2025 East and West Midlands Road Race Championships: report and results
Madeline Cooper (Montezuma’s Eventrex) powered clear on Windley Hill to take the women’s race and, with it, the Yorkshire regional title, while Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) repeated his 2024 heroics in the open event, dropping his rivals on the final ascent to seal both the overall win and the East Midlands crown.
Madeline Cooper (Montezuma’s Eventrex) powered clear on Windley Hill to take the women’s race and, with it, the Yorkshire regional title, while Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) repeated his 2024 heroics in the open event, dropping his rivals on the final ascent to seal both the overall win and the East Midlands crown (Sunday 1 June).
Report
Women’s race
Madeline Cooper (Montezuma’s Eventrex Race Team) emerged first up the steep slopes of Windley Hill to claim victory in the East and West Midlands Road Race Championships, continuing her winning run after claiming gold in the BUCS Road Race Championship a fortnight ago.
Under sunny skies in Derbyshire, the field got underway in surprisingly windy conditions, six laps of the challenging Windley circuit ahead of them, five regional titles up for grabs ensuring a fascinating, competitive race.
With all to play for, the pace was high from the off, the action coming at the rear of the peloton on the opening two laps with a number of riders struggling, and ultimately failing, to live with the pace on the climb to the finish line.
The course offered little respite in the stiff westerly wind, a strong group of five forcing themselves clear on the third lap, including pre-race favourites Cooper, Elena Day (Loughborough Lightning), Swedish national champion Mika Söderström (Cykelklubb Stockholm), and defending champion Ella Tandy (Tofuati Everyone Active Majaco). Only 15 seconds in arrears were a group of 11 riders, the race hanging in the balance at the halfway mark.
A lap later both groups had combined with an advantage of 1:15 over the peloton, Hannah Clough (University of Nottingham), Sian Botteley (Smurfit Westrock) among the riders to link up to the leaders, while the squad’s of Loughborough Lightning and BrotherUK-OnForm held an ace up their sleeves with multiple riders in the group.
However, with just one lap remaining the race turned on its head, the peloton catching the strong front group with a sprint up the 9% slopes of Windley Hill to decide the winner. Having been aggressive throughout the race, Cooper, Söderström and Tandy defied the odds to continue to push the pace on the steep gradient, using the long climb to break clear and power to the line in that order.
With five regional titles up for grabs there were many battles within the race, Cooper herself winning the Yorkshire title as well as the National B win. Miriam Jesset and Elena Day made it a day to remember for their Loughborough Lightning team, taking the North East and East Midlands titles respectively, while promoting club rider Hannah Clough took the crown for the North West, while Ella Tandy retained her West Midlands crown from twelve months ago
Open race
Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) made it back to back wins in the East and West Midlands Road Race Championships after storming up Windley Hill for the final time, finishing ahead of Caleb Pain (Ride Revolution Coaching) and Oliver Dawson (Team Hoppla), who formed part of the three man race-long break that was thwarted on the final of the eight laps of the challenging Windley circuit.
The Sunny skies of the morning were replaced by dark clouds as the open race rolled out of the HQ, a fitting atmosphere for the difficulty of the task ahead.
Given the nature of the course, the race was never likey to settle and Eugene Cross (Schils Doltcini), Oliver Dawson (Team Hopplà) and Oliver Hurdle (Private Member l) the first riders to get away early on in the race, the trio working well together afters fourth rider in the original move was dropped on the second lap.
Their lead grew to 1.20 by the halfway stage, the skirmishes behind drawing out a small chasing group including Matthew Warhurst (Defined Cycling), Spencer Corder (Beeston Cycling Club), Matt Clarke (Bridgnorth Cycling Club) and Sam Walsham (Reflex Nopinz). Behind them was a group of eight riders including pre-race favourites Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) and Josh Housley (Primera-TeamJobs); Dan Galpin driving the pace on the front of a very depleted peloton as he sensed the race moving up the road.
The opening laps also saw some big name casualties end their race early, Bradley Symonds (Raptor Factory Racing) retiring to the comfort of a camper van as the rain began to fall, a number of BCC RT riders, the most numerous team in the race heading back to the HQ.
There was however a lifeline for those behind the leading trio as the race hit three laps to go. A slow moving tractor brought a halt to proceedings up Windley Hill; the race neutralised and stopped on the finishing line. With the groups behind meeging together, the leading three riders were set off with their 1:20 advantage intact, the rest of the field grouped together for the restart – a huge slice of luck, or reward for their perseverance, for those who had found the race moving away from them.
