London’s crit showpiece returns this Saturday, 21 June. The VIA Criterium, Round 3 of the Rapha Super-League, shoe-horns an 850 m circuit into King’s Cross, sending riders down The Drop ramp, across Coal Drops Yard’s cobbles and onto the 200 m “VIA Straight” for a flood-lit drag race. Alec Briggs returns to defend his crown, Super-League points and bragging rights up for grabs before the Nationals. One-minute laps, wall-to-wall fans, equal prize pots. London’s urban amphitheatre is primed and waiting.
London’s crit showpiece returns this Saturday, 21 June. The VIA Criterium, Round 3 of the Rapha Super-League, shoe-horns an 850 m circuit into King’s Cross, sending riders down The Drop ramp, across Coal Drops Yard’s cobbles and onto the 200 m “VIA Straight” for a flood-lit drag race. Alec Briggs returns to defend his crown, Super-League points and bragging rights up for grabs before the Nationals. One-minute laps, wall-to-wall fans, equal prize pots. London’s urban amphitheatre is primed and waiting.
Here is our preview.
Featured image: Max Burnett
What is it?
Round 3 of the Rapha Super-League swaps country lanes for city concrete, pitching Britain’s fastest crit specialists onto an 850 mplayground carved through King’s Cross. The VIA Criterium snakes near the red-brick grandeur of St Pancras, dives down The Drop ramp into Coal Drops Yard’s cobbled amphitheatre, then hurtles along the 200 m “VIA Straight” drag on Stable Street. Lap time? Under a minute if you’re brave, fluent and a little bit reckless.
Two National B showpieces headline Saturday night: a women’s E123 and an open E123, both counting towards Super-League points. They sit at the heart of the London Cycle Festival (20–22 June), a three-day celebration that layers Brompton worlds, fixie frenzies, demo zones and even a new 120 km gravel adventure onto the same king-size event village. Organisers expect 90,000 visitors and over 2,000 competitors to flow through the estate across the weekend – coffee queues, cowbells and club colours everywhere you look.
For riders, it’s a rare chance to race under floodlights in the capital; for fans, it’s crit racing served stadium-style, the peloton flashing past every sixty seconds until the final, deafening sprint.
Soak up the Super-League buzz at Rapha’s event village on Lewis Cubitt Square, Coal Drops Yard, open Friday 20 June from 6 pm, Saturday 21 June 11 am–10 pm and Sunday 22 June 11 am–6 pm, where a brand-new broom wagon, speciality coffee, limited-edition VIA Crit merch and Super-League cowbells await.
Route
A unique 850 m circuit weaving through Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard. The course is fast and technical, lined with thousands of spectators for an electric atmosphere. With multiple tight corners, chicanes and a dramatic ramp called “The Drop,” this circuit delivers adrenaline-fueled racing.
Each lap packs in six corners: a long sweeping left, one 90° right, and three 90° left-hand turns, along with a quick chicane. The wooden “Drop” ramp is the signature feature, plunging riders into the two-tiered Coal Drops Yard “amphitheatre” where the start/finish sits. A tricky dogleg through Granary Square keeps racers on their toes, before a 200 m VIA Straight sets the stage for a flat-out sprint finish.
Surface changes are another challenge. The route switches between smooth tarmac, flat brick paving, and the wooden ramp. The bricks turn parts of the course into slippy pavé, demanding precise bike handling. Many riders compensate by running slightly wider tires and lower pressures, seeking extra grip and stability in the corners.
How to follow
The British Continental will be covering the race on Instagram and through our live ticker. Follow the ticker for the women’s race will be here, the open race ticker will be here. Extra content can also be found on the Rapha Instagram page.
Schedule
Race
Start
Length
Notes
Women’s E123
19:45
55 min + 5 laps
Floodlit, primes on laps 5 & 15; equal prize purse with men
Open E123
21:00
55 min + 5 laps
Floodlit, primes on laps 5 & 15; equal prize purse with men
Riders to watch
Women’s race
Still just 17, Becky Gardiner (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) has quickly made a name for herself in the UK crit scene. She opened 2025 with a bang, outsprinting seasoned elites to win the March Hare Classic at Lee Valley. Last year, the junior sensation also proved she can handle the technical King’s Cross course – she stormed to a podium finish at the 2024 VIA Criterium, taking third place behind only Isabel Darvill and Amy Perryman. Gardiner’s talents aren’t confined to Britain either; she impressed abroad with 5th place at the junior Gent-Wevelgem last month.
