On Sunday 11 May, Lincoln’s cobbled streets will detonate with colour and cowbells as the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix returns for its 69th edition. Britain’s longest-running one-day race now opens the brand-new Rapha Super-League and doubles as Round 2 of the National Road Series, luring the nation’s fastest hitters and hungriest U23s into a day-long street brawl beneath the cathedral spires.
On Sunday 11 May, Lincoln’s cobbled streets will detonate with colour and cowbells as the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix returns for its 69th edition. Britain’s longest-running one-day race now opens the brand-new Rapha Super-League and doubles as a key round of the National Road Series, luring the nation’s fastest hitters and hungriest U23s into a day-long street brawl beneath the cathedral spires.
Prime your cowbells – our full preview dives into the form charts, dark horses, route details and how to follow the race live.
Featured image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
What is it?
The Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix is Britain’s longest-running one-day road race and the closest thing the domestic calendar has to a monument. First run in 1956, it celebrates its 69th men’s and 10th women’s editions on Sunday 11 May, turning Lincoln’s medieval centre into a day-long festival of cobbles, cowbells and cathedral-top backdrops.
This year’s race does more than keep an unbroken lineage alive – it opens Rapha’s brand-new 16-round Super-League, a points competition designed to knit the best British races into a single, season-long narrative. At the same time it delivers the next salvo of British Cycling’s National Road Series (round 3 for the women, round 2 for the open series), giving riders double the incentive to make the Castle Square cobbles echo with ambition.
Organisation has evolved with the times. After Mike Jones founded the race and Ian Emmerson guided it for half a century, Dan Ellmore took charge in 2016. The baton passed again in 2023 to Gary Coltman, who will oversee his third edition this year.
The Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix plays out on the same 12.9 km circuit first used for Paul Curran’s hat-trick season in 1987 and unchanged ever since. Eight laps for the women and 13 for the men mean the peloton sweeps past Castle Square a combined 21 times, turning the cathedral quarter into an all-day theatre where fans can hop between finish-line drama, the base of Michaelgate, Castle Square and other vantage points without missing a beat.
From the cobbles of Castle Square the bunch darts under the Roman Newport Arch and along Bailgate before swinging onto Yarborough Crescent and the B1398 for a flat drag north to Burton-by-Lincoln. A fast drop through the village funnels into the left-hander onto the A57, where exposed farmland beside the Fossdyke canal invites cross-winds to peel away inattentive wheels – nothing decisive on a single pass, but lap after lap it’s a slow vice that can snap a tired bunch.
At the old racecourse the road hooks left onto Long Leys Road, the so-called “feed-zone climb”. Its slope is gentle enough to lull riders into complacency, yet eight or 13 repetitions drain legs and sharpen elbows for what comes next: the frantic dash back into town and the downhill slingshot onto Hungate.
Then comes Michaelgate – the race’s axle and axe. Just 200 m long but cobbled, claustrophobic and savage, it averages 12.9 % and tops out at 27.6 %, demanding 30-45 seconds of full-throttle torque while fans cheer on from the roadside. Reach the crest at the back of a group and the elastic can snap; crest it alone and you can bury the rest on Castle Square.
The climb spits riders onto a short, twisting, cobbled finishing “straight” past the castle walls. Here, wheel choice, tyre pressure and corner lines matter as much as raw power; the race can be won – or, quite literally, lost – by a mistimed corner, a bounce, or a slip in the hundred metres between the top of Michaelgate and the chequered flag. Stay upright, stay forward, and the stones of Castle Square might just echo your name for another year.
Kate Richardson returns to Lincoln as the defending champion, having soloed to victory here in 2024. Last season she also shone on the track – claiming multiple British titles – before injuries sustained after being hit by a car cut her year short. Now back with the Handsling Alba Development RT squad, the 22-year-old Scot has been rebuilding her form abroad, picking up a brace of podium finishes in Belgian kermesse races this spring. Richardson’s all-around strength and experience on Lincoln’s cobbled Michaelgate climb make her a marked rider, and she’ll be hungry to repeat last year’s triumph on Sunday.
Kate Richardson of Lifeplus Wahoo wins the 2024 Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Another rising talent from the Alba team, Lauren Dickson has had a breakthrough 2025 season on the continent. The young Scot announced herself with a stunning 2nd place at the UCI 1.1 Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic in Brittany this week, only being caught by a late-on by Paula Blasi to be denied victory. She’s also notched top-15 results in tough European one-day races, showcasing climbing grit and fast-finishing ability. Dickson lacks Lincoln GP experience, but with newfound confidence from that podium abroad, she could well turn domestic heads if she dances up Michaelgate with the leaders. Irish rider Amelia Tyler has quickly become a consistent force in the British peloton this year. She earned her first National Road Series podium with 3rd at the East Cleveland Classic, helping Handsling Alba stamp their authority early in the season. Tyler isn’t afraid to animate races – she broke away early in the Scheldeprijs pro race in Belgium, showing aggressive intent against WorldTour opposition. That mix of endurance and fearlessness should serve her well on Lincoln’s relentless course.
