2025 Witham Hall and Timmy James Memorial Grand Prixs: report & results
Phoebe Roche (O'Shea Development Team) won the Witham Hall Grand Prix, while James McKay won the Timmy James Memorial for the second time, Sunday 4 May
Phoebe Roche (O’Shea Development Team) timed her attack up the final climb to perfection as she scored victory at the Witham Hall Grand Prix in a bunch sprint.
In the afternoon, James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) claimed victory at the Timmy James Memorial with a well-timed sprint on the final climb, capping off a wind-battered race marked by repeated breakaway attempts.
The weather gods must have known a bike race was coming: the scorching temperatures in the week preceding the event gave way to cool, blustery conditions, the breeze across open farmland giving the riders something else to ponder as they tackled the rolling Lincolnshire course.
Image: Joe Hudson
With a route that offered a little something for everyone – except pure climbers – it was no surprise that the race began at a brisk yet controlled tempo. The pace was high from the off, but the relatively long straights, which offered few opportunities to slip away unseen, meant no-one was inclined to throw caution to the wind and attempt an audacious early break.
Instead, it became an attritional slog: keep the pace high, attack the descents and maintain a consistent tempo on the front. Unsurprisingly, the teams with the greatest numbers – Loughborough Lightning and Brother UK – On Form – marshalled proceedings at the head of the bunch.
Image: Joe Hudson
Riders rotated through from time to time. On the third passage through Careby – the second of five full laps – Katie Heald (Team Empella) assumed the mantle of race leader, the peloton grateful that someone else had elected to stick their face into the wind and absorb the chill.
The second half of the race finally sparked into life. One rider stole a ten-second gap before being reeled back in; then Hope Inglis (Brother UK – On Form) launched a move of her own, brimming with intent but lacking real staying power.
With 1 km to go, two riders chanced their arm and surged clear, hoping for a race-winning move up the long drag to the finish. That, too, failed to stick and, as the field crested the final rise, they were all back together. Enter eventual winner Phoebe Roche.
Image: Joe Hudson
Second over the foot of the hill, Roche timed her acceleration perfectly to crest it in the lead. Having distanced eventual runner-up Ella Tandy (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco), she still had enough left in the legs to power clear and cross the line with daylight to the chasing pack.
Third went to Brother UK – On Form’s Ellen Bennett, at the head of a front group 15-strong.
Timmy James Memorial
After the slow-burn drama of the Witham Hall Grand Prix, the Timmy James Memorial began with blue skies and rain clouds jostling for dominance. The headwind, a morning nuisance more irritating than influential, grew stronger and more disruptive as the day wore on.
That stiff headwind may have been the catalyst for the explosive start, with a move going clear straight from the gun. The break included George Peden (Team PB Performance), Alex Pickering (Ride Revolution Coaching), Ben Pierce (Bridgnorth Cycling Club), Matthew Warhurst (Defined Cycling Team), the DAS Richardson duo of Alexander Pritchard and Olivier Mangham, and Carl Stubbs of Moonglu SpatzWear.
Image: Joe Hudson
For the first couple of laps that seven were keeping pretty steady, even with a light rain shower adding to an ever-strengthening wind, with the chasing pack behind remaining pretty organised but not wanting to waste energy this early into an 8.5 lap race by reeling in a break that could tire itself.
And so it came to pass, just one lap later and as the field approached Careby to mark 2.5 laps ticked off, the field had been brought back together again. A few riders did try to re-launch a break, but the peloton was too close and too quick for a counter to be a possibility.
Image: Joe Hudson
What happened instead was a rotating cast of riders animating the front of the race with Pritchard, Harvey Stroh (TAAP Kalas) and Nathan Hardy (Team PB Performance) all running at the front and each putting in a decent shift to try and keep the pace high.
There was no rest, though, and as the race reached the line with four laps remaining Hardy was at the head of yet another breakaway and was joined by James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Andrew Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products), Freddy Pett and Barney Hall (Wold Top Pactimo), and Bridgnorth Cycling Club pair Matt Clarke and James Satoor.
The seven built themselves a slender bit of breathing space, aided by two pairs of teammates in that mix, but a lap later and that elastic refused to snap. Up towards the finish at Barber’s Hill, we were all square and the peloton was back to wondering who might be the next to try a move. A Wold Top Pactimo rider was still motoring at the front, but that was more out of hope than the foundation of another attack.
There was hardly any point in properly tracking the race with two laps to go. Come that Barber’s climb to start the penultimate lap, the peloton had split clean in half with two groups of about 25 riders with 20 seconds between them. The front group was looking strong with quite a few DAS Richardsons riders and Hardy – who had done a lot of time lighting up the race.
Image: Joe Hudson
But when the bell rang out, the elastic between the two groups flexed again and pulled them all back together. That penultimate ascent of final climb was used as a tester for the run to the flag with a few riders punching off the front and gauging how their competitors responded.
At the finish, it was the best of the sprinters. McKay launched his sprint as they crested the brow of the hill and had enough time in hand to raise his arms aloft and take victory, reprising his 2023 win at this race. Alex Peters (DAS Richardsons) followed him home in second. with Toby Bush (BCC Race Team) third.
