Morven Yeoman led home a DAS–Hutchinson one-two at the women’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Noémie Thomson, who retained her Rapha Super-League lead. Anna Morris completed the podium after bridging back on the final lap.
Michaelgate now led into a longer cobbled passage through Castle Square, Exchequer Gate Arch and Minster Yard before the race dropped away from the cathedral. The route had changed, but Lincoln’s central test remained intact: repeated accelerations on the stones, lap after lap.
The race carried considerable series weight. Noémie Thomson (DAS–Hutchinson) started the day as Rapha Super-League leader after her win at the Women’s CiCLE Classic, while her teammate Katie Scott wore the National Road Series leader’s jersey after winning the East Cleveland Classic, which prompted a transfer to the team from Paralloy RT.
After a steady opening, with the field still together on the first passage to the A57 and through the feed, DAS–Hutchinson made the first significant move. On Bailgate, Ellie Parry, Scott and Morven Yeoman went clear. Their lead opened to 10 seconds before Anna Morris (Wales), already a winner at the Peak 2 Day, Capernwray and Witham Hall this spring, bridged across as the move began to draw more riders out of the bunch.
Soon the split had become the race. Jo Tindley (Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team), racing on home roads, made it across, as did Ella Maclean-Howell (Wales), Marjolein van’t Geloof (Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi), Ruby Oakes (FTP–Fulfil The Potential Racing), Amy Henchoz (Paralloy RT), Beth Morrow and Arianne Holland (both Handsling Alba Development Road Team).
More important than the names was the balance of power. When the front group settled, DAS–Hutchinson had seven of their eight riders in it. The peloton was already on the wrong side of the race.
Through the third lap, the front group continued to fracture. Yeoman and Van’t Geloof briefly pressed clear, with 19 riders behind them and the peloton at 1min 25sec. When the pace eased at the front, the gap to the bunch fell back to 55 seconds.
Then came the decisive move. On the third ascent of Michaelgate, Thomson, Yeoman and Oakes attacked clear. The move contained the race’s essential ingredients: the Rapha Super-League leader, one of DAS–Hutchinson’s strongest riders, and Oakes — now racing for FTP–Fulfil The Potential Racing, but a DAS rider last season — the only rider able to interrupt the team’s control.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
By lap four the leading three had 15 seconds. Soon it was 30. By lap five, with the peloton 2min 14sec behind the front of the race, their advantage over the chasers had stretched to a minute. Soon after, it was 1min 55sec.
Behind them, the race began to come apart. On lap six, as the leaders passed the cathedral, Jennifer Powell (Performance Development Team) was alone in pursuit, 1min 30sec down. The peloton followed another 30 seconds behind, having effectively absorbed what had been the chasing group.
Lucy Lee (DAS–Hutchinson) then attacked from what remained of the chase, briefly threatening to make the team’s grip on the race even tighter. But the decisive action was still ahead.
Yeoman attacked from the leading trio. This time, the move stuck. At the bell, she led alone by 25 seconds, while Thomson had dropped Oakes and was alone in second. With one lap remaining, DAS–Hutchinson occupied first and second on the road.
The final lap tightened the race without changing its direction. Thomson made it back across to Yeoman, giving DAS–Hutchinson two riders together at the head of the race. They reached the finish together, with Yeoman taking victory ahead of Thomson. It was Yeoman’s first National A road race win.
“I’m just in complete shock at the minute,” Yeoman told The British Continental afterwards. “I’ve really, really been working hard towards a goal, something like this, as big as this, and to win Lincoln, it’s just unbelievable.”
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Behind them, the podium fight changed late. Oakes had looked set to hold third, but Morris came back into contention on the final lap and took the final podium place, 52 seconds down. Oakes finished fourth at 53 seconds, with Knight fifth at 59 seconds to give DAS–Hutchinson three riders in the top five.
Morris had not realised a podium place was still available until the final climb. “I couldn’t believe it when we came up that final bit of the climb and I could see two riders ahead,” she told The British Continental. “I thought, ‘oh my goodness, the place is up for grabs here.’ I was all in just to try and get to that line.”
For DAS–Hutchinson, the result was a direct answer to East Cleveland. “We had a really good team talk last night,” Yeoman said. “When these races come together for us, we can do things like that. East Cleveland was just a bit of a blip — people were on bad days, and they happen — but it made us hungry to come here today and put everything right again.”
Thomson’s second place means she continues as Rapha Super-League leader, one point ahead of Yeoman, with the DAS–Hutchinson pair now clear of Lily Martin (Loughborough Lightning), who sits third, 23 points behind Yeoman. Yeoman’s win also moves her into the National Road Series lead, while DAS–Hutchinson now lead the team standings.
Morven Yeoman led home a DAS–Hutchinson one-two at the women’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, ahead of teammate Noémie Thomson, who retained her Rapha Super-League lead. Anna Morris completed the podium after bridging back on the final lap.
