Five points, twice: the story of the 2025 Rapha Super-League

On a late summer’s day in August, Robyn Clay rolled across the finish at the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix unsure if she’d done enough. Anna Morris, her closest rival, had finished ahead — in fifth. Had she lost the title in the final round?

No. Clay had won the inaugural Rapha Super-League — by just five points and a season’s worth of tension between them.

“I couldn’t quite believe it. After all the rounds, all the travel, it came down to one place,” reflected Clay later.

A few hours later, it was Matt Bostock’s turn to breathe again. Absent from the final round, he learned that Will Truelove — his closest challenger — had fallen just short of snatching the title. Once again, the difference was five points.

That was how the Rapha Super-League ended. But it’s not how it began.

Prologue

When Rapha announced the creation of the Super-League in early 2025, it was billed as a fresh narrative for British domestic road racing, a way to connect a fragmented calendar and give riders, teams and fans something to follow week by week.

Sixteen rounds later, that narrative had taken shape. From the cobbles of Lincoln in May to the stately grounds of Wentworth Woodhouse in August, the Super-League brought together many of the country’s leading road and circuit races into one coherent competition. Equal prize money and parallel men’s and women’s classifications gave the series balance, while its mix of National Series road races, a two-day stage race, and fast city-centre criteriums rewarded versatility over specialism.

Points were awarded to the top 15 or 20 finishers, depending on the race, with winners earning between 45 and 75 points depending on each event’s status. The headline rounds – the Lincoln Grand Prix, the National Championships and the Wentworth Woodhouse finale – carried the highest tariffs, while the Ronde van Wymeswold stage race offered bonus points for stage placings. The final road and crit rounds were given extra weighting, designed to keep the title fights alive right to the end.

The system rewarded consistency above all. A string of top-fives could outweigh a single big win, and the best riders learned quickly where to spend their matches.

The league aimed to inject cohesion and visibility into a domestic scene that had too often lacked both. As Rapha said at launch, “We wanted to create a season-long story for British racing — something fans can follow and riders can build towards.”

By the end of August, it had done just that. What began as an experiment in cohesion ended as a season-long battle decided by the smallest possible margins.

What follows is the story of how the Rapha Super-League unfolded — the wins, the turning points, and the nail-biting finales that crowned Britain’s best all-rounders of 2025.

Act I – the opening salvo: cobbles, breakthroughs and the birth of a new league

It started, fittingly, on the cobbles of the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix. The city’s cathedral towered above the finish line. James McKay of Wheelbase CabTech Castelli rode those cobbles as though they were home, attacking on the final climb of Michaelgate and refusing to look back. Behind him, Alex Peters chased, the crowd’s roar bouncing off the stone. McKay crossed the line first, arm aloft, his first major domestic road race victory.

In the women’s race, it was Lauren Dickson’s day. She sprinted clear of world pursuit champion Anna Morris to claim her first National Road Series victory, a milestone moment for a rider that would be signed by the world’s biggest women’s team, FDJ-Suez, by the season’s end.

Seventy points on the board for both riders, two breakthrough riders defining the opening the round and the early leaderboard.

In June came the Ronde van Wymeswold — Leicestershire lanes lined with cow parsley and crosswinds. Ed Morgan emerged with the men’s overall there, while 19-year-old Noémie Thomson dominated the women’s event, her time trial performance uncompromising, her dominance the kind of ride that makes a name overnight.

McKay still led the men’s, but the gap was narrowing; Dickson, meanwhile, had been usurped by the newcomer Thomson, who had only begun road racing a few months earlier. The Super-League had found its rhythm: local roads, local crowds, national intent.

Pos	Rider	Points
1	James McKay	70
2	Edward Morgan	60
=	Alex Peters	60
4	Alexandre Mayer	50
5	Danylo Riwnyj	41

Pos	Rider	Points
1	Noémie Thomson	85
2	Lauren Dickson	70
3	Anna Morris	60
4	Robyn Clay	40
5	Madeline Cooper	43

Act II – four races, eight days, from London to the Pennines to the Welsh coast

Act II began in neon and ended in rain. Four rounds in eight days, criteriums and road races, London to the Pennines to the Welsh coast. The leaderboard would be upended.