Both “Lucys” of Smurfit Westrock have been on formidable form. Lucy Harris scored the biggest win of her young career at the CiCLE Classic in March, soloing into Melton Mowbray with a half-minute gap. That breakout victory confirmed Harris as one of Britain’s best domestic elites. Teammate Lucy Gadd has been equally impressive: she swept the Peaks Two-Day stage race overall just weeks earlier, clinching the title by eight seconds after a hard-fought final stage. Gadd’s all-day aggression also earned her the Queen of the Mountains prize at CiCLE Classic, underlining her strength on the climbs. Between Harris’s punch and Gadd’s stamina, Smurfit Westrock brings a one-two punch that could shape the race.
The Hess Cycling duo of Alice McWilliam and Holly Ramsey have emerged as major players on the domestic scene this year. McWilliam currently leads the National Road Series after a win at the East Cleveland Classic and a runner-up spot at the CiCLE Classic. The 29-year-old capped a perfectly timed sprint on Saltburn Bank to take East Cleveland, with teammate Ramsey right behind in second. That result was Ramsey’s first National Series podium, and she proved it was no fluke by finishing 5th at CiCLE Classic. McWilliam has prior Lincoln pedigree as well – she was an impressive runner-up here back in 2022 – so she knows how to handle the cobbles and crowds. Buoyed by their recent successes, these two could dictate terms. McWilliam’s sprint and Ramsey’s climbing consistency give the team cards to play in the finale.
Alice McWilliam (Hess Cycling Team) wins the 2025 Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
DAS–Hutchinson line up with a duo who already know exactly how to win on British roads. South African champion Tiffany Keep’s 2024 résumé includes victory in the Cape Town Cycle Tour at home and a gritty 4th at this year’s East Cleveland Classic, proof that her endurance and sprint translate seamlessly between hemispheres. Alongside her is Robyn Clay, the 2023 Lincoln Grand Prix winner who thrives on the cobbled punch of Michaelgate. Still only 21, Clay has opened 2025 with 5th at the CiCLE Classic and 7th at East Cleveland, repeatedly forcing moves for DAS. With Keep’s proven experience and Clay’s local know-how, the team arrive with two leaders fully capable of Lincoln glory.
Two of the strongest unattached riders on the start list, Anna Morris and Frankie Hall, cannot be overlooked. Morris is better known for her exploits on the velodrome – the 29-year-old Welsh rider is the reigning European and British individual pursuit champion and even smashed the world record over 4 km this winter. Turning her attention back to road racing, she promptly took 5th at the East Cleveland Classic, proving that her engine and track-honed power translate to road climbs. Lincoln’s short, steep ramps should suit her just fine. Hall, meanwhile, brings a versatile racing résumé. She attacked early in last year’s Lincoln GP and still hung on for 9th. Since then, Hall has sharpened her form overseas – she recently nabbed a stage win at the UCI stage race the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico on the uphill finish at Piños Altos. That kind of climbing kick will serve her well on Michaelgate. Racing without team support, both Morris and Hall will ride need to smart, marking moves and seizing any opportunity to slip into a decisive break.
Anna Morris (Private Member) celebrates winning the Women’s 4KM Individual Pursuit Final for Gold and setting a new world record of 4:24.060. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Beyond the headliners, several outsiders could spring a surprise. Jessica Finney (Portsmouth North End CC) is a former National Series race winner – she famously won the 2023 CiCLE Classic with a long-range sprint – and her experience on tough courses makes her a dangerous finisher if she’s on form. By contrast, 19-year-old Noemie Thomson (Southborough & District Wheelers) is a newcomer brimming with potential; she took a remarkable solo win in her first-ever road race at April’s Florrie Newbery Classic. Thomson’s fearless attacking style could see her up the road early to pre-empt the favorites.
Then there’s Ella Maclean-Howell, better known for tearing up the MTB World Cup circuit – the Welsh U23 star opened her 2025 mountain-bike season with top-5 finishes in Brazil. Maclean-Howell’s engine and bike-handling could translate well to Lincoln’s attrition; if she’s adapted to the bunch, she’s an intriguing wild card. And finally, cyclocross specialist Anna Kay adds star power. A former U23 Worlds medallist in cyclocross, Kay specialises in mixing it with the elites in European mud. This will be a very different kind of race, but her gritty climbing and bike skills on cobbles could shine if conditions get tough. Each of these outsiders has the palmarès – or the talent – to upset expectations. If the race gets tactical or the favorites mark each other out, don’t be surprised if one of these names rides onto the Lincoln podium against the odds.
Prediction: Our breakthrough rider of the year in 2024, Lauren Dickson, will continue her remarkable form to take her first National Road Series win.
