Despite a palmarès that places him among the most consistent performers in British domestic racing, a National Road Series victory still eludes Tim Shoreman. As he lines up at the East Cleveland Classic — on a circuit that should not suit him — the Scot finds himself navigating not just the demands of the road, but a season increasingly shaped by the pull of the track, and the uncertainty of what comes next.
National Road Series races are notoriously hard to win, something Tim Shoreman knows only too well. Despite the multiple Scottish champion’s glittering palmarès, which, alongside a host of prestigious victories, includes a bronze medal at the National Circuit Race Championships and the points jersey at the Rás Tailteann, a win at the top table of domestic road racing still eludes him.
I’d really like to stand on the top step of the podium of a prem
“I was close at Beaumont last year, but I’d really like to stand on the top step of the podium of a prem,” the tall Scot tells The British Continental, his first opportunity this season to set the record straight coming at this weekend’s East Cleveland Classic.
On paper it is race that would not appear to suit a rider of Shoreman’s stature – the punishing gradients of the circuit’s focal point, Saltburn Bank, too much for the tall, muscular, and reportedly north of 80kg Scot according to conventional wisdom. However, a second place behind solo victor Rowan Baker two years ago suggests otherwise – that one of a number of performances that led Wheelbase–CabTech–Castelli DS Stu Reid to claim “there isn’t a race in the country where he can’t be competitive for the podium,” at the beginning of last year.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
“[I’m] more of a sprinter I would say, especially if I was to race at a higher level, but in the UK I’m fairly all-round,” Shoreman considers, when asked to define himself as rider, bunch kick wins at the Colne GP in 2023 and last season’s Otley GP, where he was the beneficiary of Will Tidball’s relegation, evidence of the former.
“For some reason [that sprint] hasn’t really translated into bunch races on the track yet, I still need to figure out how to get a little bit better at that,” Shoreman admits, sporting a Great Britain Cycling Team tracksuit as he awaits that morning’s elimination race heats at the National Track Championships in Manchester.
“I started doing track in 2018, and I was involved in the Scottish Cycling programme, worked a bit on the team pursuit a few years ago, and did the U23 team pursuit at the European champs back in 2022, then sort of stepped away from it for a couple of years. But now I’ve come back,” he explains, his return to the boards coinciding with the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
“It is why I kind of came back to it this time last year. I’ve qualified, but there are quite a few of us that have qualified, so selections are pending. I think we find out in May or June, so hopefully I get to do that. It would be pretty cool to do that, especially in Glasgow.”
The 25-year-old has already tasted international competition this year however, his senior Great Britain track debut coming at the European Championships in Turkey after he was approached by one of the national team coaches at the Rás Tailteann last summer.
It was a great experience – when I got involved with it I didn’t expect to go there, I don’t think they did either
“I said yes please, basically,” he recalls, turning his attention to his time racing in Konya the previous month.
“It was a great experience – when I got involved with it I didn’t expect to go there, I don’t think they did either, but I did a good 3km time in December, and that’s kind of what they selected it on,” he says. “It was a bit up and down because I was hoping to do the Team Pursuit, but I missed selection for that the week before, there were six of us going for five spots, so I just did the individual pursuit. It was a cool experience to be involved in that environment and it felt like I learnt a lot from it.”
Shoreman’s re-emergence as a track rider has both short- and long-term repercussions for his plans on the road – the nature of the short, high-intensity races transforming his usual winter preparations with the spring in sight.
“I’m hoping it will help more than anything, give me more top end, give me a bit more to focus on over the winter,” he considers.
“There were a few years when I was more relaxed about it, and I wasn’t as committed as I was previously, and I think that did help, but I think this might help more.”
Shoreman reveals he is currently on a confirmation trial for the Podium Potential programme with the national team, the result of which could dictate future plans for a rider who despite his clear talent, and focus, seemingly takes every race as it comes with a relaxed outlook on the sport.
“At the moment I’m just enjoying it and seeing what’s going to happen, I don’t have any set pressure or long-term thing I’m trying to get to. I don’t really have a specific set goal,” he says.
I might consider going full time if I get put on the programme, giving it a proper go. If I do that then I’ll do a much bigger calendar, try and go out to Belgium, see what I can manage to get into
“I might consider going full time if I get put on the programme, giving it a proper go. If I do that then I’ll do a much bigger calendar, try and go out to Belgium, see what I can manage to get into.
“I’m just seeing what’s happening, what is going to happen with the track – it’s all happening quite quickly, I’m not sure how far that will go or what’s actually achievable.”
For now, at least, the selective calendar he has become notable for following is set to continue – his career, scheduling, and his Aberdeenshire base all factors contributing to the Scot not appearing as frequently as he would like.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
“It’s hard to get to all the crits, just because there’s so many of them and they’re on weeknights,” he says, explaining why he is rarely seen racing south of Yorkshire, the five-hour drive to his Wheelbase DS Reid’s home in Cumbria putting into perspective just how much travelling is required for the most northern races south of the border.
