2025 EMRRL Riders Collective Grand Prix: preview and startlist
Revived by Max Sillifant’s Riders Collective, the EMRRL Riders Collective GP closes the national road season in England and offers a final chance to score points in The British Continental’s rankings (Sunday 21 September)
The EMRRL Riders Collective GP brings the curtain down on the national road season in England this Saturday (20 September). A National B race and the final round of the East Midlands Road Race League, it doubles as the last chance to score points in The British Continental’s national road race rankings.
Saved from the brink when Max Sillifant’s Riders Collective took over its organisation, the race has quickly re-established itself as a flagship late-season test. Past winners like James Hartley show it’s more than a regional fixture — it’s a race where strong performances carry national weight.
Here is our preview.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
What is it?
The EMRRL Riders Collective GP is a National B road race and the final round of the East Midlands Road Race League. It marks the last national road race of the domestic season in England (the Drummond Trophy, also a National B, takes place in Scotland on the same day). It’s the final opportunity for riders to score points in The British Continental’s national road race rankings, making it a vital fixture for those aiming to finish their season strongly.
The race has a proud place on the calendar and was previously known as the EMRRL Leicester Forest CC Road Race. When that event was under threat of going off the calendar, Max Sillifant stepped in to organise it under the Riders Collective name, ensuring it continues in 2025 as a revived flagship end-of-season challenge. In recent years it has drawn strong fields from across the country, and racing tends to be aggressive, with riders keen to harvest late-season form and results.
Past winners speak to its prestige: James Hartley, then of Cycling Sheffield, took the win in 2024 in wet and chaotic conditions, while other recent editions have been won by riders who often feature near the sharp end of National B and A races. These past results underline that this isn’t just a regional showdown—it’s an event where a strong performance carries weight in the national standings.
James Hartley wins in 2024. Image: Emma Wilcock
Route
Riders will once again face a demanding end-of-season test, tackling 15 laps of a 9.7km circuit for a total of 145km. Centred on the villages of Ashby Magna and Peatling Parva, the course is described as fast but sporting: rolling lanes with a succession of short drags that offer little respite. The long straight along Peatling Road, flanked by open farmland, could prove decisive if the wind picks up, with crosswinds capable of splitting the bunch into echelons.
Each lap also ends with a steady rise to the line, meaning the finish will favour those with the legs to produce a powerful uphill sprint after a gruelling day. Racing should be hard and aggressive from the outset, with the repeated climbs gradually sapping the legs and giving the strongest all-rounders the chance to make the difference.
Timings
Riders to watch
James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) – McKay is arguably the man to beat, arriving in red-hot form. He led home a Wheelbase 1–2 to win the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix in South Yorkshire, his second National Road Series victory of 2025. His first, of course, was his landmark victory at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix. His Wentworth win, coming just weeks ago, underlines the 28-year-old’s prowess in hard one-day races. A fast finisher, McKay will be keen to cap his season with another big result.
James McKay. Image: Craig Zadoroznyj/SWpix.com
Edward Morgan (MUC-OFF–SRCT–Storck) – A powerful all-rounder, Morgan tops The British Continental road race rankings after a stellar season. He started the year with a bang by winning the PNE National B Road Race in April, and then followed that up with the general classification at the Ronde van Wymeswold in June. 4th at the Rutland-Melton Classic and 5th at the Tor of the Reservoir are among his other top results, despite an injury-affected season.
Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) – The reigning East Midlands regional champion has had another standout season. Lewis repeated his 2024 feat by winning the combined East & West Mids Road Race Championships in June, dropping his rivals on the final climb. He also showed well in National A races – notably an attacking ride for 6th at the Wentworth Woodhouse GP – and even led the mountains classification in Rás Tailteann after an aggressive stage 2. His standout result, however, came in Canada, where he finished 5th on GC at the Tour de Beauce. A punchy climber who loves to race offensively, Lewis will be a key animator here.