Open race
The defending Lincoln GP champion, Matt Holmes (One Good Thing – Factor Racing), returns with WorldTour pedigree and newfound gravel prowess. Holmes famously triumphed on Lincoln’s cobbled Michaelgate climb last year to mark fairytale retirement comeback, and he’s kept his winning touch in 2025 despite a switch of focus. In March he took a UCI Gravel World Series victory in the 114 Gravel race, out-sprinting a former MTB marathon champion after 123 km. That result underlines the 31-year-old’s fitness and versatility. If Holmes can translate that form back to the tarmac, his experience and punchy climbing make him a top contender to repeat on Sunday.
Matthew Holmes holds the Rapha Lincoln GP 2024 cobblestone trophy in front of Lincoln Cathedral. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Arguably the most in-form rider on the start sheet, Ben Granger (Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM) has been on a tear both abroad and at home. The 24-year-old Brit kicked off 2025 with a win at Italy’s prestigious season-opener Firenze-Empoli, and just weeks ago he soloed to an emphatic victory at the UCI Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic, continuing his fine start to 2025 with authority. Granger’s aggressive style – honed by three seasons racing in Italy – has seen him develop a knack for timing decisive moves. He won the Lancaster GP last summer with a late attack and appears to have only improved since. An all-rounder with endurance and race savvy, Granger will be eager to add the “British Monument” of Lincoln to his expanding palmarès.
Few outfits reach Castle Square with quite the same aura of inevitability as the fluorescent-pink MUC-Off-SRCT-Storck machine. A wave of early-season domination has left rivals scrambling for answers, and the reason is simple: they possess three riders who can all finish the job in subtly different ways. Nineteen-year-old Alex Beldon may be in only his second season as an under-23, yet his results are as impressive as any domestic elite. He opened his year by winning the first under-23 National Road Series round at PB Performance, then showcased tactical maturity well beyond his years at the Danum Trophy. There, after Edward Morgan hammered the pace in a select move, Beldon delivered the coup de grâce with a sharp, counter-punch attack that no one could match.
Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) wins the Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Adam Howell, only a year older, has produced an equally compelling dossier. At the East Cleveland Classic he pipped George Kimber in a nail-biting sprint atop Saltburn Bank, sending a warning shot across the domestic scene. Earlier this year he announced his all-round credentials by winning stage 1 of the Peaks 2 Day before winning a hill top finish at the Kennel Hill Classic. Howell’s repeatability on steep ramps, matched to a feisty finishing kick, could make him lethal on Michaelgate’s cobbles. Edward Morgan provides the glue – and the muscle – that binds the trio. His gigantic turns of pace at the Danum Trophy were instrumental in Beldon’s victory, and he soon helped himself to personal glory with a clinical move on the final rise of the PNE National B. His excellent fourth at the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic underlined his form and prowess. Perched at the top of The British Continental’s road race rankings, he lends the squad both tactical shrewdness and diesel-engine torque.
The reigning National Road Series champion George Kimber (Spirit Racing) continues to deliver on expectations. Kimber won the overall British series in 2024 and has started 2025 in similarly consistent fashion. In March he sprinted to victory at the Evesham Vale Road Race, and he was runner-up to Howell at the East Cleveland Classic after marking all the key moves. A powerful finisher from small groups, Kimber is hard to shake on attritional courses. He knows how to target the Lincoln GP too – last season he was fourth – and will be hungry to take a big one-day title. Kimber’s combination of grit and a fast kick could prove decisive.
Dylan Hicks (Raptor Factory Racing) at the Community Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Raptor Factory Racing’s young guns have already shown they can beat the best. 23-year-old Rowan Baker stole the show at the Peaks 2 Day in March, riding solo to a final-stage win by over four minutes and clinching the overall title. That performance – coming after a strong time trial on Holme Moss – underlined Baker’s engine and fearless attacking style. It’s no surprise he was last year’s under-23 series winner and a National Road Series round winner (East Cleveland Classic 2024). Teammate Dylan Hicks, meanwhile, brings serious credentials of his own. At 20, Hicks already boasts a stage victory at the UCI Tour of Hellas in Greece – a pro win he nabbed in 2024 while with Saint Piran – along with last season’s U23 Stars of the South West National Series race. A punchy finisher who can climb, Hicks’ podium finish at the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic last month demonstrates he has the strength and savvy to succeed on Sunday.
If MUC-Off rely on a triple threat, Wheelbase CabTech Castelli counter with a quartet, each rider offering a distinct string to the team’s collective bow. Tom Martin, resplendent in luminous yellow and black, is currently experiencing the purple patch of a lifetime. After detonating the key move at East Cleveland and bagging third, he crossed to Ireland’s Rás Mumhan and lit up the race: two stage wins and the general classification sealed by a scant eight seconds. “All-in or not at all,” he likes to say—and the gaps he opens when he commits suggest the phrase is no idle boast. Tim Shoreman supplies a different flavour of menace. The former Scottish road-race champion marries speed with punch. His 2024 Rás Tailteann stage win in a monsoon sprint proved he can keep cool amid chaos; fourth at East Cleveland this spring confirmed that the legs are every bit as sharp.
