Eleven talking points from the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix
Eleven talking points from the 70th Lincoln Grand Prix, where Ollie Wood lit up Michaelgate, DAS-Hutchinson reasserted their authority, and one of British racing’s great institutions found fresh life on the cobblestones.
Domination from DAS-Hutchinson, a wonderful performance from Wood, and the magic of the cobblestones.
With the open race marking its 70th anniversary, this year’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix produced two enthralling races that will live long in the memory. Jack Beavis runs through eleven key talking points from one of the best days of racing in the domestic calendar.
Featured image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Ollie Wood’s track legs do the business on the cobblestones of Michaelgate
An Instagram post on the eve of February’s National Track Championships announced the arrival of Ollie Wood at the new Rapha Cycling Club Race Team, the Yorkshireman its marquee signing alongside Great Britain track teammate Matt Bostock.
Just a few lines long, Wood revealed his major goal for the coming season would be the Track World Championships, that criteriums are his favourite races, and that the race he was most looking forward to was the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
On Sunday, it was not hard to see why.
Active throughout, the 30-year-old made the race’s winning break and didn’t put a foot wrong thereafter, storming up the final ascent and winning by a clear margin from WorldTour alumnus Jack Rootkin-Gray after the pair had left Tom Armstrong behind on the lower slopes.
It was an exceptional performance from a rider who didn’t start among the favourites, despite his outstanding palmarès across multiple disciplines.
Wood showed his potential on the road all the way back in 2017 when he won the Ryedale Grand Prix, before adding a National Circuit Race Championship, an Olympic medal and a rainbow jersey on the track to his collection, with track and criterium racing taking precedence in recent seasons.
In fact, Wood had only raced twice on the road this season prior to Lincoln, and with the Los Angeles Olympic Games approaching, it remains to be seen how many more times we will see him pin a number on in the immediate future, begging the question: just how good could he be?
Redemption for DAS-Hutchinson as they deliver a Michaelgate masterclass
After a disaster at the East Cleveland Classic, DAS-Hutchinson returned to winning ways in Lincoln with one of the most flawless team displays in recent years.
On the front from the beginning, with the team setting a strong pace in the opening laps, the presence of both Noémie Thomson and Morven Yeoman alongside Ruby Oakes once the breakaway did go offered the team the ideal platform for victory, forcing their rivals to chase what was an enviable position at the front of the race.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
With the fast-finishing Yeoman and Thomson, a rider who looks more like a WorldTour talent every time she pins on a number, out front, the victory never looked in doubt, the pair able to ride to the finish together after working over the spirited Oakes, who left the squad at the end of last year.
Lucy Lee looked back to her best during a late, but foiled, attack, and together with Josie Knight the pair capped the race by ensuring there were four DAS-Hutchinson riders in the top seven, sending a strong message that they remain the top UCI Continental team in Britain, and leaving Lincoln with the top two positions in the Rapha Super-League standings to boot.
While Simon Howes’ squad had the strongest squad in the race, their resurgence sets up what could be an unmissable battle that defines the domestic season at the Tour of the Reservoir, where they could go head-to-head with a full-strength Handsling Alba Development RT squad on the windswept moors of County Durham.
Armstrong narrowly misses out again but takes hold of the Super-League
Cycling is a sport where the winner takes it all, and it is something Tom Armstrong has had to experience the hard way twice in the past fortnight: first coming within 50 metres of a famous UCI win at the CiCLE Classic, and then leading the Lincoln GP into the final ascent of Michaelgate, only to be usurped by a flying Oliver Wood and Jack Rootkin-Gray as the cobblestones reared up towards the iconic finish line in front of the city’s cathedral.
However disappointing the near misses must be for a rider still looking to add a National Road Series race to his palmarès, Armstrong’s consistency does put him in a commanding position in the Rapha Super-League, with a lead of 13 points over Will Tidball heading into the next two rounds, the London Nocturne and Otley GP.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
With a combined 66 points on offer should a rider win both, the next two rounds could define the series, with the London Nocturne and Otley GP offering an entirely different challenge to the 160km-plus marathons the Lincoln GP and CiCLE Classic have posed so far.