Tom Williams (Private Member) – The 21-year-old, who raced for the Italian UCI Continental team Monzon–Incolor–Gub until July, has made a splash on UK roads when given the chance. Williams showed his finishing speed by winning the London Dynamo Open Road Race (South-East Regional Championship) on 1 June, pipping Riwnyj in an uphill sprint finish. That result, against many riders on this start list, confirmed his ability to read a race and execute when it counts. The 2024 Ryedale Grand Prix winner will he hoping for a late season flourish.
Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT) – Riwnyj is enjoying a true breakthrough in 2025. The Ukrainian rider, based in Britain, scored the biggest win of his career by winning the Victor Berlemont Trophy on 24 August, outsprinting his breakaway companions after a race-long offensive. He’s been consistently strong all year – that was his second National B win of the season – and has followed it up with top-ten finishes in National Road Series events (e.g. 9th at the Witheridge GP). Riwnyj will be one of the favourites if he can maintain his late-season form.
Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching) – Davies, 33, has been one of the most consistent National B performers this season. He opened the year with a strong 5th at the Jock Wadley Memorial and has added further top results including a win at the Andrews Trophy and 9th at the Beaumont Trophy last month. He comes into the EMRRL Riders Collective GP as a rider with the strength and experience to make the front groups and fight for another solid result.
John Bardsley (360cycling) – The 19-year-old is coming into form late in the season. He finished 2nd overall at the Sherpa Performance Stage Race in August, a strong result that highlights his stage-race pedigree. Bardsley has shown a fast finish in regional races and will be eager to carry that momentum into this National B event.
Bernard Galea (Primera-TeamJobs) – A seasoned campaigner, Galea has been a consistent presence near the sharp end of domestic races. He was just outside the top 10 in the Sherpa Performance Stage Race (11th overall) and has regularly cracked the top 20 in National B events. His experience and steady form mean he shouldn’t be underestimated if the race becomes attritional.
Charlie Genner (Telco’m–On Clima–Osés) – Genner arrives with confidence after a podium finish at the Victor Berlemont Trophy in late August. The Spain-based Brit took 3rd in that prestigious National B road race and he’s also been active in National Road Series rounds.
William Perrett (DAS–Richardsons) – A standout rider on both road and track, Perrett has had a excellent season on the road. In May he took a magnificent solo victory on Stage 2 of the Rás Tailteann, attacking late on to win in Clifden. He’s shown he can hang with international competition and still finish fastest. Perrett also has domestic credentials (a former top-10 in the Lincoln GP and a national track title to his name), so look for him in any decisive move – he has the stamina and finishing kick to win from a small group.
Matt King (Atom 6–Decca Continental Team) – UCI Continental rider King was 6th in the highly competitive Victor Berlemont Trophy last month, featuring in the decisive moves of that race. He’s been touted as a strong all-rounder; if the course’s rolling terrain splits the field, look for King to be in that front group vying for a result.
George Peden. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
George Peden (Team PB Performance) – Peden brings pro experience and a big engine to this start list. The Irish rider has been clocking up solid results back in Ireland and in the UK this year. His highlight was second in the Irish time trial championships, and 9th overall in the Rás Tailteann and 6th at the Peaks 2 Day demonstrate that Peden excels when the racing is hard and fast, so a long, grinding race could play into his hands.
Joshua Horsfield(Reflex Nopinz) – An aggressive young rider who already grabbed a win this summer when he sprinted to victory on the opening stage of the Sherpa Performance Stage Race and rode solidly to a top-15 in the final classification. He isn’t afraid to attack early and often – expect to see Horsfield animating the race and attempting to get up the road.
Sam Walsham (Reflex Nopinz) – Walsham has been racking up results throughout the year. Most notably, he claimed 3rd overall in the Sherpa Performance Stage Race in early August and then 2nd on GC at the Clive Tiley Memorial in the same month, demonstrating his consistency over multiple events and terrain. He’s also been aggressive in National A one-day races, often making it into breakaways or selection groups.
