2026 Maria Thompson Memorial: preview and startlist
The British Women's Team Cup finale hits the roads of Surrey as the Kingston Wheelers host the always-exciting Maria Thompson Memorial Road Race this Sunday, 30 August
The British Women’s Team Cup reaches its conclusion this Sunday (30th August) as the Maria Thompson Memorial Road Race plays host to a title decider in which London Academy have one hand on the series crown, but have a pair of challengers hoping to upset the script.
Hosted by Kingston Wheelers CC, the race is a fitting tribute to much-missed club-mate Maria Thompson – who passed away in 2017 – and the signifier of a season quickly coming to a close, with just two more Women’s Nat Bs after this weekend.
Here’s our preview of what should be a captivating event.
Featured image: Mark James
What is it?
The Maria Thompson Memorial signals the beginning of the slow winding down of the domestic season, with just a handful of women’s races left before the 2026 calendar wraps up. But this race is a fitting August contest, the fifth and final round of the British Women’s Team Cup; meaning it’s not just individual glory up for grabs, team honour is at stake too.
Run as a Nat B since last year, won by Handsling Alba Development Road Team’s Mari Porton, the event is also the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to Maria Thompson, a much-loved Kingston Wheeler who was a popular racer and club-mate before her sudden passing in 2017.
Mari Porton wins the 2025 edition. Image: Mark James
There should also be a lot of credit given to the organisers, who have committed to the expense and effort of running the event despite a relatively shorter entry list than hoped, providing an opportunity for the field to race before the winter break looms closer.
The race starts at 9.15am, with a finish expected around 12pm.
Route
There’s a change compared to last year’s circuit, as the race moves to the Norwood Hill circuit in the shadow of Gatwick Airport which will no doubt be familiar to regular participants in the Surrey League.
A circuit that could not be described as flat by any means, the 16.1km loop – raced five times – features some pretty mean climbs for the peloton to tackle. Indeed the starts and thus finishes, on a climb up Stan Hill.
Image: Mark James
There’s time for a breather on the relatively technical descent culminating in a rather sharp left-hander taking the field into a relatively flat section before the circuit’s real brute; the Norwood Hill climb. Topping out at the Fox Revived pub, the climb tops out at a 10.1% gradient with an average of 4.5% over its 600m length.
After that, it’s a relatively flat, technical second-half of the lap with a few rollers to break things up slightly before a more-than-90-degree corner at Parkgate starts the drag up to the start/finish.
British Women’s Team Cup: What’s at stake?
The final round of the British Women’s Team Cup comes with the overall title still mathematically on the line but with London Academy leading the way both in terms of points (1198) and riders entered – 10 of the 32 on the start list – it would seem as though the crown is there for the taking for Sarah King’s squad after a winning display at the Duncan Murray Wines Road Race last time out.
That said, as per to the competition’s rules, its only the top four finishers in each squad who bank those all important points, so there is still a very slim chance that a rival could nip in and sneak the title away.
Image: Mark James
Although, it would have to be a complete disaster for them as the teams in second and third don’t bring full squads. FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing is second on 1075 points, but Charlotte Deykin is their only representative. Whilst 150 points are available for a win, and bonuses are on offer for combative riding, the only hope would be for Deykin to take a storming win, and the championship leaders falling to the lower reaches of the results.
Fellow contenders Loughborough Lightning lie third on 1005 points, but Rosie Simmons and Peggy Simpkins would have to put on a dominant display of riding, lock out the top two positions and hope other results go their way to upset the balance. Snatching second away from FTP would be a more likely result.
How to follow
The British Continental will be in the green and pleasant Surrey surrounds, providing Instagram updates and interviews from what will be a thriller of a finale.
Riders to watch
With London Academy bringing 10 riders, it’s hard to look past the orange-and-pink squad as the team most likely to shape the race.
None more so than Florence Wiggins. Winning the Duncan Murray Wines Road Race has been the undoubted highlight of her debut season of road racing after years spent mainly off-road. Top 10s at the Ronde van Wymeswold on the way to sixth in the General Classification demonstrate she’s comfortable on any parcours and could use the London Academy train to power her way to another strong result.
