2026 Hatherleigh Junior Road Race: report and results

William Brown (Shibden Apex RT) won the Hatherleigh Junior Road Race after a six-rider move, formed deep into the race on Devon’s rolling roads, stayed clear to decide the opening round of the 2026 British Cycling Junior Open Road Series.

Report

Bright, clear conditions greeted the field in Hatherleigh for a 108-kilometre race that was always likely to reward riders willing to force the issue rather than wait for the closing kilometres. On a rolling and selective course, the race never quite settled into anything passive; even before the decisive move, it had the feel of a day that would favour initiative. 

That mattered because Hatherleigh was not simply another junior race on the calendar. It was the first of eight rounds in this year’s British Cycling Junior Open Road Series, the national sequence that runs through spring and summer before ending at the John Richards Junior Tour at the close of August. First rounds do not decide a series, but they do begin to show which riders and teams are prepared to shape it. 

The early running was animated by Alex Box (Harrogate Nova Race Team), who helped draw out an initial move, before the race found its hinge point when Noah Wheller of Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club attacked alone and stayed clear for around 10 miles. That effort did not bring victory, but it did change the race. Five riders came across to him: local rider Jed Claxton (Wheal Velocity), Harper Johnson (360cycling), Sam de la Mare (camsmajaco), Freddie Winkley (Harrogate Nova Race Team) and Brown. Together, they formed the move that would decide the race. 

From there, the crucial question was not really who had made the split, but whether the six could convert it. They did. As the race moved off the large opening lap and onto the finishing circuits, the gap held when it might easily have come back. By the time the bell rang for the final lap, the front group had not only survived but strengthened its grip on the race.

Brown then judged the finish best, leading out the sprint and holding on to win, with de la Mare taking second and Winkley third.

Results

Pos	Name	Team
1	William Brown	Shibden Apex RT
2	Sam de la Mare	camsmajaco
3	Freddie Winkley	Harrogate Nova Race Team
4	Harper Johnson	360cycling
5	Jed Claxton	Wheal Velocity
6	Noah Wheller	Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
7	Dexter Townsend	Harrogate Nova Race Team
8	Zach Barbour	Spokes Racing Team
9	Matthew Fletcher	Harrogate Nova Race Team
10	Alex Box	Harrogate Nova Race Team
11	Fraser Gemmell	Spokes Racing Team
12	Colin Johnston	Spokes Racing Team
13	Noah Smith	Willebrord Wil Vooruit
14	William Coles	Cannibal B Victorious
15	Noah White	Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
16	William Morris	Beeston Cycling Club
17	Alex Coles	camsmajaco
18	Gaspard Robertson	Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
19	Harrison Hendy	Shibden Apex RT
20	Arthur Limb	Harrogate Nova Race Team
21	Luca Hill	SCOTT Alpha Theta
22	Daniel Davies	camsmajaco
23	Cameron Hounsell	360cycling
24	Daniel Middlebrooke	Otley Cycle Club
25	Bayley Woodger	Grouwels-Watersley R&D Cycling Team
26	Brodie Duncan	Spokes Racing Team
27	William Baldie	trainSharp Roman RT
28	Jacob Mauger	Crabbé Dstny
29	Oliver Gunn	Shibden Apex RT
30	Charlie Brennan	360 Junior Race Team
31	Loris Cains	Beeston Cycling Club
32	Luca Geddes Gasco	Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
33	Rocco Schumacher	360 Junior Race Team
34	Jody Mills	Zappi Racing Team
35	Albie Jones	camsmajaco
36	Reuben Cox	Team Pau
37	Oliver Riches	Wheal Velocity
38	Fraser Corfield	Spokes Racing Team
39	Oliver Thorpe	BCC Race Team
40	Alfie Nott	Harrogate Nova Race Team
41	George Collins	Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
42	Raphael Jacquamet-Ross	Spokes Racing Team
43	Zack Stobbs	Otley Cycle Club
44	Louis Thornley	Spokes Racing Team
45	Soren Davies	Portishead Cycling Club
46	Ewan Whiting	Beeston Cycling Club
47	Thomas Heap	Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club
48	Meryn Kitching	Mid Devon CC
49	Sam Farquhar	Maindy Flyers CC
50	Joel Thomas	Team Pau
51	Jack Barlow	Muckle Cycle Club
52	Brion Thomas	Team Pau
DNF	Thomas Hassell	360 Junior Race Team
DNF	Jake Bird	Beeston Cycling Club
DNF	Milo De La Mare	camsmajaco
DNF	Mikey Ratcliffe	Halesowen A & CC
DNF	Toby Barnes	Team Pau
DNF	Oliver Larner	Team Pau
DNF	Adam Loake	VC Londres
DNS	Harry Skinner	Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club