Fast, furious, and over within an hour, Armstrong proved he is up to the task last year when taking the honours in the Cambridge Criterium and putting on another display of consistency in taking the overall National Circuit Series. However, he will face stiff competition to emerge in the lead, with his competitors possessing similar prowess in criteriums.
It was in Otley last year where Will Tidball thought he had sprinted to the win before being demoted, a result he will be desperate to avenge as he sits second in the standings, 13 points adrift, while Matt Bostock’s fifth place on Sunday puts him back in contention after a mechanical at the CiCLE Classic. Currently 31 points in arrears, maximum points is a distinct possibility for the defending champion.
Anna Morris’ third-place dash could be critical in deciding the destination of the Super-League
Anna Morris could scarcely believe she was in with a chance of a spot on the podium as she turned onto Michaelgate for the eighth and final time, her blistering turn of speed and ability to hold high levels of power not only bringing her third place, but a vital haul of points which could prove pivotal in the race for the Rapha Super-League title.
Noémie Thomson currently leads the way with a near-perfect score after a dominant victory in the CiCLE Classic back in March, but the next two rounds take place where Morris is perhaps most comfortable outside of the velodrome, having dominated the National Circuit Series last year with four wins from five starts.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Morris missed out on the title last year by a whisker to Robyn Clay, the 30-year-old knowing firsthand that every point counts if she is to go one better this year.
Just one point separates Noémie Thomson and Morven Yeoman at the top of the standings on 63 and 62 points respectively, with Loughborough Lightning’s Lily Martin sitting third on 39, ahead of Kim Baptista and Morris on 31 and 30 after two rounds.
The series already looks to be heading towards a thrilling climax: Yeoman a worthy challenger to Morris in the shorter format, while Thomson looks close to unbeatable on current form in the road races still to come.
Alex Foster leads the way for Cycling Sheffield’s next generation
With six new signings on the back of four riders making the move to France at the beginning of 2025, Dave Coulson described that season as the “start of a new cycle”, pointing out that, with so many first- and second-year U23 riders, results would naturally contrast with those of previous years.
Fast forward eighteen months, however, and the team’s new generation is coming of age, led by Alex Foster, who stormed up the final ascent of Michaelgate in pursuit of Tom Armstrong, leaving some of the most talented riders in the domestic scene trailing behind him to finish in fourth place.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
With a win in the Danum Trophy already under his belt, the 21-year-old is fast growing a reputation as a rider not only with a strong, sustainable finishing kick, but one who shines on the hardest, most attritional of days.
The race could have been even better for the Elite Development Team had they not lost the services of Nathan Smith, the Yorkshireman who delivered on his promise as a junior when third in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race in March, and the more experienced Josh Horsfield, a rider suited to the parcours, on just the second lap of the race following a major crash on the fast A57 section.
With the eight-man squad growing in experience, and Foster demonstrating what is possible, the Lincoln GP might prove the catalyst for a sustained period of success for Coulson’s squad.
Ruby Oakes looks every inch a UCI-level rider
Ruby Oakes may have stepped down from DAS-Hutchinson to FTP–Fulfil The Potential Racing over the winter, but her early-season form suggests she still belongs at UCI Continental level.
Her Lincoln ride was the clearest evidence yet. When DAS-Hutchinson turned the screw on the third ascent of Michaelgate, Oakes was the only rider able to interrupt the team’s control, going clear with Noémie Thomson and Morven Yeoman in what became the decisive move of the race. For several laps, the 19-year-old was not simply surviving in elite company; she was part of the front of the race, helping shape its outcome.
The balance of power eventually told. Yeoman attacked, Thomson distanced Oakes, and DAS-Hutchinson rode towards a one-two. Oakes still looked set for the podium until Anna Morris, one of the fastest finishers in the country, came roaring back on the final lap to snatch third by a single second. Fourth, 53 seconds down, may have carried the sting of what might have been, but it was another considerable marker of her progression.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Nor was Lincoln an isolated performance. At the Women’s CiCLE Classic in March, Oakes was active deep into the race, attacking clear with Jo Tindley and Zoe Roche to contest the Heart of Owston sprint before the move was brought back. It did not last, but it showed the same qualities she displayed in Lincoln: instinct, nerve, and the willingness to race from the front rather than wait for the race to happen around her. After third at Capernwray and 11th at East Cleveland, Lincoln was her clearest statement yet that she can be more than a promising U23 rider: she can shape the biggest domestic races.