“I filled out the form that they sent to us, and said they should possibly look at doing [the National Circuit Series] on the same weekends in the same locations [as the National Road Series].
“Saturday night would make it hard for the prem, but Friday could work. I just don’t think Colne on a Tuesday night is achievable for the majority – unless you live in Yorkshire or Central England, you just can’t do it. How are you getting back, leaving near midnight, and then be functional the next day?
I feel like it’s a system that was designed around people that were full time and professional back in the Tour Series days, but it’s not really applicable to today’s racing
“I feel like it’s a system that was designed around people that were full time and professional back in the Tour Series days, but it’s not really applicable to today’s racing. The crits themselves I really enjoy, it’s great racing, I just wish I could get to more of them.”
2026 marks Shoreman’s fifth year with the Wheelbase–CabTech–Castelli team, where he has formed part of a successful core group of riders in the team’s distinctive luminous green kit over the past few seasons.
“I’m quite happy, it’s a good group of people in the team environment and a good setup. I don’t really feel the need to look elsewhere if I’m going to stay in the UK, the only reason to think about leaving would be if you had something in Europe to race a calendar over there,” Shoreman explains, the Cumbrian outfit’s squad among the deepest in the UK, with multiple riders capable of taking the win on any given day.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
“You just have to do your own thing until you get towards the end, and then make a decision either way,” he explains, when asked how the team manage races with the likes of Tom Martin, Tom Armstrong, and last season, James McKay, lining up alongside him – Shoreman bouncing off his teammates in the heat of battle.
“I think we have a group of quite strong personalities, and experience,” he continues, “so Tom Martin and Tom Armstrong, if they see a situation is potentially good for someone else they’ll really buy into it, and they’re such good riders, they do really contribute.
Sometimes you’re sat in a team meeting and you’ve got five people who think they can win the race
“It’s definitely tricky, sometimes you’re sat in a team meeting and you’ve got five people who think they can win the race – like at the Rás [Tailteann] when there’s five people who want to ride GC – it’s like OK guys, this is not potentially going to work, but it kind of sorts itself out as we race.”
‘The road will decide’ is among cycling’s oldest clichés, Shoreman knowing first-hand the truth behind it as he begins another campaign with his sights, like many of his teammates, set on a National Road Series win.
It could however be the track that decides the path the 25-year-old takes next, the Commonwealth Games part of the journey, and not the destination as it stands, should the distinctive Great Britain Cycling Team tracksuit he is sporting become a permanent fixture. If so, the sight of the Scot in full flow might become a sight both spectators, and his rivals, become more accustomed to – the potential he could then unlock as fearsome as his sprint.
National Road Series races are notoriously hard to win, something Tim Shoreman knows only too well. Despite the multiple Scottish champion’s glittering palmarès, which, alongside a host of prestigious victories, includes a bronze medal at the National Circuit Race Championships and the points jersey at the Rás Tailteann, a win at the top table of domestic road racing still eludes him.
“I was close at Beaumont last year, but I’d really like to stand on the top step of the podium of a prem,” the tall Scot tells The British Continental, his first opportunity this season to set the record straight coming at this weekend’s East Cleveland Classic.
On paper it is race that would not appear to suit a rider of Shoreman’s stature – the punishing gradients of the circuit’s focal point, Saltburn Bank, too much for the tall, muscular, and reportedly north of 80kg Scot according to conventional wisdom. However, a second place behind solo victor Rowan Baker two years ago suggests otherwise – that one of a number of performances that led Wheelbase–CabTech–Castelli DS Stu Reid to claim “there isn’t a race in the country where he can’t be competitive for the podium,” at the beginning of last year.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
“[I’m] more of a sprinter I would say, especially if I was to race at a higher level, but in the UK I’m fairly all-round,” Shoreman considers, when asked to define himself as rider, bunch kick wins at the Colne GP in 2023 and last season’s Otley GP, where he was the beneficiary of Will Tidball’s relegation, evidence of the former.
“For some reason [that sprint] hasn’t really translated into bunch races on the track yet, I still need to figure out how to get a little bit better at that,” Shoreman admits, sporting a Great Britain Cycling Team tracksuit as he awaits that morning’s elimination race heats at the National Track Championships in Manchester.
“I started doing track in 2018, and I was involved in the Scottish Cycling programme, worked a bit on the team pursuit a few years ago, and did the U23 team pursuit at the European champs back in 2022, then sort of stepped away from it for a couple of years. But now I’ve come back,” he explains, his return to the boards coinciding with the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
“It is why I kind of came back to it this time last year. I’ve qualified, but there are quite a few of us that have qualified, so selections are pending. I think we find out in May or June, so hopefully I get to do that. It would be pretty cool to do that, especially in Glasgow.”
