2026 Peak 2 Day p/b Velo Edge | YBC: preview and startlists
The fifth edition of the Peak 2-Day arrives with the defending champions absent, the opening of domestic women's road season, and a new regulation on Holme Moss that changes the tactical calculation on Sunday morning, 14-15 March
There are not many races in Britain where you can watch riders go up Holme Moss in a time trial and know that the hardest racing is still ahead of them. The Peak 2-Day is a stage race at National B level – a format so rare in this country that its very existence feels like a provocation – and in five years it has built a reputation that sits well above its classification. This year, it also opens the domestic women’s road season: the first road race of 2026, on terrain hard enough to give the year an immediate shape. Three stages across two days, parcours on both sides of the Peak District National Park, and an attrition rate that speaks for itself: last year’s open race finished with 23 riders from a starting field of 80.
Here is our preview.
Featured image:Gary Main
What is it?
First run in 2022, the Peaks 2-Day is the work of Yomp Bonk Crew, a group of young organisers whose approach to race design and promotion has set this event apart from the moment it arrived. A stage race at National B level is unusual enough; one that uses terrain on both sides of the Peak District National Park, blending a summit time trial with two day-long road races, is rarer still.
The race has accumulated a roll of honour in short order. George Peden won the inaugural edition; Ollie Peckover took the second; Tom Martin claimed the third, battling through a snow-affected weekend to take overall victory on the final stage; Rowan Baker won the fourth, solo and by over four minutes on the final stage. In the women’s race, Becky Storrie, Tamsin Miller, Imogen Wolff and Lucy Gadd have taken the four titles so far; Gadd’s victory last year, for Smurfit Westrock, came down to a margin of eight seconds.
For 2026, the race carries a new title sponsor in Velo Edge, whose name it now bears. The leader’s and KOM/QOM jerseys are provided by JAKROO. A total prize pot of £1,680 is on offer across both races. The event’s reputation has been sufficient to draw fields that, on paper, would not disgrace a National A classification – and the organisers have added a new wrinkle to the regulations this year that will change the tactical picture on Sunday morning.
Schedule
Saturday 14 March
Time
Race
Stage
09:01
Women’s race
Stage 1 – time trial
11:00
Open race
Stage 1 – road race
~13:30
Open race
Approximate finish
15:00
Women’s race
Stage 2 – road race
~17:00
Women’s race
Approximate finish
Sunday 15 March
Time
Race
Stage
09:01
Open race
Stage 2 – time trial
11:00
Women’s race
Stage 3 – road race
~13:30
Women’s race
Approximate finish
15:00
Open race
Stage 3 – road race
~17:00
Open race
Approximate finish
The stages
Overview
Both the open and women’s races run across three stages: two road races and a short time trial spread over the weekend. Saturday’s racing is based in Warslow, on the south-western edge of the National Park, with the day beginning with a time trial before the road race follows the same finish. Sunday moves to West Yorkshire: a time trial up Holme Moss for the open race starts the day, before both fields converge on the Hade Edge circuit for the final stage. The structure rewards rounded riders — those who can limit their losses against the clock and then force the issue across two punishing road races. This year, a new time limit on the Holme Moss TT removes one tactical option that some riders have exploited in the past.
Women’s Stage 1: Warsaw time trial
The women’s race opens on Saturday morning with a 7.1-kilometre road bike time trial, starting in Warslow and finishing approximately 2 kilometres from HQ. The course is substantially different in character from what one might expect of an opening stage time trial: the first 4 kilometres are flat before the road rises at an average of 3.9% over the final 3 kilometres, with a maximum gradient of 8%. Total elevation gain is 130 metres. This is a test of pacing and sustained effort rather than explosive climbing – a relatively accessible TT that should produce a leader’s jersey without creating the kind of gaps that might foreclose the rest of the weekend. There are no QOM points on Stage 1.
Open Stage 1 / Women’s Stage 2: Longnor road race
Saturday afternoon sees the open race start at 11:00 and the women’s race reconvene at 15:00, both on the same 33.1-kilometre Longnor circuit with 566 metres of elevation per lap. The open race runs three laps (99.3 kilometres, approximately 1,698 metres of elevation); the women’s race runs two laps (66.2 kilometres, approximately 1,132 metres).