Whatever the reasons behind her move from DAS-Hutchinson to FTP, Oakes is making a persuasive case that she remains a rider of UCI Continental calibre. In a domestic scene where pathways are rarely linear, and where opportunity can matter as much as ability, her spring has been a reminder that stepping down a level on paper does not necessarily mean stepping back as a rider.
Riwnyj’s misfortune leaves us questioning what could have been, but his breakthrough performance should fill him with confidence
It was heartbreak for Foran CT’s Danylo Riwnyj on the penultimate lap as he exited the winning move courtesy of an untimely puncture, the chance of a maiden National A win deflating as fast as his tyre.
It has been a steady rise for the 27-year-old: a first National B win last season with a stage of the Ronde van Wymeswold less than a year ago opening the door to prestigious wins at the Wally Gimber and Victor Berlemont Trophies, as well as the Rás Mumhan in Ireland over Easter.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
After a trio of top-12 results last season, Sunday was, however, the first time Riwnyj had been in with a realistic chance of victory in the National Road Series — a demonstration of his continual improvement and growing ability to conquer increasingly tough races as the distance, and fatigue, increases.
The results sheet may read 27th place, some 3’44” down on winner Ollie Wood, but beneath that is a breakthrough performance that should fill both him and his Foran CT team with confidence as they head to Ireland for next week’s Rás Tailteann, a race they conquered two years ago with Dom Jackson, before returning to the UK with a National Road Series win now firmly in his sights.
JAKROO-Handsling top the rankings, but remain in search of a breakthrough win
JAKROO-Handsling proudly posted on their socials last week that the team sit top of The British Continental Road Race Rankings, and while, as a collective, the team are performing, they are still missing a breakthrough result on the biggest stage.
With perhaps the strongest line-up on paper, the team flattered to deceive at Lincoln, with first-year U23 Harrison Dainty their best-placed rider in seventh on what turned out to be a frustrating afternoon for the London-based squad.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Will Truelove, who was beaten by the width of a tyre by Jack Rootkin-Gray at the Timmy James Memorial a week earlier, linked up with his adversary again, forming part of what became the winning move before being jettisoned back into the peloton a lap later.
With four riders in that select chasing group, the onus fell on the team to do the lion’s share of the work, although the gap remained steady at around 25 seconds until the final lap. Rowan Baker, seventh in this race on his debut four years ago, was notable by his positioning towards the back of the group throughout, with both him and Truelove distanced in the final sprint up the cobbles.
It isn’t all bad news for David Struele’s team, however. Alex Franks’ 13th place was enough to elevate him into second place in the very competitive National Road Series standings, only three points adrift of Tom Armstrong, taking the lead in the U23 classification in the process. With five rounds still to go, there are ample opportunities for the team to assert themselves as the dominant force in domestic road racing.
Lincoln’s magic only grows in its 70th edition
There are few races that could attract two former winners, one now north of 50 and the other approaching that mark, out of retirement and back into the bear pit of the National Road Series environment, but Lincoln managed to do just that on Sunday.
Dean and Russell Downing were joined on the start line by the likes of Paul Curran, Steve Joughlin and Mark Walsham in a celebration of the famous race as its 70th edition commenced — the fact WorldTour rider Ben Swift took up the position of a quiet onlooker among the thousands of spectators a demonstration of the place the race continues to hold in the heart of cycling in Britain.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Despite its success, however, the race continues to innovate, organiser Gary Coltman managing to squeeze a little more magic out of the city’s roads to increase the spectacle further by extending the course around the famous cathedral via an extra helping of cobblestones.
Their inclusion had little impact on the race itself, with the sun largely shining down on the riders throughout the day, but it did magnify the extraordinary nature of a British bike race taking place in the heart of a Roman city — the largest crowds outside the National Championships, held in Lincoln in 2015 and 2021 respectively, taking in the special atmosphere throughout the day.