Meanwhile, Tom Armstrong is the reliable engine room, forged on countless grim northern circuits and sharpened by continental stints. He thrives on attrition, relentless tempo and exposed moorland crosswinds. Third at Capernwray and sixth in both East Cleveland and the Danum Trophy illustrate his consistency. Completing the arsenal is James McKay, a man who has a close affinity with Lincoln’s cobbles. Fourth here two years ago and a perennial danger at the CiCLE Classic, he showed a return to form last weekend with victory at the Timmy James Memorial. McKay’s presence affords Wheelbase a proven finisher should the race coalesce into a small, tired bunch.
Matthew Bostock (TEKKERZ CC) at the ommunity Traffic Management East Cleveland Classic. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
A bona fide stage-race star in the domestic ranks, Dom Jackson (Foran Cycling Team) is coming off a landmark 2024 season and remains a threat in any hard race. Last year, the 27-year-old made headlines by winning the Rás Tailteann in Ireland – joining an exclusive club of British riders to take that historic five-day race. Domestically, Jackson may fly a bit under the radar compared with bigger names, but given his endurance and tactical nous, he could easily surf the splits and emerge as a late contender on Lincoln’s final laps. A fast-finishing wildcard in this field, Matt Bostock (Tekkerz CC) brings a wealth of pro experience to Lincoln. The Manxman is a former British Cycling Academy rider and Pro-Conti sprinter who has stepped back to race domestically with Tekkerz, and he certainly hasn’t lost his turn of speed – or endurance. He proved that by cracking the top ten at the East Cleveland Classic this year, hanging tough on the climbs and still having enough kick to place ninth.
One of the youngest names to watch, Alex Ball has been rapidly rising through the ranks this season. Riding for the local East Midlands squad BCC Race Team, the 21-year-old Scot has already proven he can mix it with the elites. Ball turned heads with a fighting fifth place at the Danum Trophy, where he survived the selective Yorkshire circuit to finish in the lead group behind Beldon and co. He backed that up with a top-ten in the East Cleveland Classic, showing consistency on very different courses. A podium might be a stretch, but a top ten (or better) is well within Ball’s capabilities given his current form. Among the more seasoned threats, Harry Tanfield stands out. The former WorldTour pro – and 2018 Tour de Yorkshire stage winner – brings a deep reservoir of experience. Now racing with Ribble Outliers, his 2025 season has focused on gravel, but his engine remains unquestionable; on a good day he can power a break or ignite a long-range move. A very different trajectory belongs to Jim Brown (Gold State Blazers), the 24-year-old Brit who is currently honed his craft on the U.S. crit scene. Brown grabbed headlines recently by winning the 2025 Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic in Belize, displaying the punchy acceleration he is known for. Back on UK roads, the former UCI road race winner will be eager to prove that international success was no one-off.
Jacob Vaughan wins the 2025 Jock Wadley Memorial. Image: Mark James
Then there is Harry Macfarlane (Ride Revolution Coaching), the reigning British hill-climb champion. Familiar with absurdly steep gradients and savage gearing, his knack for explosive efforts makes him a tantalising outsider. Jacob Vaughan is another dark horses. Once a promising Lotto Soudal development-team rider, he rediscovered his winning ways on the domestic circuit by defending his title at the Jock Wadley Memorial this year – an edition so fast it averaged 47 km/h. Now with VC Londres, Vaughan will lurk for opportunities to slip into a break and unleash his sharp finishing kick; give him the slightest gap and he knows exactly how to turn it into a victory.
Each of these riders – and indeed many others in the 140-strong field – possesses the talent to shape the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix. From Holmes and Granger’s international triumphs to the home-grown dominance of the MUC-Off youngsters, the depth of form on display points toward an explosive contest of attrition and audacity.
Prediction: Ben Granger to win an unprecedented CiCLE Classic-Lincoln GP double.
Timings
Start
Estimated finish
Women’s race
9.00
12.00 (approx)
Open race
13.00
16.45 (approx)
How to follow
We will be firing up our live ticker courtesy of Joe Hudson, who will be reporting from the road side. The women’s race ticker will be here, the open race ticker here. They will go live just before the racing begins. Joe will also bring you interviews and updates on our Instagram stories. Meanwhile a team of Rapha content-makers will also be bring the race alive over on Instagram.
Weather
At the time of writing the forecast suggests the weather will be warm and sunny.
