Taking place on Sunday 8 March, the 42nd edition of the Jock Wadley Memorial Road Race brings the National B peloton to the demanding lanes of Essex. As one of the earliest and most prestigious fixtures on the domestic calendar, this National B tear-up provides a crucial early-season form-checker for Britain’s top domestic talent.
What is it?
Organised with characteristic dedication by Colchester Rovers Cycling Club, the Jock Wadley is a staple of the early-season Essex race scene. Based out of Layer de la Haye, the route orbits the scenic but brutally exposed Abberton Reservoir, offering a relentless battleground that tests rider mettle just as the British spring is trying to wake up.
The event pays tribute to John Borland ‘Jock’ Wadley, one of the most influential figures in British cycling journalism. Wadley’s pioneering reports from the European continent in the post-war era brought the romance of the Grand Tours to the British public, and since its inaugural edition in 1982, this race has served as a fittingly tough memorial to his legacy.
Over its rich history, the race has attracted top-tier fields, boasting a roll of honour that includes Steele von Hoff and Andy Lyons (both two-time winners), as well as Ben Luckwell, Tony Gibb, Malcolm Elliott, and Luke Rowe. However, all eyes are on RCC Racing’s Jacob Vaughan, who secured gritty solo victories in 2024 and 2025, and returns looking to etch his name into the history books with an unprecedented third consecutive win.
Route
Rolling out from Layer-de-la-Haye, the peloton will tackle 12 laps of the notoriously sapping Abberton Reservoir circuit, bringing the total distance to a punchy 136.8 kilometres. While the 67 metres of elevation gain per 11.4km lap sounds flat on paper, the constant succession of twisty, narrow lanes, unrelenting drags, and a vicious little kicker less than a kilometre from the finish line make this a thoroughly punishing parcours.
March weather in Essex is rarely a tranquil affair, although current forecasts suggest the weather will be benign, reducing the chances of crosswinds across the reservoir’s highly exposed stretches. If the wind does howl, however, echelons are almost guaranteed to shatter the peloton, whittling down the bunch lap by lap and setting the stage for either a late solo strike or a highly selective reduced-bunch sprint.
Riders to watch
With this being so early in the year, form across the peloton remains largely unknown, making predictions notoriously difficult. Nevertheless, Jacob Vaughan rightly starts with a target on his back. Now lining up in the colours of the new RCC Racing collective, the defending champion has a proven knack for sniffing out the decisive moves on this circuit. If his winter preparation has gone smoothly, stopping his historic hat-trick will be the primary objective for the rest of the peloton.
Domestic powerhouses Foran CT and DAS Richardsons arrive with their trademark strength in depth and will look to dictate terms. Foran boasts the firepower of former Rás winner Dom Jackson and young Nathan Levitt – 4th at Portsdown last month – whilst DAS Richardsons brings a well-drilled squad guided by two-time Wadley winner Andy Lyons in the team car. Featuring the WorldTour experience of Alex Peters alongside Frank Longstaff, Cai Davies and Matt Lord, among others, the local squad is perfectly equipped to force their rivals into burning matches early on.
Ride Revolution Coaching fields a potent line-up, spearheaded by Clay Davies. Davies looked to be in imperious winning form at the season-opening Portsdown Classic before unfortunately puncturing out of the winning break, and he will be hungry for redemption here. Meanwhile, StolenGoat 4Endurance will be highly motivated to continue their flying start to the season following Alex Murphy’s brilliant victory at Portsdown. With his form already proven, Murphy lines up as a primary contender in his own right and will be backed by a strong roster. Adding to the list of proven early-season operators is Matthew Gilmour (Nopinz RT), who narrowly missed out on the top step with a superb second-place finish behind Murphy at Portsdown and will undoubtedly be looking to go one better on Sunday.
While they perhaps lack an obvious outright contender for the finale, Schils – Doltcini Racing Team cannot be ignored simply due to their sheer numbers. Fielding a massive ten-rider squad, they possess unparalleled numerical advantage to control the peloton, cover early moves, and heavily influence the tactical flow of the race.
Finally, we must highlight a trio of immensely talented riders capable of upsetting the established order. Dylan Hicks (UN Cycling Team x Pyörävarikko) is a rapid 21-year-old with a lethal fast kick who took a UCI stage win at the Tour of Hellas in 2024 and the Beaumont Trophy in 2025. Archie Peet (O’Neills Spirit Racing Team) has proven his pedigree over the last two seasons with brilliant victories at both the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race (2024) and the BUCS Championships (2025).
Also keep a close eye on junior sensation Leon Atkins (camsmajaco); the 17-year-old Lidl-Trek future signing recently stunned the domestic scene by taking senior bronze in the Individual Pursuit at the National Track Championships – posting a time faster than Bradley Wiggins at the same age – and could be a serious dark horse if he translates that raw pursuiting power to the Essex lanes.
