Across 2025, Adam Howell became the defining presence on Britain’s roads: consistent, resilient, and repeatedly influential in the country’s biggest races.
Such was the breadth of his season that, in addition to winning Breakthrough Rider of the Year, the panel unanimously agreed the Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck rider should also be named Domestic Rider of the Year.
Howell began 2025 as a relatively unknown 20-year-old who had only recently left his job as a Surrey labourer. Within months, he was shaping the domestic road season at will: soloing to victory on Stage 1 of the Peaks 2 Day, winning the Kennel Hill Classic, outsprinting the defending series champion, George Kimber, at the East Cleveland Classic, conquering the Tour of the Reservoir in one of the rides of the season, and sealing the National Road Series title before earning a contract with UCI Continental outfit Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme.
But for Howell himself, one day stands above the rest.
“I think the performance I’m most proud of has got to be the Tour of the Reservoir,” he told The British Continental.
“I thought my race was over after crashing on the first lap. I was debating pulling out because I thought there’d be no chance of me chasing back on, but I did keep going and slowly jumped between groups until I made it to the front on the last lap and then fought to win. I’m proud I managed to get a good result from the fact that I refused to give up.”
Success brought visibility — and its own challenges.
“I hadn’t really had any previous experience of being a marked man,” he says. “I felt like a magnet. Even if I got out of the saddle to stretch my legs, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. But I kept thinking: would I rather be the marked man getting results, or be invisible and not impacting the race?”
Through it all, the strength of the Muc-Off–SRCT–Storck environment proved integral.
“Being part of Muc-Off SRCT was the main reason I was able to be so consistent,” Howell reflects. “We’re all friends as well as teammates, which takes a massive amount of pressure off. We always had a plan, we communicated, and the support from everyone – not just Adam [Ellis] and Phil [Maddocks] – took a lot of pressure off me and let me focus on the race.”
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
His ability to win from the front, salvage results from setbacks, and handle increasing scrutiny marked him out not just as a breakthrough rider, but as the most complete domestic performer of 2025.
The panel also extends huge credit to the other shortlisted riders. James McKay delivered two National Road Series victories and a season of tactical intelligence, earning his return to Continental racing. Tom Armstrong produced a remarkably consistent year, winning the National Circuit Series and proving decisive across a wide variety of races.
But in the end, 2025 belonged to a rider who began the year largely unknown and ended it as the defining figure of the British men’s domestic peloton.
Adam Howell is your 2025 Domestic Rider of the Year.
Across 2025, Adam Howell became the defining presence on Britain’s roads: consistent, resilient, and repeatedly influential in the country’s biggest races.
Such was the breadth of his season that, in addition to winning Breakthrough Rider of the Year, the panel unanimously agreed the Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck rider should also be named Domestic Rider of the Year.
Howell began 2025 as a relatively unknown 20-year-old who had only recently left his job as a Surrey labourer. Within months, he was shaping the domestic road season at will: soloing to victory on Stage 1 of the Peaks 2 Day, winning the Kennel Hill Classic, outsprinting the defending series champion, George Kimber, at the East Cleveland Classic, conquering the Tour of the Reservoir in one of the rides of the season, and sealing the National Road Series title before earning a contract with UCI Continental outfit Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme.
But for Howell himself, one day stands above the rest.
“I think the performance I’m most proud of has got to be the Tour of the Reservoir,” he told The British Continental.
“I thought my race was over after crashing on the first lap. I was debating pulling out because I thought there’d be no chance of me chasing back on, but I did keep going and slowly jumped between groups until I made it to the front on the last lap and then fought to win. I’m proud I managed to get a good result from the fact that I refused to give up.”
Success brought visibility — and its own challenges.
“I hadn’t really had any previous experience of being a marked man,” he says. “I felt like a magnet. Even if I got out of the saddle to stretch my legs, I could feel everyone’s eyes on me. But I kept thinking: would I rather be the marked man getting results, or be invisible and not impacting the race?”
Through it all, the strength of the Muc-Off–SRCT–Storck environment proved integral.
“Being part of Muc-Off SRCT was the main reason I was able to be so consistent,” Howell reflects. “We’re all friends as well as teammates, which takes a massive amount of pressure off. We always had a plan, we communicated, and the support from everyone – not just Adam [Ellis] and Phil [Maddocks] – took a lot of pressure off me and let me focus on the race.”
His ability to win from the front, salvage results from setbacks, and handle increasing scrutiny marked him out not just as a breakthrough rider, but as the most complete domestic performer of 2025.
The panel also extends huge credit to the other shortlisted riders. James McKay delivered two National Road Series victories and a season of tactical intelligence, earning his return to Continental racing. Tom Armstrong produced a remarkably consistent year, winning the National Circuit Series and proving decisive across a wide variety of races.
But in the end, 2025 belonged to a rider who began the year largely unknown and ended it as the defining figure of the British men’s domestic peloton.
Adam Howell is your 2025 Domestic Rider of the Year.
Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.