Fourteen-year fixture falls from calendar as PNE Nat B cancelled
After fourteen years near Winchester, the PNE National B has fallen from the calendar due to circuit risk issues, with the historic Severn Bridge Road Race also not returning this season
PNECC has confirmed that its National B road race, scheduled for Saturday 11 April 2026, has been cancelled, bringing to an end a fourteen-year run on the South’s domestic calendar.
Set against the rolling roads of the South Downs National Park near Winchester, the race has long been one of the region’s early-season markers. Promoted by Portsmouth North End Cycling Club, it consistently attracted strong Elite, 1st, 2nd and 3rd category fields and in recent seasons formed part of the South & South West Senior Open Regional Road Race Championships.
As we wrote ahead of the 2025 edition, the event was “one of the early-season highlights in the UK’s domestic racing calendar”, combining picturesque scenery with a circuit that rarely allowed a passive race to develop. After Alex Richardson’s three-year run of victories came to an end with his retirement, Ed Morgan claimed the 2025 edition on the demanding Owslebury circuit.
The 2026 edition will not take place due to the non-availability of a locally risk-assessed course.
Ed Morgan wins in 2025. Image: Mark James
Changes at a key junction on the Owslebury circuit – including the installation of a Stop sign and solid white line – mean the layout is currently not approved for use under British Cycling’s risk assessment framework. Following consultation with the police, the junction in its current form cannot be used, even with accredited marshals in place.
British Cycling is understood to be considering an inspection of the circuit to assess whether it could be run in the opposite direction to avoid the affected junction. However, any decision would come too late in the event build-up timeline to open entries and attract a viable field.
The club explored alternative options, including relocating the race to the circuit used for the Portsdown Classic, but were unable to secure a suitable race headquarters on the intended weekend. Volunteer availability also limited the feasibility of moving to an alternative date.
The organisers stressed that the cancellation reflects circumstance rather than intent – a race halted not by lack of will, but by infrastructure and process beyond the club’s control.
A wider pattern in the South
The PNE cancellation does not sit in isolation. The Severn Bridge Road Race will also not return this season. The event was cancelled in 2025 and, we are told, organisers Bristol Road Club do not intend to revive it.
The loss is significant. First run in the 1960s, the Severn Bridge Road Race was long regarded as one of the most prestigious National B events in the country. For decades it served as an early-season proving ground for UCI Continental and elite riders alike.
PNECC has confirmed that its National B road race, scheduled for Saturday 11 April 2026, has been cancelled, bringing to an end a fourteen-year run on the South’s domestic calendar.
Set against the rolling roads of the South Downs National Park near Winchester, the race has long been one of the region’s early-season markers. Promoted by Portsmouth North End Cycling Club, it consistently attracted strong Elite, 1st, 2nd and 3rd category fields and in recent seasons formed part of the South & South West Senior Open Regional Road Race Championships.
As we wrote ahead of the 2025 edition, the event was “one of the early-season highlights in the UK’s domestic racing calendar”, combining picturesque scenery with a circuit that rarely allowed a passive race to develop. After Alex Richardson’s three-year run of victories came to an end with his retirement, Ed Morgan claimed the 2025 edition on the demanding Owslebury circuit.
The 2026 edition will not take place due to the non-availability of a locally risk-assessed course.
Changes at a key junction on the Owslebury circuit – including the installation of a Stop sign and solid white line – mean the layout is currently not approved for use under British Cycling’s risk assessment framework. Following consultation with the police, the junction in its current form cannot be used, even with accredited marshals in place.
British Cycling is understood to be considering an inspection of the circuit to assess whether it could be run in the opposite direction to avoid the affected junction. However, any decision would come too late in the event build-up timeline to open entries and attract a viable field.
The club explored alternative options, including relocating the race to the circuit used for the Portsdown Classic, but were unable to secure a suitable race headquarters on the intended weekend. Volunteer availability also limited the feasibility of moving to an alternative date.
The organisers stressed that the cancellation reflects circumstance rather than intent – a race halted not by lack of will, but by infrastructure and process beyond the club’s control.
A wider pattern in the South
The PNE cancellation does not sit in isolation. The Severn Bridge Road Race will also not return this season. The event was cancelled in 2025 and, we are told, organisers Bristol Road Club do not intend to revive it.
The loss is significant. First run in the 1960s, the Severn Bridge Road Race was long regarded as one of the most prestigious National B events in the country. For decades it served as an early-season proving ground for UCI Continental and elite riders alike.
Featured image: Mark James
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