Featured image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Report
Women’s race
Staged as part of the 70th edition of the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, the women’s race rolled out with 98 starters, eight laps, and a circuit redrawn for the first time in 38 years.
Michaelgate now led into a longer cobbled passage through Castle Square, Exchequer Gate Arch and Minster Yard before the race dropped away from the cathedral. The route had changed, but Lincoln’s central test remained intact: repeated accelerations on the stones, lap after lap.
The race carried considerable series weight. Noémie Thomson (DAS–Hutchinson) started the day as Rapha Super-League leader after her win at the Women’s CiCLE Classic, while her teammate Katie Scott wore the National Road Series leader’s jersey after winning the East Cleveland Classic, which prompted a transfer to the team from Paralloy RT.
If East Cleveland had exposed DAS–Hutchinson’s absence from the front of the race, Lincoln produced the response.
After a steady opening, with the field still together on the first passage to the A57 and through the feed, DAS–Hutchinson made the first significant move. On Bailgate, Ellie Parry, Scott and Morven Yeoman went clear. Their lead opened to 10 seconds before Anna Morris (Wales), already a winner at the Peak 2 Day, Capernwray and Witham Hall this spring, bridged across as the move began to draw more riders out of the bunch.
Soon the split had become the race. Jo Tindley (Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team), racing on home roads, made it across, as did Ella Maclean-Howell (Wales), Marjolein van’t Geloof (Laboral Kutxa–Fundación Euskadi), Ruby Oakes (FTP–Fulfil The Potential Racing), Amy Henchoz (Paralloy RT), Beth Morrow and Arianne Holland (both Handsling Alba Development Road Team).
More important than the names was the balance of power. When the front group settled, DAS–Hutchinson had seven of their eight riders in it. The peloton was already on the wrong side of the race.
Through the third lap, the front group continued to fracture. Yeoman and Van’t Geloof briefly pressed clear, with 19 riders behind them and the peloton at 1min 25sec. When the pace eased at the front, the gap to the bunch fell back to 55 seconds.
Then came the decisive move. On the third ascent of Michaelgate, Thomson, Yeoman and Oakes attacked clear. The move contained the race’s essential ingredients: the Rapha Super-League leader, one of DAS–Hutchinson’s strongest riders, and Oakes — now racing for FTP–Fulfil The Potential Racing, but a DAS rider last season — the only rider able to interrupt the team’s control.
By lap four the leading three had 15 seconds. Soon it was 30. By lap five, with the peloton 2min 14sec behind the front of the race, their advantage over the chasers had stretched to a minute. Soon after, it was 1min 55sec.
Behind them, the race began to come apart. On lap six, as the leaders passed the cathedral, Jennifer Powell (Performance Development Team) was alone in pursuit, 1min 30sec down. The peloton followed another 30 seconds behind, having effectively absorbed what had been the chasing group.
Lucy Lee (DAS–Hutchinson) then attacked from what remained of the chase, briefly threatening to make the team’s grip on the race even tighter. But the decisive action was still ahead.
Yeoman attacked from the leading trio. This time, the move stuck. At the bell, she led alone by 25 seconds, while Thomson had dropped Oakes and was alone in second. With one lap remaining, DAS–Hutchinson occupied first and second on the road.
The final lap tightened the race without changing its direction. Thomson made it back across to Yeoman, giving DAS–Hutchinson two riders together at the head of the race. They reached the finish together, with Yeoman taking victory ahead of Thomson. It was Yeoman’s first National A road race win.
“I’m just in complete shock at the minute,” Yeoman told The British Continental afterwards. “I’ve really, really been working hard towards a goal, something like this, as big as this, and to win Lincoln, it’s just unbelievable.”
Behind them, the podium fight changed late. Oakes had looked set to hold third, but Morris came back into contention on the final lap and took the final podium place, 52 seconds down. Oakes finished fourth at 53 seconds, with Knight fifth at 59 seconds to give DAS–Hutchinson three riders in the top five.
Morris had not realised a podium place was still available until the final climb. “I couldn’t believe it when we came up that final bit of the climb and I could see two riders ahead,” she told The British Continental. “I thought, ‘oh my goodness, the place is up for grabs here.’ I was all in just to try and get to that line.”
For DAS–Hutchinson, the result was a direct answer to East Cleveland. “We had a really good team talk last night,” Yeoman said. “When these races come together for us, we can do things like that. East Cleveland was just a bit of a blip — people were on bad days, and they happen — but it made us hungry to come here today and put everything right again.”
Thomson’s second place means she continues as Rapha Super-League leader, one point ahead of Yeoman, with the DAS–Hutchinson pair now clear of Lily Martin (Loughborough Lightning), who sits third, 23 points behind Yeoman. Yeoman’s win also moves her into the National Road Series lead, while DAS–Hutchinson now lead the team standings.
Open race
To follow.
Results
Women’s race
Open race
To follow.
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