Phoebe Roche (O’Shea Development Team) timed her attack up the final climb to perfection as she scored victory at the Witham Hall Grand Prix in a bunch sprint.
In the afternoon, James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) claimed victory at the Timmy James Memorial with a well-timed sprint on the final climb, capping off a wind-battered race marked by repeated breakaway attempts.
Featured Image: Joe Hudson
Reports
Witham Hall Grand Prix
The weather gods must have known a bike race was coming: the scorching temperatures in the week preceding the event gave way to cool, blustery conditions, the breeze across open farmland giving the riders something else to ponder as they tackled the rolling Lincolnshire course.
With a route that offered a little something for everyone – except pure climbers – it was no surprise that the race began at a brisk yet controlled tempo. The pace was high from the off, but the relatively long straights, which offered few opportunities to slip away unseen, meant no-one was inclined to throw caution to the wind and attempt an audacious early break.
Instead, it became an attritional slog: keep the pace high, attack the descents and maintain a consistent tempo on the front. Unsurprisingly, the teams with the greatest numbers – Loughborough Lightning and Brother UK – On Form – marshalled proceedings at the head of the bunch.
Riders rotated through from time to time. On the third passage through Careby – the second of five full laps – Katie Heald (Team Empella) assumed the mantle of race leader, the peloton grateful that someone else had elected to stick their face into the wind and absorb the chill.
The second half of the race finally sparked into life. One rider stole a ten-second gap before being reeled back in; then Hope Inglis (Brother UK – On Form) launched a move of her own, brimming with intent but lacking real staying power.
With 1 km to go, two riders chanced their arm and surged clear, hoping for a race-winning move up the long drag to the finish. That, too, failed to stick and, as the field crested the final rise, they were all back together. Enter eventual winner Phoebe Roche.
Second over the foot of the hill, Roche timed her acceleration perfectly to crest it in the lead. Having distanced eventual runner-up Ella Tandy (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco), she still had enough left in the legs to power clear and cross the line with daylight to the chasing pack.
Third went to Brother UK – On Form’s Ellen Bennett, at the head of a front group 15-strong.
Timmy James Memorial
After the slow-burn drama of the Witham Hall Grand Prix, the Timmy James Memorial began with blue skies and rain clouds jostling for dominance. The headwind, a morning nuisance more irritating than influential, grew stronger and more disruptive as the day wore on.
That stiff headwind may have been the catalyst for the explosive start, with a move going clear straight from the gun. The break included George Peden (Team PB Performance), Alex Pickering (Ride Revolution Coaching), Ben Pierce (Bridgnorth Cycling Club), Matthew Warhurst (Defined Cycling Team), the DAS Richardson duo of Alexander Pritchard and Olivier Mangham, and Carl Stubbs of Moonglu SpatzWear.
For the first couple of laps that seven were keeping pretty steady, even with a light rain shower adding to an ever-strengthening wind, with the chasing pack behind remaining pretty organised but not wanting to waste energy this early into an 8.5 lap race by reeling in a break that could tire itself.
And so it came to pass, just one lap later and as the field approached Careby to mark 2.5 laps ticked off, the field had been brought back together again. A few riders did try to re-launch a break, but the peloton was too close and too quick for a counter to be a possibility.
What happened instead was a rotating cast of riders animating the front of the race with Pritchard, Harvey Stroh (TAAP Kalas) and Nathan Hardy (Team PB Performance) all running at the front and each putting in a decent shift to try and keep the pace high.
There was no rest, though, and as the race reached the line with four laps remaining Hardy was at the head of yet another breakaway and was joined by James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), Andrew Nichols (Team Lifting Gear Products), Freddy Pett and Barney Hall (Wold Top Pactimo), and Bridgnorth Cycling Club pair Matt Clarke and James Satoor.
The seven built themselves a slender bit of breathing space, aided by two pairs of teammates in that mix, but a lap later and that elastic refused to snap. Up towards the finish at Barber’s Hill, we were all square and the peloton was back to wondering who might be the next to try a move. A Wold Top Pactimo rider was still motoring at the front, but that was more out of hope than the foundation of another attack.
There was hardly any point in properly tracking the race with two laps to go. Come that Barber’s climb to start the penultimate lap, the peloton had split clean in half with two groups of about 25 riders with 20 seconds between them. The front group was looking strong with quite a few DAS Richardsons riders and Hardy – who had done a lot of time lighting up the race.
But when the bell rang out, the elastic between the two groups flexed again and pulled them all back together. That penultimate ascent of final climb was used as a tester for the run to the flag with a few riders punching off the front and gauging how their competitors responded.
At the finish, it was the best of the sprinters. McKay launched his sprint as they crested the brow of the hill and had enough time in hand to raise his arms aloft and take victory, reprising his 2023 win at this race. Alex Peters (DAS Richardsons) followed him home in second. with Toby Bush (BCC Race Team) third.
Results
Witham Hall Grand Prix
Full results to follow.
Timmy James Memorial
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