The circuit rolls out from Warslow, swings north through Longnor, then heads west and south through Newtown, Merryton Low, Thorncliffe, and Bradnop before returning via Onecote and Butterton. The KOM/QOM points are awarded at the crest of the Leek Road Climb in the western section of the circuit, and points are contested on every lap for both races. Previous editions have produced significant time gaps on the Saturday road stage, with the up-and-down nature of the parcours and the stage race format creating tactical demands that pure road racing rarely generates at National B level.
Open Stage 2: Holme Moss time trial
One of the great spectacles of domestic road racing returns on Sunday morning. The 3-kilometre Holme Moss time trial climbs 221 metres from the valley floor to the summit sign, with gradients reaching north of 10% in the upper section. Riders set off at one-minute intervals from the entrance to Holme Recreation Ground, finishing opposite the Holme Moss Summit sign at 524 metres above sea level.
The new regulation for 2026 changes the tactical picture here significantly. A 40% time limit has been imposed on the open race’s TT, introduced in direct response to what the race manual describes as “tactical nose-breathing” ahead of Stage 3 – riders deliberately soft-pedalling the climb to preserve themselves. Those who ride within themselves by too great a margin will now be eliminated, which means riders cannot simply roll up the hill and treat it as a warm-up for stage 3. Hill climb specialists who can take time here will need to decide how much is actually available before the finale, while all-rounders will have to commit more fully to the effort than in previous editions. The time limit does not apply to the women’s Stage 1 TT, where no equivalent tactical issue has historically arisen.
Open and Women’s Stage 3: Hade Edge circuit
Both races reach their conclusion on the Hade Edge circuit -10 laps and 106 kilometres for the open race, 8 laps and 84.8 kilometres for the women’s, with total elevation gains of around 1,800 metres and 1,440 metres respectively. The circuit is 10.6 kilometres per lap with 180 metres of climbing, running from the start/finish on Dunford Road through Hade Edge, east towards Carlecotes, and back via Dunford Bridge. The finish line, and the KOM/QOM point, are both on Dunford Road – with the mountains competition contested on laps 2, 5, and 8 for the open race, and laps 2, 4, and 6 for the women’s race.
The circuit climbs to the finish rather than arriving there on a descent, which keeps selection possible late in every lap. Whatever the GC picture looks like going into the final circuits, the accumulated fatigue of a full weekend tends to produce a different race than the first laps suggest. It is consistently the most tactically complex – and most watchable – stage of the weekend.
Weather
The weather forecast for Saturday looks dry for long spells, with sunny intervals, temperatures of around 3–7°C, and a moderate breeze. There is a small chance of light showers through the afternoon, but on the evidence of the current forecast the opening day should be cold rather than truly grim.
Sunday looks less forgiving. Around Holme and Hade Edge, the current forecast points to light rain for much of the day, temperatures again in the 3–7°C range, and a steady moderate breeze. On exposed roads, and particularly on Holme Moss, that should make for a more attritional final day.
How it works
The overall winner in each race is the rider who completes all three stages in the shortest cumulative time. In the event of a tie, decimal fractions of seconds from the time trial stages are added back in; if still tied, the best cumulative stage finishing positions determine the result. Riders must complete each stage to start the following one.
The climbing competition awards points to the first six riders across the top of designated KOM/QOM climbs on specified laps. Points are: 1st (6 points), 2nd (5 points), 3rd (4 points), 4th (3 points), 5th (2 points), 6th (1 point). In the event of a tie, the rider with the greater number of higher-placed results takes precedence.
Stage
Open KOM laps
Women’s QOM laps
Stage 1 (road race)
Laps 1, 2 and 3
No points (TT)
Stage 2
No points (TT)
Laps 1 and 2
Stage 3
Laps 2, 5 and 8
Laps 2, 4 and 6
A prize for the best local rider is also awarded. Criteria for the local rider competition are available from the organisers.
Riders to watch
Open race
A full field of 80 starters – at the permitted limit – with a quality that has become characteristic of this event. The defending champion is absent; his departure creates a different kind of race from the one that unfolded last March, where Baker and Raptor Factory Racing had a clear focal point. This year’s open field has no obvious single favourite, but has a rider who comes closest to that status and a team whose numerical presence may prove more important than any individual.
Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) is the outstanding name on the startlist. His 2025 season – the open National Circuit Series overall, a maiden National A win at the Cambridge Criterium – established him among the strongest riders on the domestic circuit. He arrives here as Wheelbase’s sole representative, which sharpens the picture in both directions: no teammates to manage the race or neutralise attacks, but no internal tactical compromises either. There is also unfinished business: Armstrong was in the front group after two stages in 2025 before abandoning the Carlecotes finale, and took a 10-second penalty on Holme Moss for crossing the white line. The Hade Edge circuit’s climbing finish suits him. If there is a favourite, it is Armstrong.
Tom Armstrong. Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
The most likely collective challenge comes from JAKROO Handsling Racing, who bring four riders in William Truelove, Harrison Dainty, Oliver Dawson, and Conor White. Truelove was among the standout domestic performers of 2025; Dainty finished second at the Gipuzkoa Klasikoa UCI stage race last season, evidence of genuine multi-day ability; Dawson is a former national junior road race champion. Baker’s absence removes JAKROO’s most obvious individual threat, but four organised riders over three stages can make life very difficult for even the strongest individual.
Jake Edwards has igned for the Italian-based UCI development programme Zappi Racing Team this year – the outfit whose alumni include Paul Double and Mason Hollyman – although in this year he rides for a composite team that also includes 2024 Tour of the Northwest stage winner Sam Nisbet. Edwards was one of last year’s race revelations: a first-year under-23, third on Holme Moss, a lap in the winning break on Stage 3 alongside Baker and Will Taylor before cracking on the seventh.
Henry Hunter, newly with 360 Cycling after riding for Muc-Off–SRCT–Storck in 2025, is another rider who should not be overlooked. He was second at the Northern Regional Road Race Championships, third on the decisive second day of the Mennock Pass Stage Race, and ninth in the Yorkshire U23 Classic last season. Those are the results of a rider who can handle a hard race and keep climbing when the field is thinning.
Henry Hunter. Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Ride Revolution Coaching field one of their strongest stage race line-ups. Josh Housley had a breakthrough 2024 season before joining Primera–TeamJobs, and was at the sharp end of last year’s open race throughout – a performance that went somewhat unacknowledged given the attention Baker commanded. Gabe Dellar, who, like Housley, arrives from the now-folded Primera–TeamJobs set-up, won the 2024 Totnes Two Day and has repeatedly shown himself to be a dependable performer in hard domestic races. Alongside promising talents Caleb Pain and Alex Pickering, Ride Revolution have the depth to race tactically rather than defensively.
George Peden (Team PB Performance) returns to a race he won four years ago — the first winner of what has since become a fixture. Ollie Hucks (Foran CT) is one of a number of riders worth tracking as the race develops. His 2025 included sixth at the Beaumont Trophy and seventh at the Victor Berlemont Trophy, while his runner-up finish at Evesham Vale last weekend suggests he starts this race in useful form.
Damien Clayton is also in the field – his team unconfirmed at time of writing, but his presence worth noting. Clayton topped The British Continental‘s open road race rankings in 2024 with three National B victories and a string of podiums, won a UCI race in 2019, and took a stage win and second on GC at this event two years ago. He announced his retirement at the end of 2024 with some conviction but made the odd foray into road racing last year nonetheless.
Sam Walsham (Colina x Ciovita Racing) finished fourth overall in 2025 – a result that received less attention than it deserved given the quality of the field that year – and returns with a claim on the GC that is better-founded than it might appear.
Women’s race
A field of 45, with a meaningfully different shape to recent editions. The two most powerful UCI Continental women’s outfits in the domestic scene – DAS-Hutchinson and Smurfit Westrock – are absent or near-absent: the former send only Morven Yeoman, their sole entry after Robyn Clay’s departure to the WorldTour; Smurfit Westrock are not in the field at all. That removes the numerical dominance both teams wielded last season and shifts the likely focal point to Handsling Alba Development Road Team, who won the Tour de Feminin in 2025 and arrive as the best-organised squad.
Anna Morris is one of the most compelling names in the field. On the track, her level is obvious: she won the individual pursuit at the 2025 European Championships, lowered the world record to 4:24.060 at the Lloyds National Track Championships, and then defended her world title later in the year. The question here is not whether she has the engine, but how that engine maps onto this race’s particular demands. It probably maps rather well to the opening time trial. On the road, too, she was no curiosity act in 2025: second at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix and winner of multiple National Circuit Series races is ample evidence that she can do much more than simply survive outside the velodrome.
