Yomp Bonk Crew: Outstanding Contribution to Domestic Road Racing
A group of friends who built the races they wished existed - and ended up reshaping British road racing. Yomp Bonk Crew are the 2025 Outstanding Contribution winners.
The Outstanding Contribution Award was excruciatingly difficult to judge. It received more nominations than any other category, with riders, parents, volunteers, organisers and clubmates recognising the people who keep British road racing standing.
The panel faced an unenviable decision: in another year, or with another panel, any of the shortlisted nominees might have won. Marc Etches and Sonja Harper both embody the dedication and long-term stewardship that sustain the sport — their work continues to underpin racing in Yorkshire and Otley respectively, and the panel recognised the enormous value of their contributions.
But in 2025, one group’s impact felt uniquely transformative.
The Yomp Bonk Crew are the winners of the 2025 Outstanding Contribution Award.
What began as a small group of Sheffield teenagers trying to put on the races they wished existed has grown into one of the most influential volunteer projects in the modern domestic scene. Today, the team behind the events includes James Hawkins, Will Foster, Tom Hutchison, Eugene Cross and El King. Together, they have built two eye-catching National B stage races – the Peaks 2 Day and the Ronde van Wymeswold – in addition to a wide network of grassroots races and crits – an expansion all the more remarkable during a period when many events were disappearing.
Asked when they first realised they were doing something bigger than expected, James Hawkins reflects:
“I think that all of us acknowledge that what we’re doing and have done over the last five years has had a positive effect overall on UK racing… it always felt a bit surreal seeing where things went and hearing the positive things people have to say about our group and our events.”
Tom Hutchison and James Hawkins
That realisation started early:
“I think that the first race we ever ran in 2021, a crit at Forge Valley circuit in Sheffield, was an eye opener to how we could make a difference… A couple of years on, we worked out what percentage of road/circuit events we organised that year, both regionally and nationally… I think we all felt like it was a bit crazy at how far it had come and how many racing opportunities we had provided.”
YBC’s blend of youthful energy and striking professionalism didn’t arrive by accident. One guiding principle came from fellow nominee Marc Etches, whose influence they openly credit:
“One thing Marc Etches said to me in our first year of organising events was that he always starts with the rider experience first,” says Hawkins. “We owe Marc a lot for helping us along the way over the years and certainly wouldn’t have achieved any of this without him. So I think it’s fair to say he deserves this award just as much as us, if not more!”
Their motivation is rooted in wanting to help rebuild the sport during a challenging period:
“Ultimately, what drives us is the chase for a better road racing scene… I truly believe that we’re in a slump that’s primarily caused by factors outside of our control… It’s easy to get bogged down by the doom and gloom narrative, but I know that if we keep doing what we’re doing… we can help be a part of revitalising it.”
Image: Tom Hutchison
They hope their example encourages others:
“There’s people that I know who have started organising because of what we have done – and that in itself is really cool… I hope that what we do has opened people’s eyes a little to the fact that domestic road racing is an amateur sport and we all have to pitch in to make it happen.”
And in typical fashion, they end by shifting the spotlight elsewhere:
“At the end of the day, we do this because we all love doing it… the people who make it possible are the hundreds of volunteers who give their time up over the year to make these events happen.”
In a year defined by uncertainty and contraction across the domestic racing landscape, the Yomp Bonk Crew provided momentum, opportunity and optimism. Their work – alongside the tireless contributions of Marc Etches and Sonja Harper – shows what is still possible when dedication meets imagination.
Congratulations to the Yomp Bonk Crew – winners of the 2025 Outstanding Contribution Award.
The Outstanding Contribution Award was excruciatingly difficult to judge. It received more nominations than any other category, with riders, parents, volunteers, organisers and clubmates recognising the people who keep British road racing standing.
The panel faced an unenviable decision: in another year, or with another panel, any of the shortlisted nominees might have won. Marc Etches and Sonja Harper both embody the dedication and long-term stewardship that sustain the sport — their work continues to underpin racing in Yorkshire and Otley respectively, and the panel recognised the enormous value of their contributions.
But in 2025, one group’s impact felt uniquely transformative.
The Yomp Bonk Crew are the winners of the 2025 Outstanding Contribution Award.
What began as a small group of Sheffield teenagers trying to put on the races they wished existed has grown into one of the most influential volunteer projects in the modern domestic scene. Today, the team behind the events includes James Hawkins, Will Foster, Tom Hutchison, Eugene Cross and El King. Together, they have built two eye-catching National B stage races – the Peaks 2 Day and the Ronde van Wymeswold – in addition to a wide network of grassroots races and crits – an expansion all the more remarkable during a period when many events were disappearing.
Asked when they first realised they were doing something bigger than expected, James Hawkins reflects:
“I think that all of us acknowledge that what we’re doing and have done over the last five years has had a positive effect overall on UK racing… it always felt a bit surreal seeing where things went and hearing the positive things people have to say about our group and our events.”
That realisation started early:
“I think that the first race we ever ran in 2021, a crit at Forge Valley circuit in Sheffield, was an eye opener to how we could make a difference… A couple of years on, we worked out what percentage of road/circuit events we organised that year, both regionally and nationally… I think we all felt like it was a bit crazy at how far it had come and how many racing opportunities we had provided.”
YBC’s blend of youthful energy and striking professionalism didn’t arrive by accident. One guiding principle came from fellow nominee Marc Etches, whose influence they openly credit:
“One thing Marc Etches said to me in our first year of organising events was that he always starts with the rider experience first,” says Hawkins. “We owe Marc a lot for helping us along the way over the years and certainly wouldn’t have achieved any of this without him. So I think it’s fair to say he deserves this award just as much as us, if not more!”
Their motivation is rooted in wanting to help rebuild the sport during a challenging period:
“Ultimately, what drives us is the chase for a better road racing scene… I truly believe that we’re in a slump that’s primarily caused by factors outside of our control… It’s easy to get bogged down by the doom and gloom narrative, but I know that if we keep doing what we’re doing… we can help be a part of revitalising it.”
They hope their example encourages others:
“There’s people that I know who have started organising because of what we have done – and that in itself is really cool… I hope that what we do has opened people’s eyes a little to the fact that domestic road racing is an amateur sport and we all have to pitch in to make it happen.”
And in typical fashion, they end by shifting the spotlight elsewhere:
“At the end of the day, we do this because we all love doing it… the people who make it possible are the hundreds of volunteers who give their time up over the year to make these events happen.”
In a year defined by uncertainty and contraction across the domestic racing landscape, the Yomp Bonk Crew provided momentum, opportunity and optimism. Their work – alongside the tireless contributions of Marc Etches and Sonja Harper – shows what is still possible when dedication meets imagination.
Congratulations to the Yomp Bonk Crew – winners of the 2025 Outstanding Contribution Award.
Featured image: Harry Jones
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