Anna Morris took her maiden National Circuit Series win in Ilkley as 17-year-old Milo Wills announced his arrival on the scene with a spectacular win in the open race (Friday 4 July)
Anna Morris mastered a rain-soaked Ilkley circuit to win the Orbea Women’s Grand Prix, launching a decisive bell-lap attack from a break that had formed early to take her maiden National Circuit Series win.
In the open race, 17-year-old Milo Wills (Tekkerz CC) burst clear to claim a breakout win, while Finn Crockett (Volkervessels) took second, and with it the National Circuit Series lead.
Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Report
Orbea Women’s Grand Prix
Through a fresh burst of Pennine rain, the opening salvos of the Orbea Women’s Grand Prix were fired early, the race aggressive from the outset. DAS-Hutchinson—still buoyed by their 1-3-4 at Otley—massed on the nose of the peloton with National Circuit Series leader Robyn Clay in tow. Anna Morris (Private Member) and Madeline Cooper (Montezuma’s Eventrex RT) were equally prominent, driving the pace up the steep Riddings Road climb and forcing riders to drop off the back.
The pressure told after just a handful of laps, as a sextet drove clear on the steep Riddings ramps. Morris, Cooper, freshly-minted national crit champion Kate Richardson (Handsling Alba Development RT), Morven Yeoman (DAS-Hutchinson), Izzy Mayes (CJ O’Shea) and Tiffany Keep (DAS-Hutchinson). Both Mayes and Keep succumbed to the hard pace, leaving a quartet that meshed like a Swiss watch and eased clear while Clay’s DAS lieutenants marshalled the shattered chasers behind.
The break. Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
With eight laps to run their advantage hovered at 30 seconds; by five to go, it was a full minute and the winner was coming from those four. As the bell clanged, Morris launched – no hesitation, no glance back – spinning a track-quick cadence that rocketed her up the climb and over the crest. The individual pursuit world champion turned time-trial assassin was uncatchable and rode the finishing straight alone, arms aloft in front of the Ilkley crowds.
Thirty-two seconds later Richardson clamped second, outsprinting Cooper, with Yeoman rolling in for fourth. Yeoman’s teammate Lizzie Hermolle punched clear for fifth, while Clay crossed the line in sixth to limit the damage to her series lead.
Anna Morris wins. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Morris’s first-ever National Circuit Series victory wrests the leader’s jersey from Clay by two points, with Yeoman level on the Scot’s wheel. DAS-Hutchinson, however, remain comfortably ahead in the team standings heading to the cobbles ofGuildford on Wednesday.
Clay remains at the top of the Rapha Super-League, her lead just 22 points ahead of Richardson, who moves up the second.
Lister Horsfall Open Grand Prix
A rain-sheened Grove again set the stage, this time for the Lister Horsfall Open Grand Prix, and it was anything but processional. Gabe Dellar (Primera–TeamJobs) lit the fuse with a first-lap flyer that the peloton quickly doused, but when Finn Crockett (VolkerWessels) launched soon after, his move bit. The Irish-licensed rider edged out a 10-second gap while a trio of pursuers – Jente Michels (Alpecin-Deceuninck Development), 17-year-old Milo Wills (Tekkerz CC) and George Radcliffe (X-Speed United)—set off in pursuit, the bunch a further 10 seconds adrift.
Finn Crockett (VolkerWessels Cycling Team). Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
Half-distance brought stalemate: Crockett still dangling, the three still chasing, the peloton looming. Then the elastic snapped the other way. The trio were absorbed by a larger chasing group before National Road Series leader Adam Howell (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck) drove a reorganised chase, dragging a reduced back Crockett. On the following lap he then hauled clear himself with Michels, Wills and Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) on his wheel.
Crockett clawed back to make five, before the lead group finally settled at ten: Howell, Crockett, Michels, Wills, Armstrong joined by Will Truelove (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck), Daniel Barnes (Spectra Racing), Matt Bostock (Tekkerz CC), Radcliffe and Alex Foster (Cycling Sheffield).
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Three laps from home, the ten were still clear and the rest scattered. The sprint that followed crowned a new name: Wills, still a junior, timed his rush perfectly to claim a statement victory. Crockett, impressive after his earlier solo, took second, with Truelove third.
Crockett’s consistency—third at Otley, second here—propels him into the Lloyds National Circuit Series lead, four points ahead of Truelove and six clear of Bostock. Wheelbase CabTech Castelli top the team standings on 217 points, with Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck (176) and Tekkerz CC (159) in pursuit as the series heads to Guildford next Wednesday.
Milo Wills (TEKKERZ CC) celebrates as he crosses the line in first place. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Meanwhile, Bostock continues at the top of the Rapha Super-League on 146 points, 39 ahead of second-placed Alex Beldon, who missed Ilkley through illness. We are now at the halfway point of the Super-League, eight rounds down, eight to go.
