Bonilla-Allard and Clark win as North Wales road racing returns
The inaugural Horseshoe Pass Road Race on Sunday marked the return of senior road racing to North Wales after years away, as the organiser calls for more support for women's road racing in Wales.
Paralloy RT’s Jihanna Bonilla-Allard won the women’s race at the inaugural North Wales Horseshoe Pass Road Race on Sunday, with Schils–Doltcini RT taking all three Open podium places later in the day. The combined event marked the return of senior road racing to the region after a seven-year absence, and brought senior women’s road racing back to North Wales for the first time in several years.
Promoted by the Velotik Development Academy with title sponsorship from Ryan Morley Cycle Centre, the Regional A event was built around the climb of the Horseshoe Pass and a summit finish – a feature organiser Ryan Morley had highlighted as a rarity at regional level when announcing the race in January. The combined fields totalled more than 100 riders.
“After a long absence of racing in the area, I wasn’t sure if there would be appetite for such a race again,” Morley said. “I was blown away by the response. To be oversubscribed was not in my planning. We even had an abundance of volunteers to help on the day. It just shows that there are people out there that want to support grassroots racing.”
The reception extended to spectators on the climbs. “The support at the side of the road was like nothing I have ever seen for a race at this level,” he said. “I had to keep reminding myself that this was just a Regional A road race.”
Image: Gary Main
But the day’s success came with a sting. Speaking to The British Continental, Morley turned to a broader question about women’s road racing in Wales:
“I feel that it shouldn’t have been me in 2026 to be the first to give women the opportunity to race in their own race in our area. This should have been done many years ago. It highlights a distinct lack of effort from the leaders in our sport. Looking at Wales as a whole, the only other women’s road race this year is the Elite National Champs. How can we expect women’s road racing to grow if we don’t provide events for women to race?”
His claim about the wider Welsh calendar holds up. Beicio Cymru’s 2026 championship calendar contains no other women’s road race in Wales. The Women’s Welsh Road Race Championships, scheduled for 31 May, takes place in Ermington, South Devon, hosted in conjunction with the South & South West Championships under a regional rotation agreement.
Speaking ahead of the race in January, Morley had described the event as part of a wider effort to rebuild road racing in the region. The combined turnout suggests an appetite that may sustain it beyond a one-off.
How the races played out
In the women’s race, the 25-rider field hit the Horseshoe Pass — 5.8 kilometres at an average of 5.5%, ramping to 12.2% — from the gun. Kirstie Drakeford (Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon) attacked early to take the first QoM, then doubled up after the climb of the Nant y Garth. With wind, rain and a brief hail shower thinning the bunch, the final QoM went to Bonilla-Allard on the rise to the Cider Farm roundabout. A reduced group held together to the line, where she won the sprint ahead of Hannah Clough (University of Nottingham CC) and Eleanor Dixon (The Hera Project).
Image: Gary Main
The open race, with an 80-rider field, was effectively settled on the first climb. Patrick Clark (Schils–Doltcini RT) took the opening KoM and went clear shortly after, building a lead of more than a minute on a reduced peloton, where his teammates kept any coherent chase from forming. He continued solo for over an hour, extending his advantage on the second KoM before fatigue began to bite on the final lap. A four-rider chase containing teammates Eugene Cross and Matthew Warhurst, with Daniel Middlebrooke (Otley CC) the lone outsider, closed to within seconds on the final climb. Clark held on by 5 seconds; Warhurst took second; Cross moved clear of Middlebrooke to complete the Schils–Doltcini sweep. Clark also wrapped up all four KoM points.
Paralloy RT’s Jihanna Bonilla-Allard won the women’s race at the inaugural North Wales Horseshoe Pass Road Race on Sunday, with Schils–Doltcini RT taking all three Open podium places later in the day. The combined event marked the return of senior road racing to the region after a seven-year absence, and brought senior women’s road racing back to North Wales for the first time in several years.
Promoted by the Velotik Development Academy with title sponsorship from Ryan Morley Cycle Centre, the Regional A event was built around the climb of the Horseshoe Pass and a summit finish – a feature organiser Ryan Morley had highlighted as a rarity at regional level when announcing the race in January. The combined fields totalled more than 100 riders.
“After a long absence of racing in the area, I wasn’t sure if there would be appetite for such a race again,” Morley said. “I was blown away by the response. To be oversubscribed was not in my planning. We even had an abundance of volunteers to help on the day. It just shows that there are people out there that want to support grassroots racing.”
The reception extended to spectators on the climbs. “The support at the side of the road was like nothing I have ever seen for a race at this level,” he said. “I had to keep reminding myself that this was just a Regional A road race.”
But the day’s success came with a sting. Speaking to The British Continental, Morley turned to a broader question about women’s road racing in Wales:
“I feel that it shouldn’t have been me in 2026 to be the first to give women the opportunity to race in their own race in our area. This should have been done many years ago. It highlights a distinct lack of effort from the leaders in our sport. Looking at Wales as a whole, the only other women’s road race this year is the Elite National Champs. How can we expect women’s road racing to grow if we don’t provide events for women to race?”
His claim about the wider Welsh calendar holds up. Beicio Cymru’s 2026 championship calendar contains no other women’s road race in Wales. The Women’s Welsh Road Race Championships, scheduled for 31 May, takes place in Ermington, South Devon, hosted in conjunction with the South & South West Championships under a regional rotation agreement.
Speaking ahead of the race in January, Morley had described the event as part of a wider effort to rebuild road racing in the region. The combined turnout suggests an appetite that may sustain it beyond a one-off.
How the races played out
In the women’s race, the 25-rider field hit the Horseshoe Pass — 5.8 kilometres at an average of 5.5%, ramping to 12.2% — from the gun. Kirstie Drakeford (Jadan Vive le Velo p/b Glasdon) attacked early to take the first QoM, then doubled up after the climb of the Nant y Garth. With wind, rain and a brief hail shower thinning the bunch, the final QoM went to Bonilla-Allard on the rise to the Cider Farm roundabout. A reduced group held together to the line, where she won the sprint ahead of Hannah Clough (University of Nottingham CC) and Eleanor Dixon (The Hera Project).
The open race, with an 80-rider field, was effectively settled on the first climb. Patrick Clark (Schils–Doltcini RT) took the opening KoM and went clear shortly after, building a lead of more than a minute on a reduced peloton, where his teammates kept any coherent chase from forming. He continued solo for over an hour, extending his advantage on the second KoM before fatigue began to bite on the final lap. A four-rider chase containing teammates Eugene Cross and Matthew Warhurst, with Daniel Middlebrooke (Otley CC) the lone outsider, closed to within seconds on the final climb. Clark held on by 5 seconds; Warhurst took second; Cross moved clear of Middlebrooke to complete the Schils–Doltcini sweep. Clark also wrapped up all four KoM points.
Results
Top 15 from each race.
Women
Open
Featured image: Gary Main
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.