Drum roll please. It is time to begin the British Conti Awards 2025 winner announcements…
Some breakthroughs are gradual. Adam Howell’s was explosive.
He entered 2025 as a relative unknown – a 20-year-old former Surrey labourer whose standout result the previous season was a top-15 at the Ryedale GP with VC Meudon. A surprise winter signing for Adam Ellis and Scott Redding’s Muc-Off–SRCT–Storck squad, he began the year quietly… and then detonated onto the domestic scene.
His first signal came early: a stage win at the Peaks 2-Day, followed by victory at the Kennel Hill Classic. Then came the ride that first turned heads, a two-up sprint to take the East Cleveland Classic, launching him into the National Road Series lead. His form travelled too – a stage win and fifth overall at the Tour de la Manche in France showed he could deliver beyond British roads.
But nothing defined his season more clearly than the Tour of the Reservoir. Blown off the road and into a ditch in the opening lap, he fought his way through a shattered race to take one of the most courageous wins of the year. As one judge put it:
“He was in the wars – battered and bruised – but still took the win. It showed just how much skill he’s got.”
For Adam, that Reservoir victory was a personal turning point: “It proved East Cleveland wasn’t a one-off – that I could perform at that level,” he tells The British Continental.
His season became a story of confidence as much as results: “I’ve learnt to relax more in races and not worry about things I can’t control. If I finish knowing I’ve given everything, I’m happy.”
Howell finished the year as National Road Series champion, at just 20 years of age, and earned a well-deserved move to UCI Continental outfit Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme for 2026.
“Next season I’m excited to race in a whole different country. The racing is so different, and I can’t wait to learn from my new team and get stuck in,” he says.
A rider who rose fast, raced bravely and proved himself at every level, Adam Howell is your 2025 Breakthrough Rider of the Year (Male).
Drum roll please. It is time to begin the British Conti Awards 2025 winner announcements…
Some breakthroughs are gradual. Adam Howell’s was explosive.
He entered 2025 as a relative unknown – a 20-year-old former Surrey labourer whose standout result the previous season was a top-15 at the Ryedale GP with VC Meudon. A surprise winter signing for Adam Ellis and Scott Redding’s Muc-Off–SRCT–Storck squad, he began the year quietly… and then detonated onto the domestic scene.
His first signal came early: a stage win at the Peaks 2-Day, followed by victory at the Kennel Hill Classic. Then came the ride that first turned heads, a two-up sprint to take the East Cleveland Classic, launching him into the National Road Series lead. His form travelled too – a stage win and fifth overall at the Tour de la Manche in France showed he could deliver beyond British roads.
But nothing defined his season more clearly than the Tour of the Reservoir. Blown off the road and into a ditch in the opening lap, he fought his way through a shattered race to take one of the most courageous wins of the year. As one judge put it:
“He was in the wars – battered and bruised – but still took the win. It showed just how much skill he’s got.”
For Adam, that Reservoir victory was a personal turning point: “It proved East Cleveland wasn’t a one-off – that I could perform at that level,” he tells The British Continental.
His season became a story of confidence as much as results: “I’ve learnt to relax more in races and not worry about things I can’t control. If I finish knowing I’ve given everything, I’m happy.”
Howell finished the year as National Road Series champion, at just 20 years of age, and earned a well-deserved move to UCI Continental outfit Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme for 2026.
“Next season I’m excited to race in a whole different country. The racing is so different, and I can’t wait to learn from my new team and get stuck in,” he says.
A rider who rose fast, raced bravely and proved himself at every level,
Adam Howell is your 2025 Breakthrough Rider of the Year (Male).
A spectacular ascent – and only the beginning.
And a word for the other nominees: Alex Beldon and Maxwell Hereward also enjoyed superb breakthrough seasons and were strong contenders in an exceptionally competitive category.
Featured image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.