Rebecca Gardiner (Tofauti Everyone Active) leads the race in 2024. Image: Mark James
Amy Perryman (Private Member) returns to King’s Cross as arguably the most accomplished crit racer in this line-up. She was the runner-up in last year’s VIA Criterium, coming within a whisker of victory after animating the finale. In fact, 2024 saw Perryman consistently at the sharp end of every major circuit race: she notched top-five finishes against elite company, including 4th at the Beverley Town Centre National Series round and 6th at the Sheffield Grand Prix. Formerly of TEKKERZ CC, she’s honed an aggressive, all-or-nothing racing style that thrives on technical courses and fast corners. Now racing as an independent, Perryman brings experience and a point to prove.
Phoebe Roche (O’Shea – Development Team) has burst into 2025 as one of the domestic scene’s most formidable finishers. She already has multiple wins under her belt this season – including the Witham Hall Grand Prix and a dominant Stage 1 victory at the Ronde van Wymeswold stage race just a week ago. In that opener, Roche unleashed a commanding uphill sprint to see off a quality field (including her younger sister Zoe) and claim her second win of the year. Closer to home, she’s been equally impressive in crits: Roche took a win at the Crystal Palace criterium series in London, outsprinting national-level rivals like Penny Colloff. All of this points to a rider in red-hot form. She’s quick on the pedals, tactically sharp, and brimming with confidence.
Phoebe Roche beats sister Zoe on stage 1 of the Ronde van Wymeswold. Image: Matt de-B Photography
Don’t let her ‘Private Member’ status fool you – at just 17, Zoe Roche might be the youngest rider on this list, but she’s already turning heads. The younger sister of Phoebe, Zoe pushed her sibling all the way in that Wymeswold opener, sprinting to second place for a Roche 1–2. Along the way she scooped up time bonuses in the intermediate sprints, showing race savvy beyond her years. A multi-discipline prodigy, Roche comes off a winter as the reigning junior cyclocross national champion – a title that speaks to her bike-handling skills and punchy power. This will be her first VIA Criterium, but she’s already proven she can mix it with elite riders when given the chance.
A London local, South African rider Grace Sargeant (London Academy) has been quietly building a reputation as a crit specialist on the capital’s circuits. Last year she practically owned the West Thames series at Hillingdon, racking up multiple wins and podiums in the weekly league races. That consistent grind has clearly paid off: Sargeant has started 2025 in career-best form. She nearly stole the show in April’s Capernwray road race with a superb second-place finish, and her crit speed is undeniable. Just days ago, she sprinted to a podium at the Crystal Palace crit, taking third in a high-calibre field.
Sargeant’s teammate Esme Wiley is a Crystal Palace Crit corner-slinger who’s peaking at just the right moment: 2nd in the series opener (29 Apr), 6th in round 6 (12 Jun) and back to 2nd in round 8, she won the overall series this year. Under-23, fearless, and hungry for a first major win – if Wiley hits the final bend near the front, her sprint could spring a surprise podium.
Esme Wiley and Grace Sargeant. Image: Rupert Hartley
Britain’s circuit race steam-roller, Georgina Oakley (Loughborough Lightning) rattled off four National B circuit race wins in five weeks earlier this year – Abingdon Airfield (19 Apr), Castle Combe (18 Apr), Melton Olympic (26 Apr) and Ixworth town-centre (5 May). First VIA start, but with that strike-rate – and track-honed top-end – she will be a rider to mark.
Open race
Alec Briggs (TEKKERZ CC), the defending VIA Criterium champion, is a crit specialist at the peak of his powers. Briggs has kept his crit form rolling with recent podium results across the Atlantic, taking second at the Easton Twilight Criterium in Pennsylvania and again at the historic Tour of Somerville in New Jersey. Domestically, he continues to dominate London’s fast technical circuits – for example, winning the elite category at a recent Crystal Palace crit series round – making him the man to beat once more.
Briggs wins in 2024. Image: Mark James
Briggs will enjoy the support of some high-calibre teammates, none more so than Ollie Wood. The 2023 National Circuit Race Champion has a world-class pedigree. Wood is an Olympic bronze medallist on the track who has turned his focus to criteriums in 2025. Tekkerz CC signed him (along with Matt Bostock) with the aim of building one of the world’s best crit teams, and Wood has wasted no time adapting. He has been sighted at the front of major American crits this year, picking up several top tens, as well as a podium at McNellie’s Group Blue Dome Criterium. With his track-honed speed and stamina, Wood could either launch a stinging late attack or unleash a fierce sprint if the race comes down to a final dash.