The 25-year-old has already tasted international competition this year however, his senior Great Britain track debut coming at the European Championships in Turkey after he was approached by one of the national team coaches at the Rás Tailteann last summer.
“I said yes please, basically,” he recalls, turning his attention to his time racing in Konya the previous month.
“It was a great experience – when I got involved with it I didn’t expect to go there, I don’t think they did either, but I did a good 3km time in December, and that’s kind of what they selected it on,” he says. “It was a bit up and down because I was hoping to do the Team Pursuit, but I missed selection for that the week before, there were six of us going for five spots, so I just did the individual pursuit. It was a cool experience to be involved in that environment and it felt like I learnt a lot from it.”
Shoreman’s re-emergence as a track rider has both short- and long-term repercussions for his plans on the road – the nature of the short, high-intensity races transforming his usual winter preparations with the spring in sight.
“I’m hoping it will help more than anything, give me more top end, give me a bit more to focus on over the winter,” he considers.
“There were a few years when I was more relaxed about it, and I wasn’t as committed as I was previously, and I think that did help, but I think this might help more.”
Shoreman reveals he is currently on a confirmation trial for the Podium Potential programme with the national team, the result of which could dictate future plans for a rider who despite his clear talent, and focus, seemingly takes every race as it comes with a relaxed outlook on the sport.
“At the moment I’m just enjoying it and seeing what’s going to happen, I don’t have any set pressure or long-term thing I’m trying to get to. I don’t really have a specific set goal,” he says.
“I might consider going full time if I get put on the programme, giving it a proper go. If I do that then I’ll do a much bigger calendar, try and go out to Belgium, see what I can manage to get into.
“I’m just seeing what’s happening, what is going to happen with the track – it’s all happening quite quickly, I’m not sure how far that will go or what’s actually achievable.”
For now, at least, the selective calendar he has become notable for following is set to continue – his career, scheduling, and his Aberdeenshire base all factors contributing to the Scot not appearing as frequently as he would like.
“It’s hard to get to all the crits, just because there’s so many of them and they’re on weeknights,” he says, explaining why he is rarely seen racing south of Yorkshire, the five-hour drive to his Wheelbase DS Reid’s home in Cumbria putting into perspective just how much travelling is required for the most northern races south of the border.
“I filled out the form that they sent to us, and said they should possibly look at doing [the National Circuit Series] on the same weekends in the same locations [as the National Road Series].
“Saturday night would make it hard for the prem, but Friday could work. I just don’t think Colne on a Tuesday night is achievable for the majority – unless you live in Yorkshire or Central England, you just can’t do it. How are you getting back, leaving near midnight, and then be functional the next day?
“I feel like it’s a system that was designed around people that were full time and professional back in the Tour Series days, but it’s not really applicable to today’s racing. The crits themselves I really enjoy, it’s great racing, I just wish I could get to more of them.”
2026 marks Shoreman’s fifth year with the Wheelbase–CabTech–Castelli team, where he has formed part of a successful core group of riders in the team’s distinctive luminous green kit over the past few seasons.
“I’m quite happy, it’s a good group of people in the team environment and a good setup. I don’t really feel the need to look elsewhere if I’m going to stay in the UK, the only reason to think about leaving would be if you had something in Europe to race a calendar over there,” Shoreman explains, the Cumbrian outfit’s squad among the deepest in the UK, with multiple riders capable of taking the win on any given day.
“You just have to do your own thing until you get towards the end, and then make a decision either way,” he explains, when asked how the team manage races with the likes of Tom Martin, Tom Armstrong, and last season, James McKay, lining up alongside him – Shoreman bouncing off his teammates in the heat of battle.
“I think we have a group of quite strong personalities, and experience,” he continues, “so Tom Martin and Tom Armstrong, if they see a situation is potentially good for someone else they’ll really buy into it, and they’re such good riders, they do really contribute.
“It’s definitely tricky, sometimes you’re sat in a team meeting and you’ve got five people who think they can win the race – like at the Rás [Tailteann] when there’s five people who want to ride GC – it’s like OK guys, this is not potentially going to work, but it kind of sorts itself out as we race.”
‘The road will decide’ is among cycling’s oldest clichés, Shoreman knowing first-hand the truth behind it as he begins another campaign with his sights, like many of his teammates, set on a National Road Series win.
It could however be the track that decides the path the 25-year-old takes next, the Commonwealth Games part of the journey, and not the destination as it stands, should the distinctive Great Britain Cycling Team tracksuit he is sporting become a permanent fixture. If so, the sight of the Scot in full flow might become a sight both spectators, and his rivals, become more accustomed to – the potential he could then unlock as fearsome as his sprint.
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Featured image: SWpix.com
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