It started in King’s Cross. Under the glow of VIA Criterium floodlights, junior Zoe Roche burst from the final corner like a firework, outsprinting Amy Perryman to take her first elite win. In the men’s race, Tekkerz CC were unstoppable — Oscar Amey attacked, Ollie Wood finished it off, and Alec Briggs made it a clean sweep. Roche jumped to third in the standings; Wood, now fourth, was Tekkerz’s quiet threat.

By morning, the peloton was 300 miles north for the Tour of the Reservoir — hills, wind, and a tribute to the late Mike Hodgson. The women’s race was DAS–Hutchinson’s from the start. Robyn Clay sprinted clear of Noémie Thomson in Consett to take the win; DAS took first and third, and Clay moved up the table. In the men’s race, Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck’s Adam Howell crashed early, remounted bloodied, and still won. His teammate Alex Beldon took second. From the moors, the rouleurs struck back.

In Aberystwyth came the circuit titles. Handsling Alba’s Kate Richardson edged WorldTour star – and future teammate – Izzy Sharp in a photo finish to win the national crit championship, her second major victory of the season. In the men’s race, it was Cameron Mason — the cyclocross king — who broke Tekkerz hearts, outsprinting Björn Koerdt to take the stripes. Richardson surged to second overall. Mason denied the league leaders crucial points.

Then came the big one. The National Road Race. On the roads of mid-Wales, Millie Couzens powered past Georgi to win the women’s title, doing the elite/U23 double in one go. Thomson, the league leader, finished 17th — enough to stay on top, but only just. In the men’s race, Sam Watson soloed to a stunning win in Ineos colours. For the Super-League hopefuls, it was damage limitation, Beldon the most impressive of the domestic riders, finishing 8th.

And so, by end of June, everything had changed. Bostock was on top. Thomson still led, but Richardson, Dickson and Clay were closing fast. Ten rounds remained. The crits were coming.

Pos	Rider	Points	Change
1	Matthew Bostock	86	↑
2	Oliver Wood	82	↑
3	Edward Morgan	80	↓
4	James McKay	70	↓
5	Cameron Mason	70	↑

Pos	Rider	Points	Change
1	Noémie Thomson	137	–
2	Kate Richardson	129	↑
3	Lauren Dickson	118	↓
4	Robyn Clay	111	–
5	Anna Morris	66	↓

Act III – the summer surge

As July dawned, the Rapha Super-League hit prime crit season. Six races in 24 days, a tour of towns and city centres.

July arrived with a blur of barriers, corners, and crowd-packed town centres. The Rapha Super-League’s third act—six criteriums in three weeks—was a relentless sprint through Britain’s summer streets. If the road races of Act II were defined by endurance and strategy, Act III demanded sharpness, positioning, and ruthless consistency. By month’s end, the league standings were transformed—one lead fortified, another all but erased.

It began in Yorkshire at the Otley Grand Prix, where Robyn Clay lit up her home circuit with a roaring win in front of family and fans. Her late surge down Bondgate wasn’t just a celebration of form—it was a statement. The victory handed her the Super-League leader’s jersey for the first time, dethroning early pacesetter Noémie Thomson. In the men’s race, Tekkerz CC’s Matt Bostock was edged out by Tim Shoreman’s gritty sprint finish, but his podium points tightened the title race—setting in motion a dominant summer for the Tekkerz juggernaut.

Two days later at Ilkley, the league took its first twist. Torrential rain turned the course treacherous, but Anna Morris thrived. She launched a perfectly timed last-lap move, soloing to victory ahead of Richardson and Cooper. After a quiet first half to the season, Morris had arrived. In the men’s contest, 17-year-old Milo Wills burst into the spotlight with a fearless sprint win, giving Tekkerz their first crit victory of Act III. With another top ten for Bostock in Ilkley, the Tekkerz captain took the overall lead – one he wouldn’t relinquish for the rest of the crit series.

Guildford’s cobbled climb and narrow corners promised chaos, and Robyn Clay made it hers. Dominating from the front, she delivered a masterclass in control and confidence, claiming her second win of the crit season and extending her championship lead. Behind her, DAS-Hutchinson’s full-strength squad dominated the top ten. Bostock sat this one out, but Tekkerz didn’t miss a beat – Wills returned to the top, outsprinting Belgian U23 star Jente Michels to claim back-to-back victories. With Bostock absent, his rivals sensed an opening: MUC-OFF’s Adam Howell edged into second overall, and the men’s leaderboard shifted subtly beneath the surface.