The National Road Series so far
Women’s Series
In a town famed for its pork pies, it was grit, not gristle, that defined the ninth edition of the ANEXO CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic. Under grey Leicestershire skies, Lucy Harris delivered a performance to savour, going solo in the closing kilometres to claim her maiden National Road Series victory
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 at the East Cleveland Classic, as he out-sprinted George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team) to take Open victory by the blink of an eye.
On Sunday 11 May, Lincoln’s cobbled streets will detonate with colour and cowbells as the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix returns for its 69th edition. Britain’s longest-running one-day race now opens the brand-new Rapha Super-League and doubles as a key round of the National Road Series, luring the nation’s fastest hitters and hungriest U23s into a day-long street brawl beneath the cathedral spires.
Prime your cowbells – our full preview dives into the form charts, dark horses, route details and how to follow the race live.
Featured image: Joe Cotterill/The British Continental
What is it?
The Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix is Britain’s longest-running one-day road race and the closest thing the domestic calendar has to a monument. First run in 1956, it celebrates its 69th men’s and 10th women’s editions on Sunday 11 May, turning Lincoln’s medieval centre into a day-long festival of cobbles, cowbells and cathedral-top backdrops.
This year’s race does more than keep an unbroken lineage alive – it opens Rapha’s brand-new 16-round Super-League, a points competition designed to knit the best British races into a single, season-long narrative. At the same time it delivers the next salvo of British Cycling’s National Road Series (round 3 for the women, round 2 for the open series), giving riders double the incentive to make the Castle Square cobbles echo with ambition.
Organisation has evolved with the times. After Mike Jones founded the race and Ian Emmerson guided it for half a century, Dan Ellmore took charge in 2016. The baton passed again in 2023 to Gary Coltman, who will oversee his third edition this year.
Reigning champions Matt Holmes – whose 2024 comeback win rewrote the fairy-tale script – and Kate Richardson, who soloed clear in last year’s women’s race, return wearing the biggest targets in British road racing. Their victories sit on an honours roll that stretches from Bob Eastwood in 1956 to Russell Downing’s four-timer and Lizzie Deignan’s national-championship triumph, a lineage that underlines why every new edition of Lincoln matters. On 11 May, the cobbles will decide whose name joins that roll next.
Route
The Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix plays out on the same 12.9 km circuit first used for Paul Curran’s hat-trick season in 1987 and unchanged ever since. Eight laps for the women and 13 for the men mean the peloton sweeps past Castle Square a combined 21 times, turning the cathedral quarter into an all-day theatre where fans can hop between finish-line drama, the base of Michaelgate, Castle Square and other vantage points without missing a beat.
From the cobbles of Castle Square the bunch darts under the Roman Newport Arch and along Bailgate before swinging onto Yarborough Crescent and the B1398 for a flat drag north to Burton-by-Lincoln. A fast drop through the village funnels into the left-hander onto the A57, where exposed farmland beside the Fossdyke canal invites cross-winds to peel away inattentive wheels – nothing decisive on a single pass, but lap after lap it’s a slow vice that can snap a tired bunch.
At the old racecourse the road hooks left onto Long Leys Road, the so-called “feed-zone climb”. Its slope is gentle enough to lull riders into complacency, yet eight or 13 repetitions drain legs and sharpen elbows for what comes next: the frantic dash back into town and the downhill slingshot onto Hungate.
Then comes Michaelgate – the race’s axle and axe. Just 200 m long but cobbled, claustrophobic and savage, it averages 12.9 % and tops out at 27.6 %, demanding 30-45 seconds of full-throttle torque while fans cheer on from the roadside. Reach the crest at the back of a group and the elastic can snap; crest it alone and you can bury the rest on Castle Square.
The climb spits riders onto a short, twisting, cobbled finishing “straight” past the castle walls. Here, wheel choice, tyre pressure and corner lines matter as much as raw power; the race can be won – or, quite literally, lost – by a mistimed corner, a bounce, or a slip in the hundred metres between the top of Michaelgate and the chequered flag. Stay upright, stay forward, and the stones of Castle Square might just echo your name for another year.
Contenders
See the latest startlists here.
Women’s race
Kate Richardson returns to Lincoln as the defending champion, having soloed to victory here in 2024. Last season she also shone on the track – claiming multiple British titles – before injuries sustained after being hit by a car cut her year short. Now back with the Handsling Alba Development RT squad, the 22-year-old Scot has been rebuilding her form abroad, picking up a brace of podium finishes in Belgian kermesse races this spring. Richardson’s all-around strength and experience on Lincoln’s cobbled Michaelgate climb make her a marked rider, and she’ll be hungry to repeat last year’s triumph on Sunday.