Anna Morris mastered a rain-soaked Ilkley circuit to win the Orbea Women’s Grand Prix, launching a decisive bell-lap attack from a break that had formed early to take her maiden National Circuit Series win.
In the open race, 17-year-old Milo Wills (Tekkerz CC) burst clear to claim a breakout win, while Finn Crockett (Volkervessels) took second, and with it the National Circuit Series lead.
Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Report
Orbea Women’s Grand Prix
Through a fresh burst of Pennine rain, the opening salvos of the Orbea Women’s Grand Prix were fired early, the race aggressive from the outset. DAS-Hutchinson—still buoyed by their 1-3-4 at Otley—massed on the nose of the peloton with National Circuit Series leader Robyn Clay in tow. Anna Morris (Private Member) and Madeline Cooper (Montezuma’s Eventrex RT) were equally prominent, driving the pace up the steep Riddings Road climb and forcing riders to drop off the back.
The pressure told after just a handful of laps, as a sextet drove clear on the steep Riddings ramps. Morris, Cooper, freshly-minted national crit champion Kate Richardson (Handsling Alba Development RT), Morven Yeoman (DAS-Hutchinson), Izzy Mayes (CJ O’Shea) and Tiffany Keep (DAS-Hutchinson). Both Mayes and Keep succumbed to the hard pace, leaving a quartet that meshed like a Swiss watch and eased clear while Clay’s DAS lieutenants marshalled the shattered chasers behind.
With eight laps to run their advantage hovered at 30 seconds; by five to go, it was a full minute and the winner was coming from those four. As the bell clanged, Morris launched – no hesitation, no glance back – spinning a track-quick cadence that rocketed her up the climb and over the crest. The individual pursuit world champion turned time-trial assassin was uncatchable and rode the finishing straight alone, arms aloft in front of the Ilkley crowds.
Thirty-two seconds later Richardson clamped second, outsprinting Cooper, with Yeoman rolling in for fourth. Yeoman’s teammate Lizzie Hermolle punched clear for fifth, while Clay crossed the line in sixth to limit the damage to her series lead.
Morris’s first-ever National Circuit Series victory wrests the leader’s jersey from Clay by two points, with Yeoman level on the Scot’s wheel. DAS-Hutchinson, however, remain comfortably ahead in the team standings heading to the cobbles of Guildford on Wednesday.
Clay remains at the top of the Rapha Super-League, her lead just 22 points ahead of Richardson, who moves up the second.
Lister Horsfall Open Grand Prix
A rain-sheened Grove again set the stage, this time for the Lister Horsfall Open Grand Prix, and it was anything but processional. Gabe Dellar (Primera–TeamJobs) lit the fuse with a first-lap flyer that the peloton quickly doused, but when Finn Crockett (VolkerWessels) launched soon after, his move bit. The Irish-licensed rider edged out a 10-second gap while a trio of pursuers – Jente Michels (Alpecin-Deceuninck Development), 17-year-old Milo Wills (Tekkerz CC) and George Radcliffe (X-Speed United)—set off in pursuit, the bunch a further 10 seconds adrift.
Half-distance brought stalemate: Crockett still dangling, the three still chasing, the peloton looming. Then the elastic snapped the other way. The trio were absorbed by a larger chasing group before National Road Series leader Adam Howell (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck) drove a reorganised chase, dragging a reduced back Crockett. On the following lap he then hauled clear himself with Michels, Wills and Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) on his wheel.
Crockett clawed back to make five, before the lead group finally settled at ten: Howell, Crockett, Michels, Wills, Armstrong joined by Will Truelove (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck), Daniel Barnes (Spectra Racing), Matt Bostock (Tekkerz CC), Radcliffe and Alex Foster (Cycling Sheffield).
Three laps from home, the ten were still clear and the rest scattered. The sprint that followed crowned a new name: Wills, still a junior, timed his rush perfectly to claim a statement victory. Crockett, impressive after his earlier solo, took second, with Truelove third.
Crockett’s consistency—third at Otley, second here—propels him into the Lloyds National Circuit Series lead, four points ahead of Truelove and six clear of Bostock. Wheelbase CabTech Castelli top the team standings on 217 points, with Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck (176) and Tekkerz CC (159) in pursuit as the series heads to Guildford next Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Bostock continues at the top of the Rapha Super-League on 146 points, 39 ahead of second-placed Alex Beldon, who missed Ilkley through illness. We are now at the halfway point of the Super-League, eight rounds down, eight to go.
Results
Orbea Women’s Grand Prix
Full results here.
Lister Horsfall Open Grand Prix
Full results here.
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