Then came Sheffield – streets lined with fans and tension. In the women’s race, Anna Morris struck again. With Clay on her wheel, Morris powered to a dramatic sprint win on the uphill drag. A second victory in three rounds pulled Morris into contention and signalled the battle was far from over. Bostock returned in the men’s race and reasserted control, sprinting past Alpecin’s Cameron Mason and Muc-Off’s Alex Beldon to take the win. The result was emphatic, Bostock’s league lead growing ever larger.

The Fort Vale Colne Grand Prix brought international flavour and more shakeups. Danish rider Matias Malmberg stunned the domestic field with a powerful late attack to steal the win. Bostock, always present, sprinted to second—maximising points even when not on the top step. In the women’s race, Morris proved unstoppable again. She outpowered Sophie Lewis and Maddie Leech for her third crit win of Act III. Clay, for the first time, faltered – fifth place felt like a loss, and her lead, once expansive, was suddenly under siege.

The final act of the crit season unfolded by the sea at Dawlish. On the hilly coastal circuit, Morris completed her summer of brilliance with a fourth win, soloing clear under the setting sun. Lewis and Leech followed, while Clay had to settle for fourth. In the men’s finale, Bostock capped his series with a final exclamation mark – another sprint win, another haul of points. Frank Longstaff pushed him all the way, but Bostock’s timing and speed were unmatched. The Manxman ended Act III on 271 points – a lead that now looked close to invincible.

In the women’s standings, Clay was now top, but Morris was within striking distance. Morris’ charge left Clay vulnerable with four tough rounds to go. Richardson and Lewis lurked just behind – each within striking distance if the final road races broke their way.

In the open category, Matt Bostock stood tall. His crit campaign was near flawless – multiple wins, no weak links, a champion’s consistency. Tekkerz had ridden the wave brilliantly, with Wills and Briggs supporting the effort, but it was Bostock’s singular focus that built the commanding 128-point lead he now carried into the road-heavy finale.

Pos	Rider	Points	Change
1	Matthew Bostock	271	–
2	William Truelove	143	↑
3	Thomas Armstrong	127	↑
4	Frank Longstaff	113	↑
5	Cameron Mason	100	↑

Pos	Rider	Points	Change
1	Robyn Clay	302	↑
2	Anna Morris	266	↑
3	Kate Richardson	204	↓
4	Sophie Lewis	161	↑
5	Madeline Cooper	157	↑

Act IV – Devon’s lanes, Northumberland’s peaks and the streets of Cambridge

The sun-soaked hills of Devon produced drama in the Witheridge Grand Prix. Noémie Thomson (DAS-Hutchinson) lit up the racing with relentless attacks, breaking clear to claim victory, but the story was the effect on the title race. Morris finished an agile 11 seconds behind in second, while defending leader Clay found herself in no man’s land and could manage only 11th. The result blew the standings open: Morris’s runner-up ride propelled her to the top of the Women’s Super-League by a single point over Clay. In other words, Clay’s long command of the League lead was over.

The men’s race at Witheridge was equally intense. A fierce breakaway of four – including Matt Holmes (One Good Thing–Factor) – carved out a lead, but the real move came on the final climb. Holmes attacked decisively, powering up the last hill to slip away solo to victory. Behind him, British champion Jake Edwards (360Cycling) won the sprint for second and Will Truelove (MUC–OFF–SRCT–STORCK) took the final podium spot. With reigning champ Matt Bostock (TEKKERZ CC) not riding to defend his lead, Truelove’s podium cut Bostock’s advantage down to 88 points. The men’s title race was suddenly not a foregone conclusion.

Come August, the action shifted north. At the Curlew Cup, DAS-Hutchinson’s Lucy Lee took a commanding win. Crucially, Anna Morris was not in contention that day, and Robyn Clay’s top-ten finish meant she regained the Super-League jersey, moving back into the overall lead with two races to go. On the same day, in the Beaumont Trophy, Raptor Factory Racing’s home rider Dylan Hicks climbed clear from a reduced group and resisted the desperate chase to take the win. A fast-finishing bunch sprinted in a minute later, won by Wheelbase’s Tim Shoreman with Truelove again on the podium. Truelove’s consistency at Beaumont further trimmed the gap to Bostock – he reduced the leader’s cushion to 42 points.