It seems unimaginable that the future of the Lincoln Grand Prix was ever in doubt after Sunday’s races, partnerships with both Rapha and the University of Lincoln helping secure its immediate future. Its innovation and willingness to evolve, however, should be noted: there may be small changes that could be made to make every race that little more appealing for the public.
The women’s National Road Series is no longer the automatic focal point it once was
Taking a glance at the results, it would be easy to conclude that the Elite Development and club teams have taken a huge step forward this season, with two-thirds of the top 30 coming from outside the UCI ranks.
To a certain extent, this is true. Katie Scott looked greatly improved from previous years in the colours of Paralloy Racing at the CiCLE and East Cleveland Classics, while her teammate Amy Henchoz continued to impress in Lincoln with an excellent sixth place.
The National Road Series has always played a role in developing riders. It has long been a place where ambitious club riders, young seniors and emerging teams test themselves against the best in the country. That should not be diminished. Indeed, the strength of the Elite Development and club-team performances this season is one of the more encouraging signs in the women’s domestic scene.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
What feels different now is that the series no longer appears to command the same automatic attention from every leading UCI Continental team. For a variety of reasons, the strongest British-registered squads are increasingly looking beyond the domestic calendar: towards stronger European racing, TV time, UCI points and the opportunities those things create for riders and sponsors.
Both Rick Lister and Bob Lyons laid out their concerns around the future of the domestic scene in interviews with The British Continental prior to the season, and those concerns have been visible in the opening rounds. The National Road Series remains important, but it is no longer the only obvious shop window.
Lincoln offered a clear example. Handsling Alba Development RT sent a strong team to France, including former cobblestone trophy winner Kate Richardson, over the weekend, while Rick Lister’s Smurfit Westrock squad, which has invested in a Belgian base this season, had only eight British riders on its books. Six of them lined up in front of the cathedral on Sunday. Elena Day, a rider in her first year at UCI level, was the best placed of these in 40th; 22-year-old Annabel Ramsey was the squad’s most experienced rider aside from veteran Jo Tindley.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that shift. Riders need international racing. Teams need to serve sponsors. The pathway should lead somewhere beyond the domestic calendar. But it does change what the National Road Series represents. If it is no longer the guaranteed meeting point for the strongest home-based teams and riders, then its status depends even more heavily on how well it is promoted, supported and connected to the wider racing ecosystem.
The community is stepping up, but British Cycling needs to match this ambition
That question of status cannot be separated from the question of visibility.
British Cycling’s decision not to cover the National Road or Circuit Series in any meaningful way through its own channels this season, or even commission photography, does little to encourage sponsors to invest in the sport, or teams to field their best riders. In a sponsor-led environment, what happens away from the road matters almost as much as what happens on it. If races are not seen, shared, photographed, streamed, written about or given narrative weight, they become harder to sell.
That is why the signs elsewhere are significant. Rapha’s Super-League has given elite domestic racing a sharper season-long narrative and a stronger identity. Monument Cycling’s return to streaming elite road racing, even through a subscription model, suggests there is still an audience willing to seek it out. The growth in engagement with The British Continental’s own coverage points in the same direction: the appetite for serious, sustained domestic road racing coverage has not disappeared. It has simply been underserved.
Image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
This is not just about media coverage as an optional extra. Visibility is part of the infrastructure of the sport. It gives sponsors something tangible to justify their investment. It gives teams stories to build around. It gives riders public momentum. It gives races a life beyond the people standing at the roadside.
Race organisers, sponsors, photographers, streamers, teams and independent media are all finding ways to make the domestic scene feel visible again. But that should complement governing-body support, not replace it.
British Cycling’s reluctance to reclassify the Tour of Britain as a ProTour event only adds to the suspicion that the governing body is more interested in promoting grandstand events than the sport’s elite domestic tier, with none of the UCI Continental teams guaranteed a start at their home race.
The Women’s National Road Series has taken great strides forward over the past decade, and Lincoln proved there is still a compelling product to showcase. Rapha, Monument Cycling, race organisers, teams, photographers and independent media are all helping to give the domestic scene the visibility it deserves. But that energy should not have to compensate for a governing body stepping back. If the series is to keep growing, British Cycling needs to treat elite domestic racing as something central to the sport, rather than peripheral to it.