Following the restart the truce between Dawson, Cross and Hurdle renumed, their lead going out to 1:40 as they crossed the line with two laps to go. Behind the attacks rained down on Windley Hill, Lewis finding himself in a group of around eight riders with Warhurst, Benjamin Arey (Halesowen A and CC) and George Stephen (BCC RT). With the pace relentless Josh Housley found himself second wheel in a strung out peloton barely ten seconds adrift.
As the bell tolled signalling one lap to go the trio outfront remained steadfast in their combined effort, crossing the line for the penultimate time with an advantage of 30 seconds over a group headed by Adam Lewis, the race finely poised.
Seated, Lewis was able to put out significant power on the latter part of Windley Hill, leading a group of around ten riders in a desperate effort to get back on level terms late in the race. Such was the speed, Stephen struggled to hold the Walsall riders’ wheel, Caleb Pain (Ride Revolution Coaching) pushing him back into the line in an effort to keep the line together. Also in the group was fast finisher Dan Barnes (Spectra Racing), who would pose a threat if he was able to hang on to the climbers for another gruelling lap.
Working well together, the group would complete the catch halfway through the final lap, setting up a grandstand finish with the three breakaway riders still in contention. It was Lewis who would make the key move, the climber, recently crowned King of the Hills in the Ràs Tailteann setting a hard tempo from the bottom, using the steep slopes to make an unbridgable gap and solo his way to the win and East Midlands title in the process. As the Skyline rider raised his arms in victory, Caleb Pain was coming into vision, second an excellent result for the Ride Revolution Coaching rider, while Oliver Dawson had enough left in the tank to finish third, one place ahead of Dan Barnes, who took home the West Midlands title.
Speaking after the race to The British Continental, Lewis said: “It’s nice to come back and defend it, I thought at one point when it got stopped with three laps to go the race was getting away from us. We got them back with half a lap to go and i just went full gas from the bottom and fortunately it was enough.”
Lewis’ victory had an air of inevitability around it, his excellent form on display for all to see each time up Windley Hill. He now heads to Canada for the Tour de Beauce, a race he was sixth in last year, before heading home for the Tour of the Reservoir and National Championships. “It’s a race that suits me, five stages, some good climbs and a hilltop finish, so I’m hoping to go a few places better this year.” He said of his upcoming trip to North America, where he will be looking to take a maiden UCI win.
It was a bittersweet podium for Team Hopplà’s Oliver Dawson, who spends the majority of his time in Italy with his team. “It was a bit disappointing to be caught.” He reflected back at the HQ. “It was a hard race out front, we were working well as a team. It’s a bit annoying, but I still had some decent legs to get on the podium.”
Madeline Cooper (Montezuma’s Eventrex) powered clear on Windley Hill to take the women’s race and, with it, the Yorkshire regional title, while Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) repeated his 2024 heroics in the open event, dropping his rivals on the final ascent to seal both the overall win and the East Midlands crown (Sunday 1 June).
Report
Women’s race
Madeline Cooper (Montezuma’s Eventrex Race Team) emerged first up the steep slopes of Windley Hill to claim victory in the East and West Midlands Road Race Championships, continuing her winning run after claiming gold in the BUCS Road Race Championship a fortnight ago.
Under sunny skies in Derbyshire, the field got underway in surprisingly windy conditions, six laps of the challenging Windley circuit ahead of them, five regional titles up for grabs ensuring a fascinating, competitive race.
With all to play for, the pace was high from the off, the action coming at the rear of the peloton on the opening two laps with a number of riders struggling, and ultimately failing, to live with the pace on the climb to the finish line.
The course offered little respite in the stiff westerly wind, a strong group of five forcing themselves clear on the third lap, including pre-race favourites Cooper, Elena Day (Loughborough Lightning), Swedish national champion Mika Söderström (Cykelklubb Stockholm), and defending champion Ella Tandy (Tofuati Everyone Active Majaco). Only 15 seconds in arrears were a group of 11 riders, the race hanging in the balance at the halfway mark.
A lap later both groups had combined with an advantage of 1:15 over the peloton, Hannah Clough (University of Nottingham), Sian Botteley (Smurfit Westrock) among the riders to link up to the leaders, while the squad’s of Loughborough Lightning and BrotherUK-OnForm held an ace up their sleeves with multiple riders in the group.
However, with just one lap remaining the race turned on its head, the peloton catching the strong front group with a sprint up the 9% slopes of Windley Hill to decide the winner. Having been aggressive throughout the race, Cooper, Söderström and Tandy defied the odds to continue to push the pace on the steep gradient, using the long climb to break clear and power to the line in that order.
