As Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club, near the end of their League Two play-off final on Monday (25 May), the fate of another East Midlands sporting institution will be decided — the GA Bennett Road Race.
It is one of the longest-running in the country, and Jack Hartley heads a full field in search of a hat-trick after claiming victory in the past two editions.
Featured image: Sarah Swinscoe
What is it?
Promoted by Grantham’s Witham Wheelers, with the support of local bike shop Pedal Pushers, the National B road race is one of the longest-standing on the calendar, first held in 1962. It has a prestigious list of winners which includes Graham Briggs, who took the honours twice with his wins over a decade apart, and more recently Adam Lewis, the 2023 winner who has worn the leader’s jersey at the Rás Tailteann this week.
Preceded by a Regional B event in the morning, the 133-kilometre race rolls out from Grantham Cricket Club at 1.15pm, with a full field of 60 riders booked in — the narrow nature of the course meaning the usual field size for a race of this classification, 80, is reduced.
Taking place on a rare bank holiday basked in glorious sunshine, temperatures could touch 30°C as the race heads to its climax — hydration and keeping as cool as possible a factor for the riders after a rain-soaked 2025 edition.
The course
Nestled on the edge of Lincolnshire, the race is held on an 18.8-kilometre circuit on quiet country roads, tackled six and three-quarter times.
Organiser Simon Cocker described the course as “rolling rather than mountainous” to The British Continentalback in March, adding that “the terrain encourages attacking racing.”
There is a sustained period of flat, exposed roads on the north-west of the circuit which is unlikely to fracture the race this year with light winds forecast, although it is a section where the heat may take hold before the feed station offers replenishment.
The finish is also a flat one, unusual compared to many National B races, with the final climb tackled before a sweeping descent into the flat finish straight — tactics, as well as strength, a factor if more than one rider enters the final stages of the race with a chance of victory.
Riders to watch
Jack Hartley (Moonglu SpatzWear) heads the startlist in pursuit of his third straight victory in this race, two of his three National B road race wins to date coming here. An all-rounder with a sprint quick enough to surprise Matt Bostock at the Eddie Soens two years ago, Hartley finds a course that suits him perfectly. There are question marks around his form, however, having barely raced since third place at the Gifford Road Race in March — 20th in a National B circuit race at Doncaster his most recent outing following a finish in the main peloton at the Rapha Lincoln GP.
Hartley wins in 2025. Image: Sarah Swinscoe
Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) is the other previous winner in the field having taken the spoils in 2022, the Nottingham rider one of a realistic triple threat for DAS Richardsons, who field four riders.
Perrett returned to the Great Britain track fold last month with 3rd place at the Hong Kong World Cup alongside Logan Maclean in the madison, and looks to have translated that across to the road in the weeks since with a strong 4th place in an aggressive Timmy James Memorial GP, followed by a very good ride at the Lincoln GP, where he formed part of an elite chase group before succumbing to a puncture in the closing stages. A Rás Tailteann stage winner this time last year, Perrett is no stranger to winning big races and is likely to play an aggressive role with Frank Longstaff alongside him.
Frank Longstaff has been focusing largely on the track in recent weeks, the UCI and National A race winner likely to come with a sharpened sprint which has led him to success many times before. 2nd at the Jock Wadley when leading out teammate Oliver Curd in March, Monday’s proceedings are likely to be more selective. However, tagging on the De Moeren Classic, where he raced the likes of veteran sprinter Timothy Dupont, to his track exploits in Belgium recently will have done his form no harm.
Local rider Peter Cocker is something of a wildcard for the team having grown up on these roads, the Witham Wheeler having the local advantage in the race organised by his father.
Clay Davies and Josh Housley (RideRevolution Coaching CT) are a pair of riders with the reputation, and form, to pull off the win — the experienced pair both enjoying excellent seasons by their lofty standards. Now 34, Davies has been one of the most prolific winners on the domestic circuit over the past decade, topping the British Cycling rankings on multiple occasions, but his 7th place at the East Cleveland Classic in April represented something of a breakthrough — recognition he is among the strongest riders, regardless of the terrain, in the country. With multiple National B top tens already this season, and 2nd place at the Totnes Two Day, he could convert those results into a win on terrain that suits him.