Domination from DAS-Hutchinson, a wonderful performance from Wood, and the magic of the cobblestones.
With the open race marking its 70th anniversary, this year’s Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix produced two enthralling races that will live long in the memory. Jack Beavis runs through eleven key talking points from one of the best days of racing in the domestic calendar.
Featured image: Milan Josy/The British Continental
Ollie Wood’s track legs do the business on the cobblestones of Michaelgate
An Instagram post on the eve of February’s National Track Championships announced the arrival of Ollie Wood at the new Rapha Cycling Club Race Team, the Yorkshireman its marquee signing alongside Great Britain track teammate Matt Bostock.
Just a few lines long, Wood revealed his major goal for the coming season would be the Track World Championships, that criteriums are his favourite races, and that the race he was most looking forward to was the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix.
On Sunday, it was not hard to see why.
Active throughout, the 30-year-old made the race’s winning break and didn’t put a foot wrong thereafter, storming up the final ascent and winning by a clear margin from WorldTour alumnus Jack Rootkin-Gray after the pair had left Tom Armstrong behind on the lower slopes.
It was an exceptional performance from a rider who didn’t start among the favourites, despite his outstanding palmarès across multiple disciplines.
Wood showed his potential on the road all the way back in 2017 when he won the Ryedale Grand Prix, before adding a National Circuit Race Championship, an Olympic medal and a rainbow jersey on the track to his collection, with track and criterium racing taking precedence in recent seasons.
In fact, Wood had only raced twice on the road this season prior to Lincoln, and with the Los Angeles Olympic Games approaching, it remains to be seen how many more times we will see him pin a number on in the immediate future, begging the question: just how good could he be?
Redemption for DAS-Hutchinson as they deliver a Michaelgate masterclass
After a disaster at the East Cleveland Classic, DAS-Hutchinson returned to winning ways in Lincoln with one of the most flawless team displays in recent years.
On the front from the beginning, with the team setting a strong pace in the opening laps, the presence of both Noémie Thomson and Morven Yeoman alongside Ruby Oakes once the breakaway did go offered the team the ideal platform for victory, forcing their rivals to chase what was an enviable position at the front of the race.
With the fast-finishing Yeoman and Thomson, a rider who looks more like a WorldTour talent every time she pins on a number, out front, the victory never looked in doubt, the pair able to ride to the finish together after working over the spirited Oakes, who left the squad at the end of last year.
Lucy Lee looked back to her best during a late, but foiled, attack, and together with Josie Knight the pair capped the race by ensuring there were four DAS-Hutchinson riders in the top seven, sending a strong message that they remain the top UCI Continental team in Britain, and leaving Lincoln with the top two positions in the Rapha Super-League standings to boot.
While Simon Howes’ squad had the strongest squad in the race, their resurgence sets up what could be an unmissable battle that defines the domestic season at the Tour of the Reservoir, where they could go head-to-head with a full-strength Handsling Alba Development RT squad on the windswept moors of County Durham.
Armstrong narrowly misses out again but takes hold of the Super-League
Cycling is a sport where the winner takes it all, and it is something Tom Armstrong has had to experience the hard way twice in the past fortnight: first coming within 50 metres of a famous UCI win at the CiCLE Classic, and then leading the Lincoln GP into the final ascent of Michaelgate, only to be usurped by a flying Oliver Wood and Jack Rootkin-Gray as the cobblestones reared up towards the iconic finish line in front of the city’s cathedral.
However disappointing the near misses must be for a rider still looking to add a National Road Series race to his palmarès, Armstrong’s consistency does put him in a commanding position in the Rapha Super-League, with a lead of 13 points over Will Tidball heading into the next two rounds, the London Nocturne and Otley GP.
With a combined 66 points on offer should a rider win both, the next two rounds could define the series, with the London Nocturne and Otley GP offering an entirely different challenge to the 160km-plus marathons the Lincoln GP and CiCLE Classic have posed so far.
