom 6 – Decca Continental Team), Mathis Avondts (Parkhotel Valkenburg), Dylan Hicks (Raptor Factory Racing), Marijn Dingemans (Wielerploeg Groot Amsterdam) and Ed Morgan (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck).
As the race wound it’s way in and out of the technical farm track sectors which gives it a character similar to Tro Bro Leon, or the Flemish Classics, local rider Matt King was the first to drop off the group, clawing his way back only to be dropped by the ferocious pace once again.
Tom Martin set the pace on the technical Somerberg section, using his gravel skills to good effect, as behind a group of four riders began to chase, the peloton within a minute.
As the race continued to weave in and out of Owston, Irish rider Adam Kelly set the pace up the climbs as behind more riders joined the chasing group, including the highly touted Fin Tarling, in-form Jamie Whitcher (BC East Midlands Carter-Legrand) and U23 National Road Series leader Alex Beldon (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck).
Meanwhile Otto Van Zenden was keeping himself occupied at the head of affairs, nipping off the front of the group to claim the sprints classification through Owston as well as winning his own, very light, weight in beer.
With the peloton continuing to break up as the sectors counted down, the race was destined to be decided between the leading group, now of 9 riders, and the chasing group which had swelled to ten; the final ascent of the Somerberg (Reverse) and the 5-star StaplePark sectors to go, before a run south to the finish, in a headwind.
Granger, an all rounder who has proven he can win both alone and in a small group, decided his Lancaster GP modus operandi was the best card to play this time, with Avondts known as an excellent sprinter. He had the advantage of teammate Kelly slamming down the anchor in the group, the Cumbrian attacking on the run in to the town centre with 5km to go, his gap already 14 seconds with a largely downhill 4km to go.
Behind, Kelly found himself in a group with Martin, the fast finishing Hicks, winner of the Junior edition in 2022, renound sprinter Avondts, and Morgan, with Martin the first to drop off leaving a chase of four riders.
Granger battled on as he passed the train station and into the Market Place, crossing the line, with his arms raised, clenching his fist as he took the first UCI win of his career. Avondts showed his turn of speed as he beat Hicks to second, Kelly and Morgan rounding out the top five. Martin held on for 7th place as riders came in in ones and twos, the brutal race taking its toll on all the riders, the traditional bunch sprint this race has so often come down to absent this year.
Results
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