Housley enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 and hasn’t looked back since, his 5th place at East Cleveland his best in the National Road Series to date. Ever aggressive, the course is perhaps easier than Housley would prefer, although his recent 3rd place at the Timmy James Memorial was a reminder that the riders are often the ones to make the racing hard, not the course.
Josh Housley. Image: Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com
Sam Walsham (Colina x Ciovita Racing) took his titanium frame to 5th place in the CiCLE Classic, holding off a charging peloton with Oliver Dawson after attacking late on, a result which surprised many but underpinned some excellent form this season. A top-20 in the East Cleveland Classic was outstanding for a rider who perhaps performs best at short circuit races — 2nd place in Hull last week a good sign he is holding onto the form he has after a strong, but fruitless, ride in the Lincoln GP.
Ollie Hurdle is among the most consistent riders at National B level and has stepped back into the Elite Development Team this month, rejoining his former team, Stolen Goat 4Endurance, having previously left to pursue his medical career. Those commitments mean he is lightly raced so far in 2026, but he entered his best period of the 2025 season around this time, with a standout showing in strong company at the Ronde van Wymeswold.
Outsiders to keep an eye on include Josh Hall (Nopinz RT), the social media influencer in pursuit of a professional contract. Now in possession of a second category licence, he set the fastest time at the Fred Whitton Challenge earlier this month — a mark of his strength, even if the challenge on Monday is a markedly different one.
Oliver Snodden (Mandene Racing) and Ben Arey (Halesowen A&CC) both come into the race on the back of National B circuit race wins, while Stephen Swindley (Royal Navy Cycling) is a danger from a small-group finish, taking a surprise victory in the Wheldrake 200 twelve months ago.
As Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club, near the end of their League Two play-off final on Monday (25 May), the fate of another East Midlands sporting institution will be decided — the GA Bennett Road Race.
It is one of the longest-running in the country, and Jack Hartley heads a full field in search of a hat-trick after claiming victory in the past two editions.
Featured image: Sarah Swinscoe
What is it?
Promoted by Grantham’s Witham Wheelers, with the support of local bike shop Pedal Pushers, the National B road race is one of the longest-standing on the calendar, first held in 1962. It has a prestigious list of winners which includes Graham Briggs, who took the honours twice with his wins over a decade apart, and more recently Adam Lewis, the 2023 winner who has worn the leader’s jersey at the Rás Tailteann this week.
Preceded by a Regional B event in the morning, the 133-kilometre race rolls out from Grantham Cricket Club at 1.15pm, with a full field of 60 riders booked in — the narrow nature of the course meaning the usual field size for a race of this classification, 80, is reduced.
Taking place on a rare bank holiday basked in glorious sunshine, temperatures could touch 30°C as the race heads to its climax — hydration and keeping as cool as possible a factor for the riders after a rain-soaked 2025 edition.
The course
Nestled on the edge of Lincolnshire, the race is held on an 18.8-kilometre circuit on quiet country roads, tackled six and three-quarter times.
Organiser Simon Cocker described the course as “rolling rather than mountainous” to The British Continental back in March, adding that “the terrain encourages attacking racing.”
There is a sustained period of flat, exposed roads on the north-west of the circuit which is unlikely to fracture the race this year with light winds forecast, although it is a section where the heat may take hold before the feed station offers replenishment.
The finish is also a flat one, unusual compared to many National B races, with the final climb tackled before a sweeping descent into the flat finish straight — tactics, as well as strength, a factor if more than one rider enters the final stages of the race with a chance of victory.