Fast, furious, and over within an hour, Armstrong proved he is up to the task last year when taking the honours in the Cambridge Criterium and putting on another display of consistency in taking the overall National Circuit Series. However, he will face stiff competition to emerge in the lead, with his competitors possessing similar prowess in criteriums.
It was in Otley last year where Will Tidball thought he had sprinted to the win before being demoted, a result he will be desperate to avenge as he sits second in the standings, 13 points adrift, while Matt Bostock’s fifth place on Sunday puts him back in contention after a mechanical at the CiCLE Classic. Currently 31 points in arrears, maximum points is a distinct possibility for the defending champion.
Anna Morris’ third-place dash could be critical in deciding the destination of the Super-League
Anna Morris could scarcely believe she was in with a chance of a spot on the podium as she turned onto Michaelgate for the eighth and final time, her blistering turn of speed and ability to hold high levels of power not only bringing her third place, but a vital haul of points which could prove pivotal in the race for the Rapha Super-League title.
Noémie Thomson currently leads the way with a near-perfect score after a dominant victory in the CiCLE Classic back in March, but the next two rounds take place where Morris is perhaps most comfortable outside of the velodrome, having dominated the National Circuit Series last year with four wins from five starts.
Morris missed out on the title last year by a whisker to Robyn Clay, the 30-year-old knowing firsthand that every point counts if she is to go one better this year.
Just one point separates Noémie Thomson and Morven Yeoman at the top of the standings on 63 and 62 points respectively, with Loughborough Lightning’s Lily Martin sitting third on 39, ahead of Kim Baptista and Morris on 31 and 30 after two rounds.
The series already looks to be heading towards a thrilling climax: Yeoman a worthy challenger to Morris in the shorter format, while Thomson looks close to unbeatable on current form in the road races still to come.
Alex Foster leads the way for Cycling Sheffield’s next generation
With six new signings on the back of four riders making the move to France at the beginning of 2025, Dave Coulson described that season as the “start of a new cycle”, pointing out that, with so many first- and second-year U23 riders, results would naturally contrast with those of previous years.
Fast forward eighteen months, however, and the team’s new generation is coming of age, led by Alex Foster, who stormed up the final ascent of Michaelgate in pursuit of Tom Armstrong, leaving some of the most talented riders in the domestic scene trailing behind him to finish in fourth place.
With a win in the Danum Trophy already under his belt, the 21-year-old is fast growing a reputation as a rider not only with a strong, sustainable finishing kick, but one who shines on the hardest, most attritional of days.
The race could have been even better for the Elite Development Team had they not lost the services of Nathan Smith, the Yorkshireman who delivered on his promise as a junior when third in the PB Performance Espoirs Road Race in March, and the more experienced Josh Horsfield, a rider suited to the parcours, on just the second lap of the race following a major crash on the fast A57 section.
With the eight-man squad growing in experience, and Foster demonstrating what is possible, the Lincoln GP might prove the catalyst for a sustained period of success for Coulson’s squad.
Ruby Oakes looks every inch a UCI-level rider
Ruby Oakes may have stepped down from DAS-Hutchinson to FTP–Fulfil The Potential Racing over the winter, but her early-season form suggests she still belongs at UCI Continental level.
Her Lincoln ride was the clearest evidence yet. When DAS-Hutchinson turned the screw on the third ascent of Michaelgate, Oakes was the only rider able to interrupt the team’s control, going clear with Noémie Thomson and Morven Yeoman in what became the decisive move of the race. For several laps, the 19-year-old was not simply surviving in elite company; she was part of the front of the race, helping shape its outcome.
The balance of power eventually told. Yeoman attacked, Thomson distanced Oakes, and DAS-Hutchinson rode towards a one-two. Oakes still looked set for the podium until Anna Morris, one of the fastest finishers in the country, came roaring back on the final lap to snatch third by a single second. Fourth, 53 seconds down, may have carried the sting of what might have been, but it was another considerable marker of her progression.
Nor was Lincoln an isolated performance. At the Women’s CiCLE Classic in March, Oakes was active deep into the race, attacking clear with Jo Tindley and Zoe Roche to contest the Heart of Owston sprint before the move was brought back. It did not last, but it showed the same qualities she displayed in Lincoln: instinct, nerve, and the willingness to race from the front rather than wait for the race to happen around her. After third at Capernwray and 11th at East Cleveland, Lincoln was her clearest statement yet that she can be more than a promising U23 rider: she can shape the biggest domestic races.