Anna Morris. Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Kate Richardson (Handsling Alba Development Road Team) is the outstanding contender. Her 2025 season represented a return to consistent high-level form following a devastating hit-and-run incident in 2024; the Tour de Feminin overall showed a rider at full capacity. Richardson has a background in individual pursuit, which translates well to a time trial that — at 7.1 kilometres with a gentle final climb — rewards sustained effort over raw climbing power. She also finished in the front group on last year’s Stage 3, which is more than many managed. Handsling bring Amelia Tyler and Arianne Holland alongside her; Holland was also in the decisive group in 2025’s final stage, making this the most complete women’s team in the field.
Lucy Harris (Draft Racing) won the ANEXO/CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic in 2025 and is one of the strongest performers currently on the domestic circuit. She was second on the opening TT last year before finishing in the front group on Stage 3. She races for the rebranded Draft Racing – formerly Mud Dock Racing – and arrives as a genuine contender for the overall.
Awen Roberts (CANYON // SRAM zondacrypto Generation) is a name that demands attention. Still only 21, the Welsh rider arrives from one of the most structured development environments in women’s cycling. Roberts won bronze in the junior elimination race at the European Championships, represented Great Britain at the Road World Championships as a junior, and has already shown her level in 2026 with 17th at Trofeo Oro in Euro, an impressive result in a deep international field.
Awen Roberts. Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
Morven Yeoman is DAS-Hutchinson’s sole entry, which strips the team of the numerical leverage that made them formidable last season. As an individual, Yeoman is more than capable; without support, she will need race nous as well as legs. Matilda McKibben (O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes) has shown well on hilly terrain before and arrives with a solid five-rider O’Shea squad.
Loughborough Lightning field three riders, including Lily Martin, whose first full road season in 2025 suggested a rider learning quickly. Martin, a former international-level rower, took second at the Banbury Star Women’s Road Race and a stage of the GIANT TUGBY Ronde van Wymeswold in 2025. She is still relatively new to the discipline, but the results already point to a rider with the engine for a hard weekend.
Jessica Roberts brings a very different kind of pedigree. The former British road race champion remains one of the most decorated riders on the startlist, with a world team pursuit title on the track and the speed that comes with that background. More importantly for a preview like this, she showed in 2025 that she was still highly competitive on the road, taking third in the national circuit race championships and finishing strongly in major domestic road races including Lincoln and Wentworth Woodhouse. If the race stays together longer than expected at any point in the weekend, Roberts is the sort of rider who changes the arithmetic.
There are not many races in Britain where you can watch riders go up Holme Moss in a time trial and know that the hardest racing is still ahead of them. The Peak 2-Day is a stage race at National B level – a format so rare in this country that its very existence feels like a provocation – and in five years it has built a reputation that sits well above its classification. This year, it also opens the domestic women’s road season: the first road race of 2026, on terrain hard enough to give the year an immediate shape. Three stages across two days, parcours on both sides of the Peak District National Park, and an attrition rate that speaks for itself: last year’s open race finished with 23 riders from a starting field of 80.
Here is our preview.
Featured image: Gary Main
What is it?
First run in 2022, the Peaks 2-Day is the work of Yomp Bonk Crew, a group of young organisers whose approach to race design and promotion has set this event apart from the moment it arrived. A stage race at National B level is unusual enough; one that uses terrain on both sides of the Peak District National Park, blending a summit time trial with two day-long road races, is rarer still.
The race has accumulated a roll of honour in short order. George Peden won the inaugural edition; Ollie Peckover took the second; Tom Martin claimed the third, battling through a snow-affected weekend to take overall victory on the final stage; Rowan Baker won the fourth, solo and by over four minutes on the final stage. In the women’s race, Becky Storrie, Tamsin Miller, Imogen Wolff and Lucy Gadd have taken the four titles so far; Gadd’s victory last year, for Smurfit Westrock, came down to a margin of eight seconds.
For 2026, the race carries a new title sponsor in Velo Edge, whose name it now bears. The leader’s and KOM/QOM jerseys are provided by JAKROO. A total prize pot of £1,680 is on offer across both races. The event’s reputation has been sufficient to draw fields that, on paper, would not disgrace a National A classification – and the organisers have added a new wrinkle to the regulations this year that will change the tactical picture on Sunday morning.