At just 17, former TEKKERZ CC rider Oscar Amey (WWV Hagens Bermans Jayco) is already making waves. He sprinted to third place in last year’s VIA Criterium elite race and has since proven his talent on the road internationally with a top-10 finish at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne Juniors this spring. A reigning national junior cyclocross champion, Amey’s explosive power and bike-handling skills should serve him well on the technical King’s Cross circuit.
Runner-up in last year’s VIA Criterium, Oliver Curd (Primo RT) has since solidified his status as one of Britain’s brightest young crit racers. He’s been a constant podium threat in 2025, notably winning a round of the Crystal Palace criterium series in London against many top local riders. An under-23 talent with a fast finish, Curd also showed his all-around ability with a strong second place in the Kennel Hill Classic road race earlier this season. Expect him in the mix for victory again.
Oscar Amey (Great Britain). Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Monte Guerrini (Le Col RT) is a proven force on tight circuits, coming off a remarkable 2024 season with 11 wins in circuit races. He’s carried that momentum into 2025 with two National B road race victories – a two-up sprint win at the Royal Navy Cup in March and a commanding solo triumph at the Eastern Road Championship (Derek Lusher Memorial) in June. A punchy rider with a keen tactical sense, Guerrini will relish the technical course and could ride away from the pack if given an inch.
A crit and track specialist, Frank Longstaff (DAS Richardsons) announced himself last summer by winning the inaugural Cambridge Criterium, outsprinting seasoned pros like Matt Bostock to take the victory. He’s also the reigning British national Madison champion on the track (2024) and has brought that speed to the road. This year Longstaff has been consistently strong in regional crits – for instance, he finished second to Dan Bigham in the Lotus Cars Circuit League opener – showing the kind of kick and endurance that could land him on the podium in King’s Cross.
Longstaff wins the Cambridge Criterium. Image: Honor Elliot
Harry Macfarlane (Ride Revolution) is a local circuit racing stalwart whose aggressive style makes him one to watch. The national hill climb champion placed 9th in the elite VIA Criterium race last year and has continued to notch solid results on the UK scene. With experience in tough races (including stage races like the Rás Tailteann) and a fast finish, he’ll be aiming to move further up the order this time.
Charles Page (Foran CT) brings a wealth of experience from racing at continental level and has found strong form in 2025. He grabbed a podium early this season at the Royal Navy Cup, where he bridged to the break and sprinted in for third place. A former UCI Continental rider with a potent sprint, Page isn’t afraid to attack either. In a crit scenario, his race craft and finishing speed make him a serious threat if he’s in contention late in the race.
Jacob Vaughan (VC Londres) turned heads by winning the prestigious Jock Wadley Memorial road race in March, out-kicking a quality field to defend his title in Britain’s early-season classic. Formerly a UCI Continental rider and national gravel champion, he’s now back with his home club and clearly still racing at a high level. Vaughan’s combination of endurance and finishing kick – will be dangerous on this fast, technical circuit.
London’s crit showpiece returns this Saturday, 21 June. The VIA Criterium, Round 3 of the Rapha Super-League, shoe-horns an 850 m circuit into King’s Cross, sending riders down The Drop ramp, across Coal Drops Yard’s cobbles and onto the 200 m “VIA Straight” for a flood-lit drag race. Alec Briggs returns to defend his crown, Super-League points and bragging rights up for grabs before the Nationals. One-minute laps, wall-to-wall fans, equal prize pots. London’s urban amphitheatre is primed and waiting.
Here is our preview.
Featured image: Max Burnett
What is it?
Round 3 of the Rapha Super-League swaps country lanes for city concrete, pitching Britain’s fastest crit specialists onto an 850 m playground carved through King’s Cross. The VIA Criterium snakes near the red-brick grandeur of St Pancras, dives down The Drop ramp into Coal Drops Yard’s cobbled amphitheatre, then hurtles along the 200 m “VIA Straight” drag on Stable Street. Lap time? Under a minute if you’re brave, fluent and a little bit reckless.
Two National B showpieces headline Saturday night: a women’s E123 and an open E123, both counting towards Super-League points. They sit at the heart of the London Cycle Festival (20–22 June), a three-day celebration that layers Brompton worlds, fixie frenzies, demo zones and even a new 120 km gravel adventure onto the same king-size event village. Organisers expect 90,000 visitors and over 2,000 competitors to flow through the estate across the weekend – coffee queues, cowbells and club colours everywhere you look.
For riders, it’s a rare chance to race under floodlights in the capital; for fans, it’s crit racing served stadium-style, the peloton flashing past every sixty seconds until the final, deafening sprint.
