2026 season goes live as Portsdown Classic entries open
With the early-season calendar taking shape, the Portsdown Classic becomes the first confirmed entry opportunity for 2026 - complete with a new two-race link to Kennel Hill and expanded prize support.
The opening of Portsdown’s entry link comes at a time when many early-season events have now revealed their dates, giving the 2026 calendar a clearer outline than in recent years. However, while the schedule is taking shape on paper, Portsdown is the first race of the season for which riders can actually enter, offering a concrete point around which to plan winter training and early-spring form.
The race carries the legacy of the Perfs Pedal Road Race, which ran from 1964 until 2023 and long held its place as the traditional early-season opener. When long-time organiser Mick Waite stepped back, the event was at risk of disappearing entirely. Instead, a new team led by Seb Ottley relaunched it in 2024 under the Portsdown Classic name, keeping its early-season spirit and much of its familiar circuit while updating the race’s organisation and branding.
Now entering its third edition in its modern form, the Portsdown Classic continues on the same rolling loop above Portsmouth, with chip timing again provided by K2 Sports and support from T&M Cable Services and Pronto Bikes. New backing from Alta Via Bicycle Components contributes to an expanded prize structure.
A new feature for this year is Portsdown’s formal connection to the Kennel Hill Classic on 28 March, which Ottley and Racing Club Ravenna also promote. Riders entering Portsdown will receive a discount and priority entry for Kennel Hill, as well as eligibility for a combined points competition across both events.
Jordan Giles (DAS-Richardsons) wins the 2025 Portsdown Classic. Image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
Ottley says the aim is to offer more value and cohesion during the early season.
“A simple points format felt the most practical,” he tells The British Continental. “It gives riders something extra to race for and helps join the two events together.”
The pairing effectively creates a two-race rhythm bridging February into late March – rare in British grassroots road racing, where most early-season events exist in isolation.
The race’s return also stands out against the uncertain backdrop of the women’s early-season calendar. Last year’s opener, the North Lincolnshire Classic, has yet to confirm a 2026 edition, leaving the Peaks 2 Day as the most likely starting point. For now, Portsdown is the first race – open or women’s – for which riders can formally sign up.
Portsdown will offer prizes for:
Top 6 overall
1st Junior
1st Vet
Best 2nd cat
Best South Region rider
Prize values are being finalised, but Ottley expects a meaningful list with sponsor backing. In addition, Alta Via Bicycle Components will support prizes for the top three riders across the linked Portsdown–Kennel Hill points classification.
The route remains familiar: a rolling circuit on Portsdown Hill, exposed to crosswinds and finishing on the short, sharp rise of Crooked Walk Lane. The course preserves the early-season hardness that long defined Perfs.
The opening of Portsdown’s entry link comes at a time when many early-season events have now revealed their dates, giving the 2026 calendar a clearer outline than in recent years. However, while the schedule is taking shape on paper, Portsdown is the first race of the season for which riders can actually enter, offering a concrete point around which to plan winter training and early-spring form.
The race carries the legacy of the Perfs Pedal Road Race, which ran from 1964 until 2023 and long held its place as the traditional early-season opener. When long-time organiser Mick Waite stepped back, the event was at risk of disappearing entirely. Instead, a new team led by Seb Ottley relaunched it in 2024 under the Portsdown Classic name, keeping its early-season spirit and much of its familiar circuit while updating the race’s organisation and branding.
Now entering its third edition in its modern form, the Portsdown Classic continues on the same rolling loop above Portsmouth, with chip timing again provided by K2 Sports and support from T&M Cable Services and Pronto Bikes. New backing from Alta Via Bicycle Components contributes to an expanded prize structure.
A new feature for this year is Portsdown’s formal connection to the Kennel Hill Classic on 28 March, which Ottley and Racing Club Ravenna also promote. Riders entering Portsdown will receive a discount and priority entry for Kennel Hill, as well as eligibility for a combined points competition across both events.
Ottley says the aim is to offer more value and cohesion during the early season.
“A simple points format felt the most practical,” he tells The British Continental. “It gives riders something extra to race for and helps join the two events together.”
The pairing effectively creates a two-race rhythm bridging February into late March – rare in British grassroots road racing, where most early-season events exist in isolation.
The race’s return also stands out against the uncertain backdrop of the women’s early-season calendar. Last year’s opener, the North Lincolnshire Classic, has yet to confirm a 2026 edition, leaving the Peaks 2 Day as the most likely starting point. For now, Portsdown is the first race – open or women’s – for which riders can formally sign up.
Portsdown will offer prizes for:
Prize values are being finalised, but Ottley expects a meaningful list with sponsor backing. In addition, Alta Via Bicycle Components will support prizes for the top three riders across the linked Portsdown–Kennel Hill points classification.
The route remains familiar: a rolling circuit on Portsdown Hill, exposed to crosswinds and finishing on the short, sharp rise of Crooked Walk Lane. The course preserves the early-season hardness that long defined Perfs.
Enter the race here.
Featured image: Ian Wrightson/The British Continental
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