Schedule
Saturday 14 March
Sunday 15 March
The stages
Overview
Both the open and women’s races run across three stages: two road races and a short time trial spread over the weekend. Saturday’s racing is based in Warslow, on the south-western edge of the National Park, with the day beginning with a time trial before the road race follows the same finish. Sunday moves to West Yorkshire: a time trial up Holme Moss for the open race starts the day, before both fields converge on the Hade Edge circuit for the final stage. The structure rewards rounded riders — those who can limit their losses against the clock and then force the issue across two punishing road races. This year, a new time limit on the Holme Moss TT removes one tactical option that some riders have exploited in the past.
Women’s Stage 1: Warsaw time trial
The women’s race opens on Saturday morning with a 7.1-kilometre road bike time trial, starting in Warslow and finishing approximately 2 kilometres from HQ. The course is substantially different in character from what one might expect of an opening stage time trial: the first 4 kilometres are flat before the road rises at an average of 3.9% over the final 3 kilometres, with a maximum gradient of 8%. Total elevation gain is 130 metres. This is a test of pacing and sustained effort rather than explosive climbing – a relatively accessible TT that should produce a leader’s jersey without creating the kind of gaps that might foreclose the rest of the weekend. There are no QOM points on Stage 1.
Open Stage 1 / Women’s Stage 2: Longnor road race
Saturday afternoon sees the open race start at 11:00 and the women’s race reconvene at 15:00, both on the same 33.1-kilometre Longnor circuit with 566 metres of elevation per lap. The open race runs three laps (99.3 kilometres, approximately 1,698 metres of elevation); the women’s race runs two laps (66.2 kilometres, approximately 1,132 metres).
The circuit rolls out from Warslow, swings north through Longnor, then heads west and south through Newtown, Merryton Low, Thorncliffe, and Bradnop before returning via Onecote and Butterton. The KOM/QOM points are awarded at the crest of the Leek Road Climb in the western section of the circuit, and points are contested on every lap for both races. Previous editions have produced significant time gaps on the Saturday road stage, with the up-and-down nature of the parcours and the stage race format creating tactical demands that pure road racing rarely generates at National B level.
Open Stage 2: Holme Moss time trial
One of the great spectacles of domestic road racing returns on Sunday morning. The 3-kilometre Holme Moss time trial climbs 221 metres from the valley floor to the summit sign, with gradients reaching north of 10% in the upper section. Riders set off at one-minute intervals from the entrance to Holme Recreation Ground, finishing opposite the Holme Moss Summit sign at 524 metres above sea level.
The new regulation for 2026 changes the tactical picture here significantly. A 40% time limit has been imposed on the open race’s TT, introduced in direct response to what the race manual describes as “tactical nose-breathing” ahead of Stage 3 – riders deliberately soft-pedalling the climb to preserve themselves. Those who ride within themselves by too great a margin will now be eliminated, which means riders cannot simply roll up the hill and treat it as a warm-up for stage 3. Hill climb specialists who can take time here will need to decide how much is actually available before the finale, while all-rounders will have to commit more fully to the effort than in previous editions. The time limit does not apply to the women’s Stage 1 TT, where no equivalent tactical issue has historically arisen.
Open and Women’s Stage 3: Hade Edge circuit
Both races reach their conclusion on the Hade Edge circuit -10 laps and 106 kilometres for the open race, 8 laps and 84.8 kilometres for the women’s, with total elevation gains of around 1,800 metres and 1,440 metres respectively. The circuit is 10.6 kilometres per lap with 180 metres of climbing, running from the start/finish on Dunford Road through Hade Edge, east towards Carlecotes, and back via Dunford Bridge. The finish line, and the KOM/QOM point, are both on Dunford Road – with the mountains competition contested on laps 2, 5, and 8 for the open race, and laps 2, 4, and 6 for the women’s race.
The circuit climbs to the finish rather than arriving there on a descent, which keeps selection possible late in every lap. Whatever the GC picture looks like going into the final circuits, the accumulated fatigue of a full weekend tends to produce a different race than the first laps suggest. It is consistently the most tactically complex – and most watchable – stage of the weekend.