Soak up the Super-League buzz at Rapha’s event village on Lewis Cubitt Square, Coal Drops Yard, open Friday 20 June from 6 pm, Saturday 21 June 11 am–10 pm and Sunday 22 June 11 am–6 pm, where a brand-new broom wagon, speciality coffee, limited-edition VIA Crit merch and Super-League cowbells await.
Route
A unique 850 m circuit weaving through Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard. The course is fast and technical, lined with thousands of spectators for an electric atmosphere. With multiple tight corners, chicanes and a dramatic ramp called “The Drop,” this circuit delivers adrenaline-fueled racing.
Each lap packs in six corners: a long sweeping left, one 90° right, and three 90° left-hand turns, along with a quick chicane. The wooden “Drop” ramp is the signature feature, plunging riders into the two-tiered Coal Drops Yard “amphitheatre” where the start/finish sits. A tricky dogleg through Granary Square keeps racers on their toes, before a 200 m VIA Straight sets the stage for a flat-out sprint finish.
Surface changes are another challenge. The route switches between smooth tarmac, flat brick paving, and the wooden ramp. The bricks turn parts of the course into slippy pavé, demanding precise bike handling. Many riders compensate by running slightly wider tires and lower pressures, seeking extra grip and stability in the corners.
How to follow
The British Continental will be covering the race on Instagram and through our live ticker. Follow the ticker for the women’s race will be here, the open race ticker will be here. Extra content can also be found on the Rapha Instagram page.
Schedule
Riders to watch
Women’s race
Still just 17, Becky Gardiner (Tofauti Everyone Active Majaco) has quickly made a name for herself in the UK crit scene. She opened 2025 with a bang, outsprinting seasoned elites to win the March Hare Classic at Lee Valley. Last year, the junior sensation also proved she can handle the technical King’s Cross course – she stormed to a podium finish at the 2024 VIA Criterium, taking third place behind only Isabel Darvill and Amy Perryman. Gardiner’s talents aren’t confined to Britain either; she impressed abroad with 5th place at the junior Gent-Wevelgem last month.
Amy Perryman (Private Member) returns to King’s Cross as arguably the most accomplished crit racer in this line-up. She was the runner-up in last year’s VIA Criterium, coming within a whisker of victory after animating the finale. In fact, 2024 saw Perryman consistently at the sharp end of every major circuit race: she notched top-five finishes against elite company, including 4th at the Beverley Town Centre National Series round and 6th at the Sheffield Grand Prix. Formerly of TEKKERZ CC, she’s honed an aggressive, all-or-nothing racing style that thrives on technical courses and fast corners. Now racing as an independent, Perryman brings experience and a point to prove.
Phoebe Roche (O’Shea – Development Team) has burst into 2025 as one of the domestic scene’s most formidable finishers. She already has multiple wins under her belt this season – including the Witham Hall Grand Prix and a dominant Stage 1 victory at the Ronde van Wymeswold stage race just a week ago. In that opener, Roche unleashed a commanding uphill sprint to see off a quality field (including her younger sister Zoe) and claim her second win of the year. Closer to home, she’s been equally impressive in crits: Roche took a win at the Crystal Palace criterium series in London, outsprinting national-level rivals like Penny Colloff. All of this points to a rider in red-hot form. She’s quick on the pedals, tactically sharp, and brimming with confidence.
Don’t let her ‘Private Member’ status fool you – at just 17, Zoe Roche might be the youngest rider on this list, but she’s already turning heads. The younger sister of Phoebe, Zoe pushed her sibling all the way in that Wymeswold opener, sprinting to second place for a Roche 1–2. Along the way she scooped up time bonuses in the intermediate sprints, showing race savvy beyond her years. A multi-discipline prodigy, Roche comes off a winter as the reigning junior cyclocross national champion – a title that speaks to her bike-handling skills and punchy power. This will be her first VIA Criterium, but she’s already proven she can mix it with elite riders when given the chance.
A London local, South African rider Grace Sargeant (London Academy) has been quietly building a reputation as a crit specialist on the capital’s circuits. Last year she practically owned the West Thames series at Hillingdon, racking up multiple wins and podiums in the weekly league races. That consistent grind has clearly paid off: Sargeant has started 2025 in career-best form. She nearly stole the show in April’s Capernwray road race with a superb second-place finish, and her crit speed is undeniable. Just days ago, she sprinted to a podium at the Crystal Palace crit, taking third in a high-calibre field.
