2025 Victor Berlemont Trophy: preview and startlist
While the UK's best circuit racers do battle in Cambridgeshire on Sunday (24 August), road racers get the chance to lock horns on the lanes of Oxfordshire as a stacked field contests the historic Victor Berlemont Trophy.
While the UK’s best circuit racers do battle in Cambridgeshire on Sunday (24 August), road racers get the chance to lock horns on the lanes of Oxfordshire as a stacked field contests the historic Victor Berlemont Trophy.
Featured image: Mark James
What is it?
Steeped in history and prestige, the Victor Berlemont Trophy is one of the toughest National B road races on the calendar, a challenge comparable to that of many National A events. The list of winners reflects its status with previous winners including Les West, who won the race three times, Dave Rayner, and more recently Josh Whitehead and Rowan Baker, who led home a Saint Piran one-two twelve months ago.
First run in 1951, the race was based around South Mimms, Hertfordshire, with the race distance 96 miles and the first prize £3. The race moved to Surrey in the 1970s and relocated to Woodcote, South Oxfordshire in 2014, where it remains today, run over a distance of 185km.
The race takes its name from Victor Berlemont, part of the Berlemont family who came over from France in 1900. Victor ran the York Minster pub (now the French House) in Soho—a popular spot for Free French troops (including General De Gaulle) stationed in London during the war. Associated with Southern Velo, his son Gaston later became president of the club.
Image: Mark James
Route
The route remains the same as for last year’s edition, covering 185km (110 miles) over 11 laps of the 15.7km Woodcote South Stoke Circuit.
The circuit features 193m of elevation gain per lap, most of it accounted for by the Red Lane Climb, a 2.3km arduous stretch of road from Woodcote to South Stoke, with the organiser handing out a prize for the fastest ascent by a rider who finishes the race.
The focal point of what can be windswept course, the climb’s average gradient of just 4.1% is not tough enough for the pure climbers to make a difference, instead offering the strongest riders a chance to shine in what can often be a tough race of tactical nous and attrition, any winner a worthy one after almost 200km in the saddle.
Riders to watch
With a prestigious National B win, a good prize purse and bragging rights all up for grabs, Sunday’s field includes some of the best talent racing in the UK.
Leading the field is James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), who claimed second after sprinting clear of an elite chase group last year as he and then Saint Piran teammate Rowan Baker dominated the race. Hoping to reach the top step of the podium in 2025, the course seems tailor-made for the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix winner, who possesses an enviable turn of speed at the end of a race, winning the bunch sprint at the Timmy James Memorial back in May at a canter.
James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) climbs Michaelgate. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
McKay may have only won twice this season, but with one of those being the Lincoln GP the former CiCLE Classic podium finisher has a reputation for the big occasion, his decision to skip the National Circuit Series to focus on road racing meaning the South Yorkshireman should be in top form with the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix, the National Road Series finale, only a week away.
If there is a chink in McKay’s armour, it is almost certainly his lack of a teammate, with several teams looking to use their numbers to good effect like Saint Piran did last year.
South coast-based Primera-TeamJobs are led by the reliable Josh Housley, who has continued his excellent form from a breakthrough 2024 into 2025, most notably winning the Capernwray Road Race. Third here last year, he demonstrated that his ever-aggressive outlook and experience makes him a rider to watch, regardless of the course. He will have both Gabe Dellar and Bernard Galea by his side, both riders with the ability to go deep into the race. Dellar is a multiple National B winner in his own right and comes in off the back of a time trial win in the Clive Tiley Memorial Race, a performance which proves that he has the power to influence a race even in this calibre of field on Sunday, while Galea has a habit of making winning breaks, having done so at the Ronde van Wymeswold earlier this season after dominating his native stage race, the Tour ta Malta.
Ride Revolution Coaching came into the season with a revamped lineup looking to use their strength in numbers to good effect in National B races, their duo of Clay Davies and Cameron Still looking to rinse and repeat that formula here. Fast finisher Davies is now in his mid-30s and is one of the most experienced riders in the domestic peloton, while Still, at only 21, took a brilliant solo victory in the Halesowen Academy National U23 Road Race in June. Two different types of riders, the pair pose a threat in multiple scenarios, much the way that Baker and McKay did in the closing laps of the race last year.