Another rising talent from the Alba team, Lauren Dickson has had a breakthrough 2025 season on the continent. The young Scot announced herself with a stunning 2nd place at the UCI 1.1 Pointe du Raz Ladies Classic in Brittany this week, only being caught by a late-on by Paula Blasi to be denied victory. She’s also notched top-15 results in tough European one-day races, showcasing climbing grit and fast-finishing ability. Dickson lacks Lincoln GP experience, but with newfound confidence from that podium abroad, she could well turn domestic heads if she dances up Michaelgate with the leaders. Irish rider Amelia Tyler has quickly become a consistent force in the British peloton this year. She earned her first National Road Series podium with 3rd at the East Cleveland Classic, helping Handsling Alba stamp their authority early in the season. Tyler isn’t afraid to animate races – she broke away early in the Scheldeprijs pro race in Belgium, showing aggressive intent against WorldTour opposition. That mix of endurance and fearlessness should serve her well on Lincoln’s relentless course.
Both “Lucys” of Smurfit Westrock have been on formidable form. Lucy Harris scored the biggest win of her young career at the CiCLE Classic in March, soloing into Melton Mowbray with a half-minute gap. That breakout victory confirmed Harris as one of Britain’s best domestic elites. Teammate Lucy Gadd has been equally impressive: she swept the Peaks Two-Day stage race overall just weeks earlier, clinching the title by eight seconds after a hard-fought final stage. Gadd’s all-day aggression also earned her the Queen of the Mountains prize at CiCLE Classic, underlining her strength on the climbs. Between Harris’s punch and Gadd’s stamina, Smurfit Westrock brings a one-two punch that could shape the race.
The Hess Cycling duo of Alice McWilliam and Holly Ramsey have emerged as major players on the domestic scene this year. McWilliam currently leads the National Road Series after a win at the East Cleveland Classic and a runner-up spot at the CiCLE Classic. The 29-year-old capped a perfectly timed sprint on Saltburn Bank to take East Cleveland, with teammate Ramsey right behind in second. That result was Ramsey’s first National Series podium, and she proved it was no fluke by finishing 5th at CiCLE Classic. McWilliam has prior Lincoln pedigree as well – she was an impressive runner-up here back in 2022 – so she knows how to handle the cobbles and crowds. Buoyed by their recent successes, these two could dictate terms. McWilliam’s sprint and Ramsey’s climbing consistency give the team cards to play in the finale.
DAS–Hutchinson line up with a duo who already know exactly how to win on British roads. South African champion Tiffany Keep’s 2024 résumé includes victory in the Cape Town Cycle Tour at home and a gritty 4th at this year’s East Cleveland Classic, proof that her endurance and sprint translate seamlessly between hemispheres. Alongside her is Robyn Clay, the 2023 Lincoln Grand Prix winner who thrives on the cobbled punch of Michaelgate. Still only 21, Clay has opened 2025 with 5th at the CiCLE Classic and 7th at East Cleveland, repeatedly forcing moves for DAS. With Keep’s proven experience and Clay’s local know-how, the team arrive with two leaders fully capable of Lincoln glory.
Two of the strongest unattached riders on the start list, Anna Morris and Frankie Hall, cannot be overlooked. Morris is better known for her exploits on the velodrome – the 29-year-old Welsh rider is the reigning European and British individual pursuit champion and even smashed the world record over 4 km this winter. Turning her attention back to road racing, she promptly took 5th at the East Cleveland Classic, proving that her engine and track-honed power translate to road climbs. Lincoln’s short, steep ramps should suit her just fine. Hall, meanwhile, brings a versatile racing résumé. She attacked early in last year’s Lincoln GP and still hung on for 9th. Since then, Hall has sharpened her form overseas – she recently nabbed a stage win at the UCI stage race the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico on the uphill finish at Piños Altos. That kind of climbing kick will serve her well on Michaelgate. Racing without team support, both Morris and Hall will ride need to smart, marking moves and seizing any opportunity to slip into a decisive break.
Beyond the headliners, several outsiders could spring a surprise. Jessica Finney (Portsmouth North End CC) is a former National Series race winner – she famously won the 2023 CiCLE Classic with a long-range sprint – and her experience on tough courses makes her a dangerous finisher if she’s on form. By contrast, 19-year-old Noemie Thomson (Southborough & District Wheelers) is a newcomer brimming with potential; she took a remarkable solo win in her first-ever road race at April’s Florrie Newbery Classic. Thomson’s fearless attacking style could see her up the road early to pre-empt the favorites.
Then there’s Ella Maclean-Howell, better known for tearing up the MTB World Cup circuit – the Welsh U23 star opened her 2025 mountain-bike season with top-5 finishes in Brazil. Maclean-Howell’s engine and bike-handling could translate well to Lincoln’s attrition; if she’s adapted to the bunch, she’s an intriguing wild card. And finally, cyclocross specialist Anna Kay adds star power. A former U23 Worlds medallist in cyclocross, Kay specialises in mixing it with the elites in European mud. This will be a very different kind of race, but her gritty climbing and bike skills on cobbles could shine if conditions get tough. Each of these outsiders has the palmarès – or the talent – to upset expectations. If the race gets tactical or the favorites mark each other out, don’t be surprised if one of these names rides onto the Lincoln podium against the odds.