Sargeant’s teammate Esme Wiley is a Crystal Palace Crit corner-slinger who’s peaking at just the right moment: 2nd in the series opener (29 Apr), 6th in round 6 (12 Jun) and back to 2nd in round 8, she won the overall series this year. Under-23, fearless, and hungry for a first major win – if Wiley hits the final bend near the front, her sprint could spring a surprise podium.
Britain’s circuit race steam-roller, Georgina Oakley (Loughborough Lightning) rattled off four National B circuit race wins in five weeks earlier this year – Abingdon Airfield (19 Apr), Castle Combe (18 Apr), Melton Olympic (26 Apr) and Ixworth town-centre (5 May). First VIA start, but with that strike-rate – and track-honed top-end – she will be a rider to mark.
Open race
Alec Briggs (TEKKERZ CC), the defending VIA Criterium champion, is a crit specialist at the peak of his powers. Briggs has kept his crit form rolling with recent podium results across the Atlantic, taking second at the Easton Twilight Criterium in Pennsylvania and again at the historic Tour of Somerville in New Jersey. Domestically, he continues to dominate London’s fast technical circuits – for example, winning the elite category at a recent Crystal Palace crit series round – making him the man to beat once more.
Briggs will enjoy the support of some high-calibre teammates, none more so than Ollie Wood. The 2023 National Circuit Race Champion has a world-class pedigree. Wood is an Olympic bronze medallist on the track who has turned his focus to criteriums in 2025. Tekkerz CC signed him (along with Matt Bostock) with the aim of building one of the world’s best crit teams, and Wood has wasted no time adapting. He has been sighted at the front of major American crits this year, picking up several top tens, as well as a podium at McNellie’s Group Blue Dome Criterium. With his track-honed speed and stamina, Wood could either launch a stinging late attack or unleash a fierce sprint if the race comes down to a final dash.
At just 17, former TEKKERZ CC rider Oscar Amey (WWV Hagens Bermans Jayco) is already making waves. He sprinted to third place in last year’s VIA Criterium elite race and has since proven his talent on the road internationally with a top-10 finish at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne Juniors this spring. A reigning national junior cyclocross champion, Amey’s explosive power and bike-handling skills should serve him well on the technical King’s Cross circuit.
Runner-up in last year’s VIA Criterium, Oliver Curd (Primo RT) has since solidified his status as one of Britain’s brightest young crit racers. He’s been a constant podium threat in 2025, notably winning a round of the Crystal Palace criterium series in London against many top local riders. An under-23 talent with a fast finish, Curd also showed his all-around ability with a strong second place in the Kennel Hill Classic road race earlier this season. Expect him in the mix for victory again.
Monte Guerrini (Le Col RT) is a proven force on tight circuits, coming off a remarkable 2024 season with 11 wins in circuit races. He’s carried that momentum into 2025 with two National B road race victories – a two-up sprint win at the Royal Navy Cup in March and a commanding solo triumph at the Eastern Road Championship (Derek Lusher Memorial) in June. A punchy rider with a keen tactical sense, Guerrini will relish the technical course and could ride away from the pack if given an inch.
A crit and track specialist, Frank Longstaff (DAS Richardsons) announced himself last summer by winning the inaugural Cambridge Criterium, outsprinting seasoned pros like Matt Bostock to take the victory. He’s also the reigning British national Madison champion on the track (2024) and has brought that speed to the road. This year Longstaff has been consistently strong in regional crits – for instance, he finished second to Dan Bigham in the Lotus Cars Circuit League opener – showing the kind of kick and endurance that could land him on the podium in King’s Cross.
Harry Macfarlane (Ride Revolution) is a local circuit racing stalwart whose aggressive style makes him one to watch. The national hill climb champion placed 9th in the elite VIA Criterium race last year and has continued to notch solid results on the UK scene. With experience in tough races (including stage races like the Rás Tailteann) and a fast finish, he’ll be aiming to move further up the order this time.
Charles Page (Foran CT) brings a wealth of experience from racing at continental level and has found strong form in 2025. He grabbed a podium early this season at the Royal Navy Cup, where he bridged to the break and sprinted in for third place. A former UCI Continental rider with a potent sprint, Page isn’t afraid to attack either. In a crit scenario, his race craft and finishing speed make him a serious threat if he’s in contention late in the race.
Jacob Vaughan (VC Londres) turned heads by winning the prestigious Jock Wadley Memorial road race in March, out-kicking a quality field to defend his title in Britain’s early-season classic. Formerly a UCI Continental rider and national gravel champion, he’s now back with his home club and clearly still racing at a high level. Vaughan’s combination of endurance and finishing kick – will be dangerous on this fast, technical circuit.
Provisional startlists
Women’s race
Open race
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