William Coles (Cannibal B Victorious) won the Junior CiCLE Classic on Saturday morning, taking a reduced sprint at the end of one of the most selective races on the junior calendar. William Brown (Shibden Apex RT) was second on the same time, with Arthur Limb (Harrogate Nova Race Team) third at two seconds.
Report
Run on the same morning as the Women’s CiCLE Classic, the junior race again underlined why it is one of the hardest and most prestigious rounds of the Junior National Road Series. The gravel sectors, narrow lanes and steep climbs made it a race of constant pressure rather than one dramatic rupture, with position and judgement mattering almost as much as raw power.
Coles said afterwards that he had made riding near the front a priority from the start, conscious of how easily a rider could lose their race to a crash or a badly timed split on such a relentless course. “From the beginning I wanted to make sure I was at the pointy end of things to ensure I wasn’t caught up in crashes and the mayhem of such a relentless course,” he told The British Continental. “I found some footing through the gravel sectors and was pushing the pace as a result of being near the front heading into each gravel sector.”
A key moment came when a dangerous move involving Milo Wills (camsmajaco) and Matthew Fletcher (Harrogate Nova Race Team) forced the race behind to respond. That move was brought back with around 20 kilometres remaining, helping set up the reduced sprint that would decide the race.
The closing kilometres were, in Coles’s words, “an electric last 3km as everyone was fighting for every inch”. As the race swept back into town and through the final corners, the front group remained tightly packed, with little separating the riders still in contention.
Coles described finding himself fourth wheel out of the final corner before launching his sprint and reaching the line first for his biggest win yet as a junior. “Will Brown opened up his sprint first and I found myself in the wheel. I soon after opened up and made it to the finish line with my hands in the air for the first time as my time in the junior category,” said Coles.
Behind him, Brown continued his strong early-season run with second place after winning the opening round at Hatherleigh, while Limb took third for Harrogate Nova. Harrison Evans (Prologue Racing Team) and Freddie Winkley (Harrogate Nova Race Team) completed the top five.
Coles admitted afterwards that the scale of the result had not fully sunk in. “Really pleased to take the win on such a prestigious race in the British calendar,” he said. “I knew it would make for a hard race and was hoping for a good result but still can’t believe I came away with the win today.”
Results
| Pos | Bib | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | William Coles | Cannibal B Victorious | 02:33:42 |
| 2 | 73 | William Brown | Shibden Apex RT | st |
| 3 | 41 | Arthur Limb | Harrogate Nova Race Team | +2 |
| 4 | 69 | Harrison Evans | Prologue Racing Team | st |
| 5 | 46 | Freddie Winkley | Harrogate Nova Race Team | st |
| 6 | 96 | George Cooper | Team Pau | +3 |
| 7 | 76 | Harrison Hendy | Shibden Apex RT | st |
| 8 | 84 | Zach Barbour | Spokes Racing Team | st |
| 9 | 3 | Cameron Hounsell | 360 Junior Race Team | st |
| 10 | 19 | Daniel Davies | camsmajaco | st |
| 11 | 79 | Jamie Rabbett | Shibden Apex RT | st |
| 12 | 78 | Lucas Lillistone | Shibden Apex RT | st |
| 13 | 80 | Elliot Speedie | Shibden Apex RT | st |
| 14 | 4 | Harper Johnson | 360 Junior Race Team | +7 |
| 15 | 44 | Dexter Townsend | Harrogate Nova Race Team | st |
| 16 | 82 | Luke Trafford | Shibden Cycling Club | st |
| 17 | 27 | Toby Tombs | Crabb Dstny | st |
| 18 | 59 | Noah White | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | st |
| 19 | 116 | Jed Claxton | Wheal Velocity | st |
| 20 | 58 | Noah Wheller | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | st |
| 21 | 81 | Samuel Stewart-Ball | Shibden Apex RT | st |
| 22 | 38 | Alex Box | Harrogate Nova Race Team | +17 |
| 23 | 16 | Jacob Steed | BCC Race Team | +41 |
| 24 | 103 | Alec Sorby | Utmost-Mezzo IOM Junior Cycling | +1:37 |
| 25 | 23 | Milo Wills | camsmajaco | +1:51 |
| 26 | 39 | Matthew Fletcher | Harrogate Nova Race Team | +3:28 |
| 27 | 9 | Oliver Thorpe | BCC Race Team | +3:43 |
| 28 | 5 | Rocco Schumacher | 360 Junior Race Team | +4:12 |
| 29 | 71 | Mark Ketteringham | Prologue Racing Team | +5:01 |
| 30 | 117 | Jody Mills | Zappi Racing Team | st |
| 31 | 40 | Finley Hudson | Harrogate Nova Race Team | +5:04 |
| 32 | 68 | James Calvert | Prologue Racing Team | st |
| 33 | 43 | Daniel Thompson | Harrogate Nova Race Team | +5:07 |
| 34 | 74 | James Canham | Shibden Apex RT | +5:10 |