Riders to watch
Jack Hartley (Moonglu SpatzWear) heads the startlist in pursuit of his third straight victory in this race, two of his three National B road race wins to date coming here. An all-rounder with a sprint quick enough to surprise Matt Bostock at the Eddie Soens two years ago, Hartley finds a course that suits him perfectly. There are question marks around his form, however, having barely raced since third place at the Gifford Road Race in March — 20th in a National B circuit race at Doncaster his most recent outing following a finish in the main peloton at the Rapha Lincoln GP.
Will Perrett (DAS Richardsons) is the other previous winner in the field having taken the spoils in 2022, the Nottingham rider one of a realistic triple threat for DAS Richardsons, who field four riders.
Perrett returned to the Great Britain track fold last month with 3rd place at the Hong Kong World Cup alongside Logan Maclean in the madison, and looks to have translated that across to the road in the weeks since with a strong 4th place in an aggressive Timmy James Memorial GP, followed by a very good ride at the Lincoln GP, where he formed part of an elite chase group before succumbing to a puncture in the closing stages. A Rás Tailteann stage winner this time last year, Perrett is no stranger to winning big races and is likely to play an aggressive role with Frank Longstaff alongside him.
Frank Longstaff has been focusing largely on the track in recent weeks, the UCI and National A race winner likely to come with a sharpened sprint which has led him to success many times before. 2nd at the Jock Wadley when leading out teammate Oliver Curd in March, Monday’s proceedings are likely to be more selective. However, tagging on the De Moeren Classic, where he raced the likes of veteran sprinter Timothy Dupont, to his track exploits in Belgium recently will have done his form no harm.
Local rider Peter Cocker is something of a wildcard for the team having grown up on these roads, the Witham Wheeler having the local advantage in the race organised by his father.
Clay Davies and Josh Housley (RideRevolution Coaching CT) are a pair of riders with the reputation, and form, to pull off the win — the experienced pair both enjoying excellent seasons by their lofty standards. Now 34, Davies has been one of the most prolific winners on the domestic circuit over the past decade, topping the British Cycling rankings on multiple occasions, but his 7th place at the East Cleveland Classic in April represented something of a breakthrough — recognition he is among the strongest riders, regardless of the terrain, in the country. With multiple National B top tens already this season, and 2nd place at the Totnes Two Day, he could convert those results into a win on terrain that suits him.
Housley enjoyed a breakthrough 2024 and hasn’t looked back since, his 5th place at East Cleveland his best in the National Road Series to date. Ever aggressive, the course is perhaps easier than Housley would prefer, although his recent 3rd place at the Timmy James Memorial was a reminder that the riders are often the ones to make the racing hard, not the course.
Sam Walsham (Colina x Ciovita Racing) took his titanium frame to 5th place in the CiCLE Classic, holding off a charging peloton with Oliver Dawson after attacking late on, a result which surprised many but underpinned some excellent form this season. A top-20 in the East Cleveland Classic was outstanding for a rider who perhaps performs best at short circuit races — 2nd place in Hull last week a good sign he is holding onto the form he has after a strong, but fruitless, ride in the Lincoln GP.
Ollie Hurdle is among the most consistent riders at National B level and has stepped back into the Elite Development Team this month, rejoining his former team, Stolen Goat 4Endurance, having previously left to pursue his medical career. Those commitments mean he is lightly raced so far in 2026, but he entered his best period of the 2025 season around this time, with a standout showing in strong company at the Ronde van Wymeswold.
Outsiders to keep an eye on include Josh Hall (Nopinz RT), the social media influencer in pursuit of a professional contract. Now in possession of a second category licence, he set the fastest time at the Fred Whitton Challenge earlier this month — a mark of his strength, even if the challenge on Monday is a markedly different one.
Oliver Snodden (Mandene Racing) and Ben Arey (Halesowen A&CC) both come into the race on the back of National B circuit race wins, while Stephen Swindley (Royal Navy Cycling) is a danger from a small-group finish, taking a surprise victory in the Wheldrake 200 twelve months ago.
Provisional startlist
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.