That said, teammate Hope Inglis was second at this race last year, albeit on a different course, and with top 20s on the road – mixed in with a victory in the Reigate summer cyclocross – she’ll be wanting to at least podium in this closing stage of the season to springboard herself into a winter on the mud and grass in a positive headspace.
Add in support from riders including Georgia Huddleston (third at the Duncan Murray Wines and fourth at the Regional Champs to pick just some of her top fives this season) and Iona Mitchell, to mention just a few more members of the team’s talented entry, and the competition will have to do well to best them.
Aiming to do just that is Loughborough Lightning. Rosie Simmons has showed fine form in her first season with the squad with numerous top 10s including at the attritional Lancaster Grand Prix and the Ronde van Wymeswold. Working alongside Peggy Simpkins, who has also had a positive maiden season with the purple-shod team, they would do well to work together and power themselves into winning contention.
Action from last year’s Maria Thompson. Image: Mark James
Of course, there’s always room for a dark horse and in this entry it looks like that could well be Karolina Zydelyte (Dulwich Paragon CC), who has been plying her trade round this neck of the woods with no shortage of success. Podiums in Regional A competition were topped with third at the London Dynamo Road Race, which served as the Regional Champs, as well as 14th at the North Yorkshire Grand Prix and she could just walk away from the Norwood circuit with a good result under her belt.
You can throw Jessica Bufton (Solas Cycling) into that mix as well. The 18-year-old took seventh at the recent Scottish Road Race Champs, and was 11th at the Women’s Tour of the Mendips, showing she’s more than comfortable competing against older and more experienced riders. This could be an opportunity to bag another good result before the season reaches its end.
Charlotte Deykin is coming to the end of her first season with FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing and will be looking for a good result to cap a season where her performances and efforts have not been fully reflected in her palmares. The only team representative on the start line, any chance at taking the Team Cup title would seem remote, alleviating some of the pressure and leaving her free to race as she desires.
Taking the same approach, you’d have to imagine, is Freya Taylor (Jadan Glasdon p/b Vive le Velo). Second at the BUCS road race, and at the East/West Midlands and North Region Regional Champs, she can tackle this event with the aim of adding another podium to what has been a very strong season for the second-year road racer.
An FTP rider tackling last year’s race. Image: Mark James
The British Women’s Team Cup reaches its conclusion this Sunday (30th August) as the Maria Thompson Memorial Road Race plays host to a title decider in which London Academy have one hand on the series crown, but have a pair of challengers hoping to upset the script.
Hosted by Kingston Wheelers CC, the race is a fitting tribute to much-missed club-mate Maria Thompson – who passed away in 2017 – and the signifier of a season quickly coming to a close, with just two more Women’s Nat Bs after this weekend.
Here’s our preview of what should be a captivating event.
Featured image: Mark James
What is it?
The Maria Thompson Memorial signals the beginning of the slow winding down of the domestic season, with just a handful of women’s races left before the 2026 calendar wraps up. But this race is a fitting August contest, the fifth and final round of the British Women’s Team Cup; meaning it’s not just individual glory up for grabs, team honour is at stake too.
Run as a Nat B since last year, won by Handsling Alba Development Road Team’s Mari Porton, the event is also the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to Maria Thompson, a much-loved Kingston Wheeler who was a popular racer and club-mate before her sudden passing in 2017.
There should also be a lot of credit given to the organisers, who have committed to the expense and effort of running the event despite a relatively shorter entry list than hoped, providing an opportunity for the field to race before the winter break looms closer.
The race starts at 9.15am, with a finish expected around 12pm.
Route
There’s a change compared to last year’s circuit, as the race moves to the Norwood Hill circuit in the shadow of Gatwick Airport which will no doubt be familiar to regular participants in the Surrey League.
A circuit that could not be described as flat by any means, the 16.1km loop – raced five times – features some pretty mean climbs for the peloton to tackle. Indeed the starts and thus finishes, on a climb up Stan Hill.
