2026 Torvelo Women’s Road Race: preview and startlist

The Torvelo Women’s Road Race returns this Saturday (13 June) with National B status and the women’s Scotia Series in tow. Series leader Izzy Filor heads the startlist in the Santini leader’s jersey.

Here’s our preview.

Featured image: Dave-Jo Chaplin

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What is it?

A one-day National B women’s road race, organised by Torvelo Racing and run from St Brides Community Centre in Douglas, South Lanarkshire, on the Saturday of the Mennock Pass Stage Race weekend. It is round five of six in the Scotia Series supported by Santini—Scotland’s national women’s road racing series, substantially revamped for 2026 with more rounds, a wider range of distances and formats, age-category and team rankings, and a Santini leader’s jersey presented at every round.

The race itself is in its second year. The 2025 edition, run at Regional A level over 46 miles, was won by Lulu Bartlett from Rebecca Saunderson and Isla Easto. The step up to National B—and to the full stage 1 circuit of the open event—marks the most significant upgrade on the Scottish women’s calendar this season.

The route

The race uses the rolling Abington circuit east of Douglas—the same course as stage 1 of the open event: 87.7 kilometres with 889 metres of climbing on exposed moorland roads, finishing on a straight section of open road.

There is no major climb, but there is no flat either; last year’s open race on this circuit was decided by a two-up break that went clear in foul weather, and the constant rise and fall rewards aggression over patience.

Scotia Series standings

Four rounds in, the series is finely poised—and remarkably open: each round so far has produced a different winner. Melanie Rowe (camsmajaco) took the opener at Gifford in March, with Lydia Louw, Grace Inglis, and Millie Thomson winning one round apiece since.

Consistency, though, is what leads the table. Izzy Filor tops the standings on 60 points—the only rider to score in three rounds—ahead of Louw (56) and Tizzie Robinson-Gordon (46). Nina Padmanabhan (42) is the only other rider to have scored in three.

Rank	Rider	Team	Points
1	Izzy Filor	Unattached	60
2	Lydia Louw	Solas Cycling	56
3	Tizzie Robinson-Gordon	O’Shea Development Team	46
4	Nina Padmanabhan	Solas Cycling	42
5=	Grace Inglis	Team HUP	35
5=	Kasey Park	Solas Cycling	35
5=	Melanie Rowe	camsmajaco	35
5=	Millie Thomson	Solas Cycling	35

Riders to watch

Izzy Filor arrives in the leader’s jersey and in form, her second place at Peebles earlier this month the best result of her series so far. With neither Rowe nor Inglis on the startlist, her closest challengers are all here—and most of them ride for the same team. Solas Cycling field four riders, including Lydia Louw, a round winner and just four points adrift of the series lead, Millie Thomson, another round winner, and the ever-consistent Nina Padmanabhan. Against an unattached leader, the numerical advantage is obvious: Solas can afford to attack in waves on a circuit that punishes isolation.

Our journal writer Tizzie Robinson-Gordon, third in the standings after scoring in three rounds, is the other rider with a genuine series claim.

Of last year’s podium, only Rebecca Saunderson (Studio Velo) returns—second twelve months ago, and ninth at Gifford this season. Eva Murphy (Liv CC–Halo Films) was sixth here last year as a Deeside Thistle rider and took third at a round this season; teammate Eve Fairbairn adds to the junior programme’s presence. Ava Luce (Brother UK–Team OnForm) sits ninth in the standings with a fourth place to her name, while Jihanna Bonilla-Allard (Paralloy RT), fifth here last year, and Kayla Dinnin (FTP–Fulfil The Potential Racing), seventh at a Scotia round this season, both bring national-level team backing. Eleanor Dixon was ninth last year and now carries the colours of The Hera Project, the new women-led team founded by sport scientist Christine White.