Danylo Riwnyj is enjoying a breakthrough 2025 and leads the line for the London-based Foran CT squad who boast former professional Ryan Christensen and 2024 Ràs Tailteann winner Dom Jackson in their seven-man team. Riwnyj started the season well with a number of National B podiums in aggressive races, finally taking a victory in the first stage of the Ronde van Wymeswold. Consistent, his 9th place and top-20 finish inside the peloton at the Beaumont Trophy shows he is still in good form in this latter part of the season. Jackson meanwhile, may have failed to live up to the promise he showed last season, but the former rower took his first win of the season at Hillingdon a week ago and is known to favour long, tough races, making him a dark horse for the spoils.
Ollie Hucks leads the TAAP-Kalas charge, having quietly had an excellent season. Lightly raced, the 26-year-old has been a prominent feature of his races, taking advantage of their aggressive nature with top tens in the Kennel Hill Classic, Rás Mumhan and a 6th place in Sunday’s Beaumont Trophy – his best-ever National Road Series result. Teammate Elliot Colyer will also have ambitions of making the selection. A talented climber, he finished second in the Mennock Pass Stage Race courtesy of good performances in the uphill prologue and summit finish on the final stage, and comes to the race in good form with an impressive performance in the Clive Tiley Memorial Race this month.
There are a number of riders with ambitions of victory that find themselves in the same boat as McKay; however, temporary alliances are likely to be drawn as each rider without a teammate looks to maximise their chances of victory. Jordan Giles (DAS Richardsons) is among this number, coming off the back of an aggressive ride in the Beaumont Trophy where he lit up the last lap and almost snatched victory. The Portsdown Classic winner is enjoying his best season to date and is among the favourites in a race that suits him.
Oliver Curd (Primo RT) climbs Michaelgate. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Matt King (Atom 6-Decca) is a rider with a reputation for the big occasion, having put in an excellent ride for little reward at the CiCLE Classic back in April. A Lincoln GP podium finisher the climb looks perfect for the fast finisher, who will be among the favourites if a small group comes to the line. Elsewhere, Ollie Hurdle (Private Member) is a National B winner who has tasted victory twice in circuit races this year, while Oliver Curd (Primo RT) is riding the crest of a wave after sprinting to 5th in the Beaumont Trophy and impressing at the Sherpa Performance Stage Race this month on similar terrain.
While the UK’s best circuit racers do battle in Cambridgeshire on Sunday (24 August), road racers get the chance to lock horns on the lanes of Oxfordshire as a stacked field contests the historic Victor Berlemont Trophy.
Featured image: Mark James
What is it?
Steeped in history and prestige, the Victor Berlemont Trophy is one of the toughest National B road races on the calendar, a challenge comparable to that of many National A events. The list of winners reflects its status with previous winners including Les West, who won the race three times, Dave Rayner, and more recently Josh Whitehead and Rowan Baker, who led home a Saint Piran one-two twelve months ago.
First run in 1951, the race was based around South Mimms, Hertfordshire, with the race distance 96 miles and the first prize £3. The race moved to Surrey in the 1970s and relocated to Woodcote, South Oxfordshire in 2014, where it remains today, run over a distance of 185km.
The race takes its name from Victor Berlemont, part of the Berlemont family who came over from France in 1900. Victor ran the York Minster pub (now the French House) in Soho—a popular spot for Free French troops (including General De Gaulle) stationed in London during the war. Associated with Southern Velo, his son Gaston later became president of the club.
Route
The route remains the same as for last year’s edition, covering 185km (110 miles) over 11 laps of the 15.7km Woodcote South Stoke Circuit.
The circuit features 193m of elevation gain per lap, most of it accounted for by the Red Lane Climb, a 2.3km arduous stretch of road from Woodcote to South Stoke, with the organiser handing out a prize for the fastest ascent by a rider who finishes the race.
The focal point of what can be windswept course, the climb’s average gradient of just 4.1% is not tough enough for the pure climbers to make a difference, instead offering the strongest riders a chance to shine in what can often be a tough race of tactical nous and attrition, any winner a worthy one after almost 200km in the saddle.
Riders to watch
With a prestigious National B win, a good prize purse and bragging rights all up for grabs, Sunday’s field includes some of the best talent racing in the UK.