Weather
The weather forecast for Saturday looks dry for long spells, with sunny intervals, temperatures of around 3–7°C, and a moderate breeze. There is a small chance of light showers through the afternoon, but on the evidence of the current forecast the opening day should be cold rather than truly grim.
Sunday looks less forgiving. Around Holme and Hade Edge, the current forecast points to light rain for much of the day, temperatures again in the 3–7°C range, and a steady moderate breeze. On exposed roads, and particularly on Holme Moss, that should make for a more attritional final day.
How it works
The overall winner in each race is the rider who completes all three stages in the shortest cumulative time. In the event of a tie, decimal fractions of seconds from the time trial stages are added back in; if still tied, the best cumulative stage finishing positions determine the result. Riders must complete each stage to start the following one.
The climbing competition awards points to the first six riders across the top of designated KOM/QOM climbs on specified laps. Points are: 1st (6 points), 2nd (5 points), 3rd (4 points), 4th (3 points), 5th (2 points), 6th (1 point). In the event of a tie, the rider with the greater number of higher-placed results takes precedence.
A prize for the best local rider is also awarded. Criteria for the local rider competition are available from the organisers.
Riders to watch
Open race
A full field of 80 starters – at the permitted limit – with a quality that has become characteristic of this event. The defending champion is absent; his departure creates a different kind of race from the one that unfolded last March, where Baker and Raptor Factory Racing had a clear focal point. This year’s open field has no obvious single favourite, but has a rider who comes closest to that status and a team whose numerical presence may prove more important than any individual.
Thomas Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) is the outstanding name on the startlist. His 2025 season – the open National Circuit Series overall, a maiden National A win at the Cambridge Criterium – established him among the strongest riders on the domestic circuit. He arrives here as Wheelbase’s sole representative, which sharpens the picture in both directions: no teammates to manage the race or neutralise attacks, but no internal tactical compromises either. There is also unfinished business: Armstrong was in the front group after two stages in 2025 before abandoning the Carlecotes finale, and took a 10-second penalty on Holme Moss for crossing the white line. The Hade Edge circuit’s climbing finish suits him. If there is a favourite, it is Armstrong.
The most likely collective challenge comes from JAKROO Handsling Racing, who bring four riders in William Truelove, Harrison Dainty, Oliver Dawson, and Conor White. Truelove was among the standout domestic performers of 2025; Dainty finished second at the Gipuzkoa Klasikoa UCI stage race last season, evidence of genuine multi-day ability; Dawson is a former national junior road race champion. Baker’s absence removes JAKROO’s most obvious individual threat, but four organised riders over three stages can make life very difficult for even the strongest individual.
Jake Edwards has igned for the Italian-based UCI development programme Zappi Racing Team this year – the outfit whose alumni include Paul Double and Mason Hollyman – although in this year he rides for a composite team that also includes 2024 Tour of the Northwest stage winner Sam Nisbet. Edwards was one of last year’s race revelations: a first-year under-23, third on Holme Moss, a lap in the winning break on Stage 3 alongside Baker and Will Taylor before cracking on the seventh.
Henry Hunter, newly with 360 Cycling after riding for Muc-Off–SRCT–Storck in 2025, is another rider who should not be overlooked. He was second at the Northern Regional Road Race Championships, third on the decisive second day of the Mennock Pass Stage Race, and ninth in the Yorkshire U23 Classic last season. Those are the results of a rider who can handle a hard race and keep climbing when the field is thinning.
Ride Revolution Coaching field one of their strongest stage race line-ups. Josh Housley had a breakthrough 2024 season before joining Primera–TeamJobs, and was at the sharp end of last year’s open race throughout – a performance that went somewhat unacknowledged given the attention Baker commanded. Gabe Dellar, who, like Housley, arrives from the now-folded Primera–TeamJobs set-up, won the 2024 Totnes Two Day and has repeatedly shown himself to be a dependable performer in hard domestic races. Alongside promising talents Caleb Pain and Alex Pickering, Ride Revolution have the depth to race tactically rather than defensively.
George Peden (Team PB Performance) returns to a race he won four years ago — the first winner of what has since become a fixture. Ollie Hucks (Foran CT) is one of a number of riders worth tracking as the race develops. His 2025 included sixth at the Beaumont Trophy and seventh at the Victor Berlemont Trophy, while his runner-up finish at Evesham Vale last weekend suggests he starts this race in useful form.