Provisional startlist
| Bib | Rider | Team | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Leon Atkins (Junior) | camsmajaco | 17 |
| #2 | Dexter Mansel-Thomas | Private member | 0 |
| #3 | Morris Bacon | DAP Cycling Club | 0 |
| #4 | Gary Freeman | DAP Cycling Club | 0 |
| #5 | Oliver Curd | DAS Richardsons | 0 |
| #6 | Cai Davies | DAS Richardsons | 0 |
| #7 | Frank Longstaff | DAS Richardsons | 0 |
| #8 | Olivier Mangham (U23) | DAS Richardsons | 0 |
| #9 | Alex Peters | DAS Richardsons | 0 |
| #10 | Dom Jackson | Foran CT | 0 |
| #11 | Nathan Levitt (U23) | Foran CT | 40 |
| #12 | Craig McAuley | Foran CT | 0 |
| #13 | Jake Lunt (U23) | 360cycling | 0 |
| #14 | Benjamin Myers (U23) | DAS Richardsons | 0 |
| #15 | Joshua Ballinger | Primo RT | 0 |
| #16 | Will Barham (U23) | Primo RT | 0 |
| #17 | Charlie Crawt | Primo RT | 0 |
| #18 | Colin Ward | Primo RT | 0 |
| #19 | Joe Adlam-Cook | Ride Revolution Coaching | 0 |
| #20 | Clay Davies | Ride Revolution Coaching | 20 |
| #21 | Jake Hales | Ride Revolution Coaching | 0 |
| #22 | William Metcalf | Ride Revolution Coaching | 0 |
| #23 | Caleb Pain (U23) | Ride Revolution Coaching | 0 |
| #24 | Edward Calow | Royal Air Force CA | 0 |
| #25 | Euan Campbell | Royal Air Force CA | 0 |
| #26 | Danny Hedley | Royal Air Force CA | 0 |
| #27 | Stephen Swindley | Royal Navy Cycling | 0 |
| #28 | Peter Fuller | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #29 | Matthew Holland | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #30 | Fabian Horrocks | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #31 | Samuel Hughes (U23) | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #32 | Cameron Hurst | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #33 | Oscar Pratt (U23) | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 5 |
| #34 | Matthew Rizzo-Naudi | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #35 | James Somerfield | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #36 | Thomas Wade | Schils – Doltcini Racing Team | 0 |
| #37 | Chris McNamara | Sigma Sports Race Team | 0 |
| #38 | Simon McNamara | Sigma Sports Race Team | 0 |
| #39 | Hugh Aubrey (U23) | StolenGoat 4Endurance | 0 |
| #40 | Jack Bartholomew | StolenGoat 4Endurance | 0 |
| #41 | Reuben Dando (U23) | StolenGoat 4Endurance | 0 |
| #42 | Ross Fawcett | StolenGoat 4Endurance | 0 |
| #43 | Mohammad Ganjkhanlou | StolenGoat 4Endurance | 0 |
| #44 | Alex Murphy (U23) | StolenGoat 4Endurance | 60 |
| #45 | Joe Hill | Strada Wheels RT – Lucentsys | 0 |
| #46 | Isaac Wright | Strada Wheels RT – Lucentsys | 0 |
| #47 | Casper Brazier | Team PB Performance | 0 |
| #48 | Thomas Charles | Team PB Performance | 0 |
| #49 | Isaac Dutton (U23) | VC Londres | 0 |
| #50 | Noah Phillips | VC Londres | 0 |
| #51 | Jacob Vaughan | RCC Racing | 0 |
| #52 | Luca Nicholson (U23) | Velo Club Baracchi | 0 |
| #53 | George Gould | Watford Velo Sport | 0 |
| #54 | Tobias Bartlett | Wold Top Pactimo | 0 |
| #55 | Jason Bouttell | Wold Top Pactimo | 0 |
| #56 | Max Sillifant | Wold Top Pactimo | 0 |
| #57 | James Ambrose-Parish | Ride Revolution Coaching | 0 |
| #58 | John Appleby (U23) | API-Angliasport | 0 |
| #59 | Max Avery (U23) | Ornata Factory Racing | 0 |
| #60 | David Bagdan | 6AM Cycling | 0 |
| #61 | Max Bolton | Oxford University Cycling Club | 0 |
| #62 | Joe Brown | Out Of Thin Air | 0 |
| #63 | Bobby Buenfeld (U23) | Aero CLCTV | 11 |
| #64 | Paddy Chapman | TEKKERZ CC | 0 |
| #65 | Cai Curtis-Roberts (U23) | 360cycling | 0 |
| #66 | Thomas Dawtrey | Islington Cycling Club | 0 |
| #67 | Thomas Doig | Foran CT | 0 |
| #68 | Leo Doyle | Meridian Racing P/B De La Uz | 0 |
| #69 | Geoff Ewen | Cycle Club Ashwell (CCA) | 0 |
| #70 | Aaron Freeman | London Dynamo | 0 |
| #71 | Matthew Gilmour (U23) | Nopinz RT | 52 |
| #72 | Dylan Hicks (U23) | UN Cycling Team x Pyörävarikko | 0 |
| #73 | Ross King | VC Revolution | 0 |
| #74 | Tyler Lemmon | ASSOS UK Racing Team | 0 |
| #75 | Matthew Lord | DAS Richardsons | 0 |
| #76 | Archie Peet | O’Neills Spirit Racing Team | 0 |
| #77 | Jamie Pullen | TAAP Kalas | 0 |
| #78 | Joe Skipper | Private Member | 0 |
| #79 | Conor Williams (U23) | VC St Raphael | 0 |
| #80 | Thomas Womack (U23) | League-Fortè Chiropractic | 0 |