Prediction: Our breakthrough rider of the year in 2024, Lauren Dickson, will continue her remarkable form to take her first National Road Series win.
Open race
The defending Lincoln GP champion, Matt Holmes (One Good Thing – Factor Racing), returns with WorldTour pedigree and newfound gravel prowess. Holmes famously triumphed on Lincoln’s cobbled Michaelgate climb last year to mark fairytale retirement comeback, and he’s kept his winning touch in 2025 despite a switch of focus. In March he took a UCI Gravel World Series victory in the 114 Gravel race, out-sprinting a former MTB marathon champion after 123 km. That result underlines the 31-year-old’s fitness and versatility. If Holmes can translate that form back to the tarmac, his experience and punchy climbing make him a top contender to repeat on Sunday.
Arguably the most in-form rider on the start sheet, Ben Granger (Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace VPM) has been on a tear both abroad and at home. The 24-year-old Brit kicked off 2025 with a win at Italy’s prestigious season-opener Firenze-Empoli, and just weeks ago he soloed to an emphatic victory at the UCI Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic, continuing his fine start to 2025 with authority. Granger’s aggressive style – honed by three seasons racing in Italy – has seen him develop a knack for timing decisive moves. He won the Lancaster GP last summer with a late attack and appears to have only improved since. An all-rounder with endurance and race savvy, Granger will be eager to add the “British Monument” of Lincoln to his expanding palmarès.
Few outfits reach Castle Square with quite the same aura of inevitability as the fluorescent-pink MUC-Off-SRCT-Storck machine. A wave of early-season domination has left rivals scrambling for answers, and the reason is simple: they possess three riders who can all finish the job in subtly different ways. Nineteen-year-old Alex Beldon may be in only his second season as an under-23, yet his results are as impressive as any domestic elite. He opened his year by winning the first under-23 National Road Series round at PB Performance, then showcased tactical maturity well beyond his years at the Danum Trophy. There, after Edward Morgan hammered the pace in a select move, Beldon delivered the coup de grâce with a sharp, counter-punch attack that no one could match.
Adam Howell, only a year older, has produced an equally compelling dossier. At the East Cleveland Classic he pipped George Kimber in a nail-biting sprint atop Saltburn Bank, sending a warning shot across the domestic scene. Earlier this year he announced his all-round credentials by winning stage 1 of the Peaks 2 Day before winning a hill top finish at the Kennel Hill Classic. Howell’s repeatability on steep ramps, matched to a feisty finishing kick, could make him lethal on Michaelgate’s cobbles. Edward Morgan provides the glue – and the muscle – that binds the trio. His gigantic turns of pace at the Danum Trophy were instrumental in Beldon’s victory, and he soon helped himself to personal glory with a clinical move on the final rise of the PNE National B. His excellent fourth at the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic underlined his form and prowess. Perched at the top of The British Continental’s road race rankings, he lends the squad both tactical shrewdness and diesel-engine torque.
The reigning National Road Series champion George Kimber (Spirit Racing) continues to deliver on expectations. Kimber won the overall British series in 2024 and has started 2025 in similarly consistent fashion. In March he sprinted to victory at the Evesham Vale Road Race, and he was runner-up to Howell at the East Cleveland Classic after marking all the key moves. A powerful finisher from small groups, Kimber is hard to shake on attritional courses. He knows how to target the Lincoln GP too – last season he was fourth – and will be hungry to take a big one-day title. Kimber’s combination of grit and a fast kick could prove decisive.
Raptor Factory Racing’s young guns have already shown they can beat the best. 23-year-old Rowan Baker stole the show at the Peaks 2 Day in March, riding solo to a final-stage win by over four minutes and clinching the overall title. That performance – coming after a strong time trial on Holme Moss – underlined Baker’s engine and fearless attacking style. It’s no surprise he was last year’s under-23 series winner and a National Road Series round winner (East Cleveland Classic 2024). Teammate Dylan Hicks, meanwhile, brings serious credentials of his own. At 20, Hicks already boasts a stage victory at the UCI Tour of Hellas in Greece – a pro win he nabbed in 2024 while with Saint Piran – along with last season’s U23 Stars of the South West National Series race. A punchy finisher who can climb, Hicks’ podium finish at the Rutland-Melton CiCLE Classic last month demonstrates he has the strength and savvy to succeed on Sunday.
If MUC-Off rely on a triple threat, Wheelbase CabTech Castelli counter with a quartet, each rider offering a distinct string to the team’s collective bow. Tom Martin, resplendent in luminous yellow and black, is currently experiencing the purple patch of a lifetime. After detonating the key move at East Cleveland and bagging third, he crossed to Ireland’s Rás Mumhan and lit up the race: two stage wins and the general classification sealed by a scant eight seconds. “All-in or not at all,” he likes to say—and the gaps he opens when he commits suggest the phrase is no idle boast. Tim Shoreman supplies a different flavour of menace. The former Scottish road-race champion marries speed with punch. His 2024 Rás Tailteann stage win in a monsoon sprint proved he can keep cool amid chaos; fourth at East Cleveland this spring confirmed that the legs are every bit as sharp.