The EMRRL Riders Collective GP brings the curtain down on the national road season in England this Saturday (20 September). A National B race and the final round of the East Midlands Road Race League, it doubles as the last chance to score points in The British Continental’s national road race rankings.
Saved from the brink when Max Sillifant’s Riders Collective took over its organisation, the race has quickly re-established itself as a flagship late-season test. Past winners like James Hartley show it’s more than a regional fixture — it’s a race where strong performances carry national weight.
Here is our preview.
Featured image: Emma Wilcock
What is it?
The EMRRL Riders Collective GP is a National B road race and the final round of the East Midlands Road Race League. It marks the last national road race of the domestic season in England (the Drummond Trophy, also a National B, takes place in Scotland on the same day). It’s the final opportunity for riders to score points in The British Continental’s national road race rankings, making it a vital fixture for those aiming to finish their season strongly.
The race has a proud place on the calendar and was previously known as the EMRRL Leicester Forest CC Road Race. When that event was under threat of going off the calendar, Max Sillifant stepped in to organise it under the Riders Collective name, ensuring it continues in 2025 as a revived flagship end-of-season challenge. In recent years it has drawn strong fields from across the country, and racing tends to be aggressive, with riders keen to harvest late-season form and results.
Past winners speak to its prestige: James Hartley, then of Cycling Sheffield, took the win in 2024 in wet and chaotic conditions, while other recent editions have been won by riders who often feature near the sharp end of National B and A races. These past results underline that this isn’t just a regional showdown—it’s an event where a strong performance carries weight in the national standings.
Route
Riders will once again face a demanding end-of-season test, tackling 15 laps of a 9.7km circuit for a total of 145km. Centred on the villages of Ashby Magna and Peatling Parva, the course is described as fast but sporting: rolling lanes with a succession of short drags that offer little respite. The long straight along Peatling Road, flanked by open farmland, could prove decisive if the wind picks up, with crosswinds capable of splitting the bunch into echelons.
Each lap also ends with a steady rise to the line, meaning the finish will favour those with the legs to produce a powerful uphill sprint after a gruelling day. Racing should be hard and aggressive from the outset, with the repeated climbs gradually sapping the legs and giving the strongest all-rounders the chance to make the difference.
Timings
Riders to watch
James McKay (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) – McKay is arguably the man to beat, arriving in red-hot form. He led home a Wheelbase 1–2 to win the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix in South Yorkshire, his second National Road Series victory of 2025. His first, of course, was his landmark victory at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix. His Wentworth win, coming just weeks ago, underlines the 28-year-old’s prowess in hard one-day races. A fast finisher, McKay will be keen to cap his season with another big result.
Edward Morgan (MUC-OFF–SRCT–Storck) – A powerful all-rounder, Morgan tops The British Continental road race rankings after a stellar season. He started the year with a bang by winning the PNE National B Road Race in April, and then followed that up with the general classification at the Ronde van Wymeswold in June. 4th at the Rutland-Melton Classic and 5th at the Tor of the Reservoir are among his other top results, despite an injury-affected season.
Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) – The reigning East Midlands regional champion has had another standout season. Lewis repeated his 2024 feat by winning the combined East & West Mids Road Race Championships in June, dropping his rivals on the final climb. He also showed well in National A races – notably an attacking ride for 6th at the Wentworth Woodhouse GP – and even led the mountains classification in Rás Tailteann after an aggressive stage 2. His standout result, however, came in Canada, where he finished 5th on GC at the Tour de Beauce. A punchy climber who loves to race offensively, Lewis will be a key animator here.