Leading the field is James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli), who claimed second after sprinting clear of an elite chase group last year as he and then Saint Piran teammate Rowan Baker dominated the race. Hoping to reach the top step of the podium in 2025, the course seems tailor-made for the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix winner, who possesses an enviable turn of speed at the end of a race, winning the bunch sprint at the Timmy James Memorial back in May at a canter.
McKay may have only won twice this season, but with one of those being the Lincoln GP the former CiCLE Classic podium finisher has a reputation for the big occasion, his decision to skip the National Circuit Series to focus on road racing meaning the South Yorkshireman should be in top form with the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix, the National Road Series finale, only a week away.
If there is a chink in McKay’s armour, it is almost certainly his lack of a teammate, with several teams looking to use their numbers to good effect like Saint Piran did last year.
South coast-based Primera-TeamJobs are led by the reliable Josh Housley, who has continued his excellent form from a breakthrough 2024 into 2025, most notably winning the Capernwray Road Race. Third here last year, he demonstrated that his ever-aggressive outlook and experience makes him a rider to watch, regardless of the course. He will have both Gabe Dellar and Bernard Galea by his side, both riders with the ability to go deep into the race. Dellar is a multiple National B winner in his own right and comes in off the back of a time trial win in the Clive Tiley Memorial Race, a performance which proves that he has the power to influence a race even in this calibre of field on Sunday, while Galea has a habit of making winning breaks, having done so at the Ronde van Wymeswold earlier this season after dominating his native stage race, the Tour ta Malta.
Ride Revolution Coaching came into the season with a revamped lineup looking to use their strength in numbers to good effect in National B races, their duo of Clay Davies and Cameron Still looking to rinse and repeat that formula here. Fast finisher Davies is now in his mid-30s and is one of the most experienced riders in the domestic peloton, while Still, at only 21, took a brilliant solo victory in the Halesowen Academy National U23 Road Race in June. Two different types of riders, the pair pose a threat in multiple scenarios, much the way that Baker and McKay did in the closing laps of the race last year.
Danylo Riwnyj is enjoying a breakthrough 2025 and leads the line for the London-based Foran CT squad who boast former professional Ryan Christensen and 2024 Ràs Tailteann winner Dom Jackson in their seven-man team. Riwnyj started the season well with a number of National B podiums in aggressive races, finally taking a victory in the first stage of the Ronde van Wymeswold. Consistent, his 9th place and top-20 finish inside the peloton at the Beaumont Trophy shows he is still in good form in this latter part of the season. Jackson meanwhile, may have failed to live up to the promise he showed last season, but the former rower took his first win of the season at Hillingdon a week ago and is known to favour long, tough races, making him a dark horse for the spoils.
Ollie Hucks leads the TAAP-Kalas charge, having quietly had an excellent season. Lightly raced, the 26-year-old has been a prominent feature of his races, taking advantage of their aggressive nature with top tens in the Kennel Hill Classic, Rás Mumhan and a 6th place in Sunday’s Beaumont Trophy – his best-ever National Road Series result. Teammate Elliot Colyer will also have ambitions of making the selection. A talented climber, he finished second in the Mennock Pass Stage Race courtesy of good performances in the uphill prologue and summit finish on the final stage, and comes to the race in good form with an impressive performance in the Clive Tiley Memorial Race this month.
There are a number of riders with ambitions of victory that find themselves in the same boat as McKay; however, temporary alliances are likely to be drawn as each rider without a teammate looks to maximise their chances of victory. Jordan Giles (DAS Richardsons) is among this number, coming off the back of an aggressive ride in the Beaumont Trophy where he lit up the last lap and almost snatched victory. The Portsdown Classic winner is enjoying his best season to date and is among the favourites in a race that suits him.
Matt King (Atom 6-Decca) is a rider with a reputation for the big occasion, having put in an excellent ride for little reward at the CiCLE Classic back in April. A Lincoln GP podium finisher the climb looks perfect for the fast finisher, who will be among the favourites if a small group comes to the line. Elsewhere, Ollie Hurdle (Private Member) is a National B winner who has tasted victory twice in circuit races this year, while Oliver Curd (Primo RT) is riding the crest of a wave after sprinting to 5th in the Beaumont Trophy and impressing at the Sherpa Performance Stage Race this month on similar terrain.
Provisional startlist
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