Whatever the reasons behind her move from DAS-Hutchinson to FTP, Oakes is making a persuasive case that she remains a rider of UCI Continental calibre. In a domestic scene where pathways are rarely linear, and where opportunity can matter as much as ability, her spring has been a reminder that stepping down a level on paper does not necessarily mean stepping back as a rider.
Riwnyj’s misfortune leaves us questioning what could have been, but his breakthrough performance should fill him with confidence
It was heartbreak for Foran CT’s Danylo Riwnyj on the penultimate lap as he exited the winning move courtesy of an untimely puncture, the chance of a maiden National A win deflating as fast as his tyre.
It has been a steady rise for the 27-year-old: a first National B win last season with a stage of the Ronde van Wymeswold less than a year ago opening the door to prestigious wins at the Wally Gimber and Victor Berlemont Trophies, as well as the Rás Mumhan in Ireland over Easter.
After a trio of top-12 results last season, Sunday was, however, the first time Riwnyj had been in with a realistic chance of victory in the National Road Series — a demonstration of his continual improvement and growing ability to conquer increasingly tough races as the distance, and fatigue, increases.
The results sheet may read 27th place, some 3’44” down on winner Ollie Wood, but beneath that is a breakthrough performance that should fill both him and his Foran CT team with confidence as they head to Ireland for next week’s Rás Tailteann, a race they conquered two years ago with Dom Jackson, before returning to the UK with a National Road Series win now firmly in his sights.
JAKROO-Handsling top the rankings, but remain in search of a breakthrough win
JAKROO-Handsling proudly posted on their socials last week that the team sit top of The British Continental Road Race Rankings, and while, as a collective, the team are performing, they are still missing a breakthrough result on the biggest stage.
With perhaps the strongest line-up on paper, the team flattered to deceive at Lincoln, with first-year U23 Harrison Dainty their best-placed rider in seventh on what turned out to be a frustrating afternoon for the London-based squad.
Will Truelove, who was beaten by the width of a tyre by Jack Rootkin-Gray at the Timmy James Memorial a week earlier, linked up with his adversary again, forming part of what became the winning move before being jettisoned back into the peloton a lap later.
With four riders in that select chasing group, the onus fell on the team to do the lion’s share of the work, although the gap remained steady at around 25 seconds until the final lap. Rowan Baker, seventh in this race on his debut four years ago, was notable by his positioning towards the back of the group throughout, with both him and Truelove distanced in the final sprint up the cobbles.
It isn’t all bad news for David Struele’s team, however. Alex Franks’ 13th place was enough to elevate him into second place in the very competitive National Road Series standings, only three points adrift of Tom Armstrong, taking the lead in the U23 classification in the process. With five rounds still to go, there are ample opportunities for the team to assert themselves as the dominant force in domestic road racing.
Lincoln’s magic only grows in its 70th edition
There are few races that could attract two former winners, one now north of 50 and the other approaching that mark, out of retirement and back into the bear pit of the National Road Series environment, but Lincoln managed to do just that on Sunday.
Dean and Russell Downing were joined on the start line by the likes of Paul Curran, Steve Joughlin and Mark Walsham in a celebration of the famous race as its 70th edition commenced — the fact WorldTour rider Ben Swift took up the position of a quiet onlooker among the thousands of spectators a demonstration of the place the race continues to hold in the heart of cycling in Britain.
Despite its success, however, the race continues to innovate, organiser Gary Coltman managing to squeeze a little more magic out of the city’s roads to increase the spectacle further by extending the course around the famous cathedral via an extra helping of cobblestones.
Their inclusion had little impact on the race itself, with the sun largely shining down on the riders throughout the day, but it did magnify the extraordinary nature of a British bike race taking place in the heart of a Roman city — the largest crowds outside the National Championships, held in Lincoln in 2015 and 2021 respectively, taking in the special atmosphere throughout the day.