The penultimate round in Cambridge was a high-speed criterium on the city’s Jesus Green. In the men’s final, Wheelbase’s Tom Armstrong finally got his reward. He launched a long solo move late in the race (after being reeled in once), and then won the frantic finish for his first National A win. Will Truelove took a modest 8 points for 10th, but more importantly Bostock (absent again) scored nothing. Truelove’s effort meant he crept even closer: going into the final round he sits just 35 points behind Bostock.

In the women’s race on the same Cambridge circuit, Sophie Lewis (DAS-Hutchinson) took the win but with Clay and Morris both absent there was no change at the top. Clay still led with 328 points to Morris’ 311.

In other words, heading into the finale at Wentworth Woodhouse, only Clay or Morris could take the women’s title, and only Bostock or Truelove the men’s, with Clay holding a 17‑point margin and Bostock a 35‑point one. The season’s script was set for a thrilling conclusion.

Pos	Rider	Points	Change
1	Matthew Bostock	271	–
2	William Truelove	236	↑
3	Thomas Armstrong	192	↑
4	James McKay	89	↑
5	Tim Shoreman	123	↑

Pos	Rider	Points	Change
1	Robyn Clay	328	–
2	Anna Morris	311	↑
3	Madeline Cooper	236	↑
4	Sophie Lewis	216	↑
5	Kate Richardson	216	↓

Act V – the last stand

Then came Wentworth Woodhouse — the league’s last word. After a summer of circuits, breakaways and shifting tides, only one round remained — and with 70 points on offer, nothing was settled. 

The women’s race played out like a siege conducted at full tilt. For the opening laps, calm ruled — the peloton feeling its way around the estate’s narrow lanes and polished stone corners. Then DAS-Hutchinson’s Tamsin Miller detonated the calm. Launching clear through the village section, she forced the Super-League’s closing act into fast-forward. Her teammates, led by series frontrunner Robyn Clay, shut the gates behind her. The gap grew: thirty seconds, a minute, two-and-a-half.

Miller was suddenly untouchable. Behind her, Clay was playing the long game, marking moves, counting points. When Lucy Lee tried to bridge, it wasn’t to chase but to consolidate — a 1-2 for DAS, and with it, control of the title. Lee fell short, finishing second. Behind her, Kate Richardson edged Maddie Leech in the sprint for third.

And Clay? Seventh. No headline on the day, but the most valuable seventh place of her career. Anna Morris, fifth, had outscored her again, but not by enough. Five points separated them in the final tally — a single place across a summer of racing. Clay’s consistency had carried her through. After winning the National Circuit Series and National Road Series titles, she completed an extraordinary treble: the inaugural Rapha Super-League champion.

The men’s finale mirrored the drama. Matt Bostock was absent, saving legs for the Tour of Britain, leaving Will Truelove and his MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK squad to try the impossible — overturn a deficit against the clock. They came close. A furious early move split the field, a lead group of twenty-five forming before the second lap. Attacks flew. Names flashed through the front group: Armstrong, Riwnyj, Clayton, McKay. And Truelove, relentless, driving every chase.

By the final lap, twelve riders remained. McKay and Armstrong surged to the front. Armstrong’s gears slipped; McKay seized his chance, claiming his second National A win of the season. Truelove, fifth across the line, had almost done enough — almost.

But “almost” wasn’t quite. Bostock’s cushion, built on a month of crit dominance, held by five points. He became the first Rapha Super-League men’s champion — by the same slender margin that crowned Clay.

Epilogue

So it ended: a summer-long saga of crits and classics, climbs and cobbles, teen breakouts and veteran guile. The Rapha Super-League’s debut season delivered drama until the final corner — with champions crowned not by dominance alone, but by persistence, poise, and one perfectly timed seventh-place finish.

When the sums were done, the margin stood at — yes — five points. Two titles, both decided by the smallest unit the rulebook could bear.

It began on Lincoln’s stones and ended on Wentworth’s lawns. In between, it stitched together a summer: of surprise leaders, quiet grinders, comebacks, collapses, and, at the end of it all, a symmetry so neat it felt scripted. Five points. Twice.

Celebrate the Rapha Super-League at tonight’s Champions Party.

Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com