| 35 | 89 | Colin Johnston | Spokes Racing Team | +5:24 |
| 36 | 10 | Jake Bird | Beeston Cycling Club | st |
| 37 | 70 | Xander Graham | Prologue Racing Team | st |
| 38 | 45 | Archie Whittemore | Harrogate Nova Race Team | st |
| 39 | 55 | Archie Sewell-Gaiger | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | st |
| 40 | 42 | Alfie Nott | Harrogate Nova Race Team | st |
| 41 | 32 | George Sevastopulo | Cycling Leinster: Ireland | st |
| 42 | 94 | Louis Thornley | Spokes Racing Team | st |
| 43 | 31 | Conor Regan | Cycling Leinster Ireland | st |
| 44 | 64 | Daniel Middlebrooke | Otley Cycle Club | st |
| 45 | 6 | George Bromley | BCC Race Team | st |
| 46 | 29 | Tom Hughes | Cycling Leinster Ireland | st |
| 47 | 105 | Milo Clarke | VC Londres | st |
| 48 | 18 | Jacob Wright | Bermuda | st |
| 49 | 22 | Harley Widdowson | camsmajaco | st |
| 50 | 102 | Roch Morgan | Utmost-Mezzo IOM Junior Cycling | st |
| 51 | 62 | Harry Collingwood-Cooper | Otley Cycle Club | +5:29 |
| 52 | 88 | Raphael Jacquemet-Ross | Spokes Racing Team | st |
| 53 | 109 | Sam Martin | VC Londres | st |
| 54 | 110 | Theo Sandell | VC Londres | +5:32 |
| 55 | 7 | Jamie Kershaw | BCC Race Team | +5:50 |
| 56 | 75 | Oliver Gunn | Shibden Apex RT | +7:41 |
| 57 | 52 | Sam Genazzini | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | +8:47 |
| 58 | 8 | Dillon Preece | BCC Race Team | +9:47 |
| DNF | 1 | Elliot English | 360 Junior Race Team | — |
| DNF | 2 | Thomas Hassell | 360 Junior Race Team | — |
| DNF | 11 | Loris Cains | Beeston Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 12 | Samuel Freeman | Beeston Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 13 | William Morris | Beeston Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 14 | Benjamin Taylor | Beeston Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 15 | Ewan Whiting | Beeston Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 17 | Ollie Hayward | Bermuda | — |
| DNF | 20 | Milo De La Mare | camsmajaco | — |
| DNF | 21 | Samuel De la Mare | camsmajaco | — |
| DNF | 25 | Conal Cairns | Otley Cycle Club | — |
| DNF | 26 | Jacob Mauger | Crabb Dstny | — |
| DNF | 28 | Brian Kavanagh | Cycling Leinster Ireland | — |
| DNF | 30 | Oliver O’Shaughnessy | Cycling Leinster Ireland | — |
| DNF | 33 | Jack Woods | Cycling Leinster Ireland | — |
| DNF | 34 | Ezra Bateman | Decathlon CMA CGM Development Team | — |
| DNF | 35 | Seth Davey | Guernsey Velo Club (LBG) | — |
| DNF | 36 | Joseph Egan | Halesowen A & CC | — |
| DNF | 37 | Mikey Ratcliffe | Halesowen A & CC | — |
| DNF | 47 | Jack Morgan | IGNITE Race Team | — |
| DNF | 48 | Edward Home | ISOREX Cycling Team | — |
| DNF | 49 | Finlay Storrie | JEGG-SKIL-DJR | — |
| DNF | 50 | George Collins | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 51 | Luca Geddes Gasco | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 54 | Gaspard Robertson | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 57 | Harry Tozer | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 60 | Jack Wright | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | — |
| DNF | 61 | Jack Barlow | Muckle Cycle Club | — |
| DNF | 63 | Edward Hall | Otley Cycle Club | — |
| DNF | 65 | Thomas Nabb | Otley Cycle Club | — |
| DNF | 66 | Thomas Smith | Otley Cycle Club | — |
| DNF | 67 | Zack Stobbs | Otley Cycle Club | — |
| DNF | 72 | Oliver Swinburn | Prologue Racing Team | — |
| DNF | 77 | Steffan King | Shibden Apex RT | — |
| DNF | 83 | Ivo Thwaites | Southborough & District Whls | — |
| DNF | 85 | Fraser Corfield | Spokes Racing Team | — |
| DNF | 86 | Brodie Duncan | Scotland | — |
| DNF | 87 | Fraser Gemmell | Spokes Racing Team | — |
| DNF | 90 | Innes Long | Scotland | — |
| DNF | 91 | Hamish Mayes | Scotland | — |
| DNF | 92 | Oliver Mayes | Scotland | — |
| DNF | 93 | Lee McQueen | Scotland | — |
| DNF | 95 | Owen Cairns | Team Pau | — |
| DNF | 97 | Reuben Cox | Team Pau | — |
| DNF | 98 | Oliver Larner | Team Pau | — |
| DNF | 99 | Brion Thomas | Team Pau | — |
| DNF | 100 | Joel Thomas | Team Pau | — |
| DNF | 101 | Zach Jones | Utmost-Mezzo IOM Junior Cycling | — |
| DNF | 104 | Otto Allison | VC Londres | — |
| DNF | 106 | Hadley Davis | VC Londres | — |
| DNF | 107 | Samuel Little | VC Londres | — |
| DNF | 108 | William Holland-Leader | VC Londres | — |
| DNF | 111 | Johnny Darling | West Lothian Clarion CC | — |
| DNF | 112 | Duncan Hind | West Lothian Clarion CC | — |
| DNF | 113 | Oliver Paterson | West Lothian Clarion CC | — |
| DNF | 114 | Ewan Sexton | West Lothian Clarion CC | — |
| DNS | 53 | Ben Jones | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | — |
| DNS | 56 | Harry Skinner | Lee Valley Youth Cycling Club | — |
| DNS | 115 | Cailean Vorster | West Lothian Clarion CC | — |