It seems unimaginable that the future of the Lincoln Grand Prix was ever in doubt after Sunday’s races, partnerships with both Rapha and the University of Lincoln helping secure its immediate future. Its innovation and willingness to evolve, however, should be noted: there may be small changes that could be made to make every race that little more appealing for the public.
The women’s National Road Series is no longer the automatic focal point it once was
Taking a glance at the results, it would be easy to conclude that the Elite Development and club teams have taken a huge step forward this season, with two-thirds of the top 30 coming from outside the UCI ranks.
To a certain extent, this is true. Katie Scott looked greatly improved from previous years in the colours of Paralloy Racing at the CiCLE and East Cleveland Classics, while her teammate Amy Henchoz continued to impress in Lincoln with an excellent sixth place.
The National Road Series has always played a role in developing riders. It has long been a place where ambitious club riders, young seniors and emerging teams test themselves against the best in the country. That should not be diminished. Indeed, the strength of the Elite Development and club-team performances this season is one of the more encouraging signs in the women’s domestic scene.
What feels different now is that the series no longer appears to command the same automatic attention from every leading UCI Continental team. For a variety of reasons, the strongest British-registered squads are increasingly looking beyond the domestic calendar: towards stronger European racing, TV time, UCI points and the opportunities those things create for riders and sponsors.
Both Rick Lister and Bob Lyons laid out their concerns around the future of the domestic scene in interviews with The British Continental prior to the season, and those concerns have been visible in the opening rounds. The National Road Series remains important, but it is no longer the only obvious shop window.
Lincoln offered a clear example. Handsling Alba Development RT sent a strong team to France, including former cobblestone trophy winner Kate Richardson, over the weekend, while Rick Lister’s Smurfit Westrock squad, which has invested in a Belgian base this season, had only eight British riders on its books. Six of them lined up in front of the cathedral on Sunday. Elena Day, a rider in her first year at UCI level, was the best placed of these in 40th; 22-year-old Annabel Ramsey was the squad’s most experienced rider aside from veteran Jo Tindley.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that shift. Riders need international racing. Teams need to serve sponsors. The pathway should lead somewhere beyond the domestic calendar. But it does change what the National Road Series represents. If it is no longer the guaranteed meeting point for the strongest home-based teams and riders, then its status depends even more heavily on how well it is promoted, supported and connected to the wider racing ecosystem.
The community is stepping up, but British Cycling needs to match this ambition
That question of status cannot be separated from the question of visibility.
British Cycling’s decision not to cover the National Road or Circuit Series in any meaningful way through its own channels this season, or even commission photography, does little to encourage sponsors to invest in the sport, or teams to field their best riders. In a sponsor-led environment, what happens away from the road matters almost as much as what happens on it. If races are not seen, shared, photographed, streamed, written about or given narrative weight, they become harder to sell.
That is why the signs elsewhere are significant. Rapha’s Super-League has given elite domestic racing a sharper season-long narrative and a stronger identity. Monument Cycling’s return to streaming elite road racing, even through a subscription model, suggests there is still an audience willing to seek it out. The growth in engagement with The British Continental’s own coverage points in the same direction: the appetite for serious, sustained domestic road racing coverage has not disappeared. It has simply been underserved.
This is not just about media coverage as an optional extra. Visibility is part of the infrastructure of the sport. It gives sponsors something tangible to justify their investment. It gives teams stories to build around. It gives riders public momentum. It gives races a life beyond the people standing at the roadside.
Race organisers, sponsors, photographers, streamers, teams and independent media are all finding ways to make the domestic scene feel visible again. But that should complement governing-body support, not replace it.
British Cycling’s reluctance to reclassify the Tour of Britain as a ProTour event only adds to the suspicion that the governing body is more interested in promoting grandstand events than the sport’s elite domestic tier, with none of the UCI Continental teams guaranteed a start at their home race.
The Women’s National Road Series has taken great strides forward over the past decade, and Lincoln proved there is still a compelling product to showcase. Rapha, Monument Cycling, race organisers, teams, photographers and independent media are all helping to give the domestic scene the visibility it deserves. But that energy should not have to compensate for a governing body stepping back. If the series is to keep growing, British Cycling needs to treat elite domestic racing as something central to the sport, rather than peripheral to it.
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