Tom Williams (Private Member) – The 21-year-old, who raced for the Italian UCI Continental team Monzon–Incolor–Gub until July, has made a splash on UK roads when given the chance. Williams showed his finishing speed by winning the London Dynamo Open Road Race (South-East Regional Championship) on 1 June, pipping Riwnyj in an uphill sprint finish. That result, against many riders on this start list, confirmed his ability to read a race and execute when it counts. The 2024 Ryedale Grand Prix winner will he hoping for a late season flourish.
Danylo Riwnyj (Foran CT) – Riwnyj is enjoying a true breakthrough in 2025. The Ukrainian rider, based in Britain, scored the biggest win of his career by winning the Victor Berlemont Trophy on 24 August, outsprinting his breakaway companions after a race-long offensive. He’s been consistently strong all year – that was his second National B win of the season – and has followed it up with top-ten finishes in National Road Series events (e.g. 9th at the Witheridge GP). Riwnyj will be one of the favourites if he can maintain his late-season form.
Clay Davies (Ride Revolution Coaching) – Davies, 33, has been one of the most consistent National B performers this season. He opened the year with a strong 5th at the Jock Wadley Memorial and has added further top results including a win at the Andrews Trophy and 9th at the Beaumont Trophy last month. He comes into the EMRRL Riders Collective GP as a rider with the strength and experience to make the front groups and fight for another solid result.
John Bardsley (360cycling) – The 19-year-old is coming into form late in the season. He finished 2nd overall at the Sherpa Performance Stage Race in August, a strong result that highlights his stage-race pedigree. Bardsley has shown a fast finish in regional races and will be eager to carry that momentum into this National B event.
Bernard Galea (Primera-TeamJobs) – A seasoned campaigner, Galea has been a consistent presence near the sharp end of domestic races. He was just outside the top 10 in the Sherpa Performance Stage Race (11th overall) and has regularly cracked the top 20 in National B events. His experience and steady form mean he shouldn’t be underestimated if the race becomes attritional.
Charlie Genner (Telco’m–On Clima–Osés) – Genner arrives with confidence after a podium finish at the Victor Berlemont Trophy in late August. The Spain-based Brit took 3rd in that prestigious National B road race and he’s also been active in National Road Series rounds.
William Perrett (DAS–Richardsons) – A standout rider on both road and track, Perrett has had a excellent season on the road. In May he took a magnificent solo victory on Stage 2 of the Rás Tailteann, attacking late on to win in Clifden. He’s shown he can hang with international competition and still finish fastest. Perrett also has domestic credentials (a former top-10 in the Lincoln GP and a national track title to his name), so look for him in any decisive move – he has the stamina and finishing kick to win from a small group.
Matt King (Atom 6–Decca Continental Team) – UCI Continental rider King was 6th in the highly competitive Victor Berlemont Trophy last month, featuring in the decisive moves of that race. He’s been touted as a strong all-rounder; if the course’s rolling terrain splits the field, look for King to be in that front group vying for a result.
George Peden (Team PB Performance) – Peden brings pro experience and a big engine to this start list. The Irish rider has been clocking up solid results back in Ireland and in the UK this year. His highlight was second in the Irish time trial championships, and 9th overall in the Rás Tailteann and 6th at the Peaks 2 Day demonstrate that Peden excels when the racing is hard and fast, so a long, grinding race could play into his hands.
Joshua Horsfield (Reflex Nopinz) – An aggressive young rider who already grabbed a win this summer when he sprinted to victory on the opening stage of the Sherpa Performance Stage Race and rode solidly to a top-15 in the final classification. He isn’t afraid to attack early and often – expect to see Horsfield animating the race and attempting to get up the road.
Sam Walsham (Reflex Nopinz) – Walsham has been racking up results throughout the year. Most notably, he claimed 3rd overall in the Sherpa Performance Stage Race in early August and then 2nd on GC at the Clive Tiley Memorial in the same month, demonstrating his consistency over multiple events and terrain. He’s also been aggressive in National A one-day races, often making it into breakaways or selection groups.
Provisional startlist
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