With five regional titles up for grabs there were many battles within the race, Cooper herself winning the Yorkshire title as well as the National B win. Miriam Jesset and Elena Day made it a day to remember for their Loughborough Lightning team, taking the North East and East Midlands titles respectively, while promoting club rider Hannah Clough took the crown for the North West, while Ella Tandy retained her West Midlands crown from twelve months ago
Open race
Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) made it back to back wins in the East and West Midlands Road Race Championships after storming up Windley Hill for the final time, finishing ahead of Caleb Pain (Ride Revolution Coaching) and Oliver Dawson (Team Hoppla), who formed part of the three man race-long break that was thwarted on the final of the eight laps of the challenging Windley circuit.
The Sunny skies of the morning were replaced by dark clouds as the open race rolled out of the HQ, a fitting atmosphere for the difficulty of the task ahead.
Given the nature of the course, the race was never likey to settle and Eugene Cross (Schils Doltcini), Oliver Dawson (Team Hopplà) and Oliver Hurdle (Private Member l) the first riders to get away early on in the race, the trio working well together afters fourth rider in the original move was dropped on the second lap.
Their lead grew to 1.20 by the halfway stage, the skirmishes behind drawing out a small chasing group including Matthew Warhurst (Defined Cycling), Spencer Corder (Beeston Cycling Club), Matt Clarke (Bridgnorth Cycling Club) and Sam Walsham (Reflex Nopinz). Behind them was a group of eight riders including pre-race favourites Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) and Josh Housley (Primera-TeamJobs); Dan Galpin driving the pace on the front of a very depleted peloton as he sensed the race moving up the road.
The opening laps also saw some big name casualties end their race early, Bradley Symonds (Raptor Factory Racing) retiring to the comfort of a camper van as the rain began to fall, a number of BCC RT riders, the most numerous team in the race heading back to the HQ.
There was however a lifeline for those behind the leading trio as the race hit three laps to go. A slow moving tractor brought a halt to proceedings up Windley Hill; the race neutralised and stopped on the finishing line. With the groups behind meeging together, the leading three riders were set off with their 1:20 advantage intact, the rest of the field grouped together for the restart – a huge slice of luck, or reward for their perseverance, for those who had found the race moving away from them.
Following the restart the truce between Dawson, Cross and Hurdle renumed, their lead going out to 1:40 as they crossed the line with two laps to go. Behind the attacks rained down on Windley Hill, Lewis finding himself in a group of around eight riders with Warhurst, Benjamin Arey (Halesowen A and CC) and George Stephen (BCC RT). With the pace relentless Josh Housley found himself second wheel in a strung out peloton barely ten seconds adrift.
As the bell tolled signalling one lap to go the trio outfront remained steadfast in their combined effort, crossing the line for the penultimate time with an advantage of 30 seconds over a group headed by Adam Lewis, the race finely poised.
Seated, Lewis was able to put out significant power on the latter part of Windley Hill, leading a group of around ten riders in a desperate effort to get back on level terms late in the race. Such was the speed, Stephen struggled to hold the Walsall riders’ wheel, Caleb Pain (Ride Revolution Coaching) pushing him back into the line in an effort to keep the line together. Also in the group was fast finisher Dan Barnes (Spectra Racing), who would pose a threat if he was able to hang on to the climbers for another gruelling lap.
Working well together, the group would complete the catch halfway through the final lap, setting up a grandstand finish with the three breakaway riders still in contention. It was Lewis who would make the key move, the climber, recently crowned King of the Hills in the Ràs Tailteann setting a hard tempo from the bottom, using the steep slopes to make an unbridgable gap and solo his way to the win and East Midlands title in the process. As the Skyline rider raised his arms in victory, Caleb Pain was coming into vision, second an excellent result for the Ride Revolution Coaching rider, while Oliver Dawson had enough left in the tank to finish third, one place ahead of Dan Barnes, who took home the West Midlands title.
Speaking after the race to The British Continental, Lewis said: “It’s nice to come back and defend it, I thought at one point when it got stopped with three laps to go the race was getting away from us. We got them back with half a lap to go and i just went full gas from the bottom and fortunately it was enough.”
Lewis’ victory had an air of inevitability around it, his excellent form on display for all to see each time up Windley Hill. He now heads to Canada for the Tour de Beauce, a race he was sixth in last year, before heading home for the Tour of the Reservoir and National Championships. “It’s a race that suits me, five stages, some good climbs and a hilltop finish, so I’m hoping to go a few places better this year.” He said of his upcoming trip to North America, where he will be looking to take a maiden UCI win.
It was a bittersweet podium for Team Hopplà’s Oliver Dawson, who spends the majority of his time in Italy with his team. “It was a bit disappointing to be caught.” He reflected back at the HQ. “It was a hard race out front, we were working well as a team. It’s a bit annoying, but I still had some decent legs to get on the podium.”
Results
Women’s race
Open race
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