Damien Clayton is also in the field – his team unconfirmed at time of writing, but his presence worth noting. Clayton topped The British Continental‘s open road race rankings in 2024 with three National B victories and a string of podiums, won a UCI race in 2019, and took a stage win and second on GC at this event two years ago. He announced his retirement at the end of 2024 with some conviction but made the odd foray into road racing last year nonetheless.
Sam Walsham (Colina x Ciovita Racing) finished fourth overall in 2025 – a result that received less attention than it deserved given the quality of the field that year – and returns with a claim on the GC that is better-founded than it might appear.
Women’s race
A field of 45, with a meaningfully different shape to recent editions. The two most powerful UCI Continental women’s outfits in the domestic scene – DAS-Hutchinson and Smurfit Westrock – are absent or near-absent: the former send only Morven Yeoman, their sole entry after Robyn Clay’s departure to the WorldTour; Smurfit Westrock are not in the field at all. That removes the numerical dominance both teams wielded last season and shifts the likely focal point to Handsling Alba Development Road Team, who won the Tour de Feminin in 2025 and arrive as the best-organised squad.
Anna Morris is one of the most compelling names in the field. On the track, her level is obvious: she won the individual pursuit at the 2025 European Championships, lowered the world record to 4:24.060 at the Lloyds National Track Championships, and then defended her world title later in the year. The question here is not whether she has the engine, but how that engine maps onto this race’s particular demands. It probably maps rather well to the opening time trial. On the road, too, she was no curiosity act in 2025: second at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix and winner of multiple National Circuit Series races is ample evidence that she can do much more than simply survive outside the velodrome.
Kate Richardson (Handsling Alba Development Road Team) is the outstanding contender. Her 2025 season represented a return to consistent high-level form following a devastating hit-and-run incident in 2024; the Tour de Feminin overall showed a rider at full capacity. Richardson has a background in individual pursuit, which translates well to a time trial that — at 7.1 kilometres with a gentle final climb — rewards sustained effort over raw climbing power. She also finished in the front group on last year’s Stage 3, which is more than many managed. Handsling bring Amelia Tyler and Arianne Holland alongside her; Holland was also in the decisive group in 2025’s final stage, making this the most complete women’s team in the field.
Lucy Harris (Draft Racing) won the ANEXO/CAMS Women’s CiCLE Classic in 2025 and is one of the strongest performers currently on the domestic circuit. She was second on the opening TT last year before finishing in the front group on Stage 3. She races for the rebranded Draft Racing – formerly Mud Dock Racing – and arrives as a genuine contender for the overall.
Awen Roberts (CANYON // SRAM zondacrypto Generation) is a name that demands attention. Still only 21, the Welsh rider arrives from one of the most structured development environments in women’s cycling. Roberts won bronze in the junior elimination race at the European Championships, represented Great Britain at the Road World Championships as a junior, and has already shown her level in 2026 with 17th at Trofeo Oro in Euro, an impressive result in a deep international field.
Morven Yeoman is DAS-Hutchinson’s sole entry, which strips the team of the numerical leverage that made them formidable last season. As an individual, Yeoman is more than capable; without support, she will need race nous as well as legs. Matilda McKibben (O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes) has shown well on hilly terrain before and arrives with a solid five-rider O’Shea squad.
Loughborough Lightning field three riders, including Lily Martin, whose first full road season in 2025 suggested a rider learning quickly. Martin, a former international-level rower, took second at the Banbury Star Women’s Road Race and a stage of the GIANT TUGBY Ronde van Wymeswold in 2025. She is still relatively new to the discipline, but the results already point to a rider with the engine for a hard weekend.
Jessica Roberts brings a very different kind of pedigree. The former British road race champion remains one of the most decorated riders on the startlist, with a world team pursuit title on the track and the speed that comes with that background. More importantly for a preview like this, she showed in 2025 that she was still highly competitive on the road, taking third in the national circuit race championships and finishing strongly in major domestic road races including Lincoln and Wentworth Woodhouse. If the race stays together longer than expected at any point in the weekend, Roberts is the sort of rider who changes the arithmetic.
Provisional startlists
Open race
Women’s race
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