Meanwhile, Tom Armstrong is the reliable engine room, forged on countless grim northern circuits and sharpened by continental stints. He thrives on attrition, relentless tempo and exposed moorland crosswinds. Third at Capernwray and sixth in both East Cleveland and the Danum Trophy illustrate his consistency. Completing the arsenal is James McKay, a man who has a close affinity with Lincoln’s cobbles. Fourth here two years ago and a perennial danger at the CiCLE Classic, he showed a return to form last weekend with victory at the Timmy James Memorial. McKay’s presence affords Wheelbase a proven finisher should the race coalesce into a small, tired bunch.
A bona fide stage-race star in the domestic ranks, Dom Jackson (Foran Cycling Team) is coming off a landmark 2024 season and remains a threat in any hard race. Last year, the 27-year-old made headlines by winning the Rás Tailteann in Ireland – joining an exclusive club of British riders to take that historic five-day race. Domestically, Jackson may fly a bit under the radar compared with bigger names, but given his endurance and tactical nous, he could easily surf the splits and emerge as a late contender on Lincoln’s final laps. A fast-finishing wildcard in this field, Matt Bostock (Tekkerz CC) brings a wealth of pro experience to Lincoln. The Manxman is a former British Cycling Academy rider and Pro-Conti sprinter who has stepped back to race domestically with Tekkerz, and he certainly hasn’t lost his turn of speed – or endurance. He proved that by cracking the top ten at the East Cleveland Classic this year, hanging tough on the climbs and still having enough kick to place ninth.
One of the youngest names to watch, Alex Ball has been rapidly rising through the ranks this season. Riding for the local East Midlands squad BCC Race Team, the 21-year-old Scot has already proven he can mix it with the elites. Ball turned heads with a fighting fifth place at the Danum Trophy, where he survived the selective Yorkshire circuit to finish in the lead group behind Beldon and co. He backed that up with a top-ten in the East Cleveland Classic, showing consistency on very different courses. A podium might be a stretch, but a top ten (or better) is well within Ball’s capabilities given his current form. Among the more seasoned threats, Harry Tanfield stands out. The former WorldTour pro – and 2018 Tour de Yorkshire stage winner – brings a deep reservoir of experience. Now racing with Ribble Outliers, his 2025 season has focused on gravel, but his engine remains unquestionable; on a good day he can power a break or ignite a long-range move. A very different trajectory belongs to Jim Brown (Gold State Blazers), the 24-year-old Brit who is currently honed his craft on the U.S. crit scene. Brown grabbed headlines recently by winning the 2025 Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic in Belize, displaying the punchy acceleration he is known for. Back on UK roads, the former UCI road race winner will be eager to prove that international success was no one-off.
Then there is Harry Macfarlane (Ride Revolution Coaching), the reigning British hill-climb champion. Familiar with absurdly steep gradients and savage gearing, his knack for explosive efforts makes him a tantalising outsider. Jacob Vaughan is another dark horses. Once a promising Lotto Soudal development-team rider, he rediscovered his winning ways on the domestic circuit by defending his title at the Jock Wadley Memorial this year – an edition so fast it averaged 47 km/h. Now with VC Londres, Vaughan will lurk for opportunities to slip into a break and unleash his sharp finishing kick; give him the slightest gap and he knows exactly how to turn it into a victory.
Each of these riders – and indeed many others in the 140-strong field – possesses the talent to shape the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix. From Holmes and Granger’s international triumphs to the home-grown dominance of the MUC-Off youngsters, the depth of form on display points toward an explosive contest of attrition and audacity.
Prediction: Ben Granger to win an unprecedented CiCLE Classic-Lincoln GP double.
Timings
How to follow
We will be firing up our live ticker courtesy of Joe Hudson, who will be reporting from the road side. The women’s race ticker will be here, the open race ticker here. They will go live just before the racing begins. Joe will also bring you interviews and updates on our Instagram stories. Meanwhile a team of Rapha content-makers will also be bring the race alive over on Instagram.
Weather
At the time of writing the forecast suggests the weather will be warm and sunny.
The National Road Series so far
Women’s Series
In a town famed for its pork pies, it was grit, not gristle, that defined the ninth edition of the ANEXO CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic. Under grey Leicestershire skies, Lucy Harris delivered a performance to savour, going solo in the closing kilometres to claim her maiden National Road Series victory
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.
Open Series
Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) took a first National Road Series win to remember at the East Cleveland Classic, as he out-sprinted George Kimber (Spirit Racing Team) to take Open victory by the blink of an eye.
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