Solihull Team Cup road race set for tougher Ridgeway finish
The Solihull CC road race returns on 5 July as round three of the British Women’s Team Cup, with riders facing a harder new finish on the Ridgeway near Cookhill after the traditional Gooms Hill finale was replaced.
This year’s Solihull road race on 5 July, round three of the British Women’s Team Cup, will have a new finish while sticking to its traditional rolling circuit at Inkberrow in Worcestershire. The same finish will also be used for the men’s Regional A 2/3/4 race on the same date.
Traditionally, the Solihull races have always used the flat back road between Flyford Flavell and Gooms Hill for their finish, as has the season-opening Evesham Vale road race. However, parking issues in recent seasons have led to the inception of a second race finish on the Ridgeway near Cookhill, which was used successfully for the West Midlands Regional Championships Nat B in 2024, and for this year’s stage one of the Marches 3-day presented by Discover Parks.
“This is a much tougher finish, as in essence it comes at the end of a four-kilometre climb up onto the Ridgeway, starting pretty much after the traditional finish at Gooms Hill,” said West Midlands board road lead William Fotheringham. “But there’s a massive lay by right by the line, meaning that there’s no problem for supporters to park there.”
“The final 200m are flat, very slightly downhill, but most of the rest is uphill. It also makes for a slightly longer race; in the Marches stage what we saw was a break that had a decent advantage at the foot of the drag but which had the bunch on its heels at the line. It’s also harder for riders to move up for the sprint because of sections of double white lines.”
Previous winners on this finish at Inkberrow are Clay Davies (RideRevolution) out of a six man break at the West Midlands Regional championships in 2024, and Matthew Warhurst (Schils) from a two-rider break at stage one of the Marches 3-day this May.
Mari Porton was the last winner of the Solihull CC British Team Cup road race, taking victory from a sprint finish in 2024 before the 2025 edition was abandoned. With the race now finishing on the Ridgeway, this year’s edition looks set to ask a different question of the contenders.
Featured image: Mark James. Mari Porton wins the 2024 edition.
This year’s Solihull road race on 5 July, round three of the British Women’s Team Cup, will have a new finish while sticking to its traditional rolling circuit at Inkberrow in Worcestershire. The same finish will also be used for the men’s Regional A 2/3/4 race on the same date.
Traditionally, the Solihull races have always used the flat back road between Flyford Flavell and Gooms Hill for their finish, as has the season-opening Evesham Vale road race. However, parking issues in recent seasons have led to the inception of a second race finish on the Ridgeway near Cookhill, which was used successfully for the West Midlands Regional Championships Nat B in 2024, and for this year’s stage one of the Marches 3-day presented by Discover Parks.
“This is a much tougher finish, as in essence it comes at the end of a four-kilometre climb up onto the Ridgeway, starting pretty much after the traditional finish at Gooms Hill,” said West Midlands board road lead William Fotheringham. “But there’s a massive lay by right by the line, meaning that there’s no problem for supporters to park there.”
“The final 200m are flat, very slightly downhill, but most of the rest is uphill. It also makes for a slightly longer race; in the Marches stage what we saw was a break that had a decent advantage at the foot of the drag but which had the bunch on its heels at the line. It’s also harder for riders to move up for the sprint because of sections of double white lines.”
Previous winners on this finish at Inkberrow are Clay Davies (RideRevolution) out of a six man break at the West Midlands Regional championships in 2024, and Matthew Warhurst (Schils) from a two-rider break at stage one of the Marches 3-day this May.
Mari Porton was the last winner of the Solihull CC British Team Cup road race, taking victory from a sprint finish in 2024 before the 2025 edition was abandoned. With the race now finishing on the Ridgeway, this year’s edition looks set to ask a different question of the contenders.
Featured image: Mark James. Mari Porton wins the 2024 edition.
Share this:
Discover more from The British Continental
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.