There’s time for a breather on the relatively technical descent culminating in a rather sharp left-hander taking the field into a relatively flat section before the circuit’s real brute; the Norwood Hill climb. Topping out at the Fox Revived pub, the climb tops out at a 10.1% gradient with an average of 4.5% over its 600m length.
After that, it’s a relatively flat, technical second-half of the lap with a few rollers to break things up slightly before a more-than-90-degree corner at Parkgate starts the drag up to the start/finish.
British Women’s Team Cup: What’s at stake?
The final round of the British Women’s Team Cup comes with the overall title still mathematically on the line but with London Academy leading the way both in terms of points (1198) and riders entered – 10 of the 32 on the start list – it would seem as though the crown is there for the taking for Sarah King’s squad after a winning display at the Duncan Murray Wines Road Race last time out.
That said, as per to the competition’s rules, its only the top four finishers in each squad who bank those all important points, so there is still a very slim chance that a rival could nip in and sneak the title away.
Although, it would have to be a complete disaster for them as the teams in second and third don’t bring full squads. FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing is second on 1075 points, but Charlotte Deykin is their only representative. Whilst 150 points are available for a win, and bonuses are on offer for combative riding, the only hope would be for Deykin to take a storming win, and the championship leaders falling to the lower reaches of the results.
Fellow contenders Loughborough Lightning lie third on 1005 points, but Rosie Simmons and Peggy Simpkins would have to put on a dominant display of riding, lock out the top two positions and hope other results go their way to upset the balance. Snatching second away from FTP would be a more likely result.
How to follow
The British Continental will be in the green and pleasant Surrey surrounds, providing Instagram updates and interviews from what will be a thriller of a finale.
Riders to watch
With London Academy bringing 10 riders, it’s hard to look past the orange-and-pink squad as the team most likely to shape the race.
None more so than Florence Wiggins. Winning the Duncan Murray Wines Road Race has been the undoubted highlight of her debut season of road racing after years spent mainly off-road. Top 10s at the Ronde van Wymeswold on the way to sixth in the General Classification demonstrate she’s comfortable on any parcours and could use the London Academy train to power her way to another strong result.
That said, teammate Hope Inglis was second at this race last year, albeit on a different course, and with top 20s on the road – mixed in with a victory in the Reigate summer cyclocross – she’ll be wanting to at least podium in this closing stage of the season to springboard herself into a winter on the mud and grass in a positive headspace.
Add in support from riders including Georgia Huddleston (third at the Duncan Murray Wines and fourth at the Regional Champs to pick just some of her top fives this season) and Iona Mitchell, to mention just a few more members of the team’s talented entry, and the competition will have to do well to best them.
Aiming to do just that is Loughborough Lightning. Rosie Simmons has showed fine form in her first season with the squad with numerous top 10s including at the attritional Lancaster Grand Prix and the Ronde van Wymeswold. Working alongside Peggy Simpkins, who has also had a positive maiden season with the purple-shod team, they would do well to work together and power themselves into winning contention.
Of course, there’s always room for a dark horse and in this entry it looks like that could well be Karolina Zydelyte (Dulwich Paragon CC), who has been plying her trade round this neck of the woods with no shortage of success. Podiums in Regional A competition were topped with third at the London Dynamo Road Race, which served as the Regional Champs, as well as 14th at the North Yorkshire Grand Prix and she could just walk away from the Norwood circuit with a good result under her belt.
You can throw Jessica Bufton (Solas Cycling) into that mix as well. The 18-year-old took seventh at the recent Scottish Road Race Champs, and was 11th at the Women’s Tour of the Mendips, showing she’s more than comfortable competing against older and more experienced riders. This could be an opportunity to bag another good result before the season reaches its end.
Charlotte Deykin is coming to the end of her first season with FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing and will be looking for a good result to cap a season where her performances and efforts have not been fully reflected in her palmares. The only team representative on the start line, any chance at taking the Team Cup title would seem remote, alleviating some of the pressure and leaving her free to race as she desires.
Taking the same approach, you’d have to imagine, is Freya Taylor (Jadan Glasdon p/b Vive le Velo). Second at the BUCS road race, and at the East/West Midlands and North Region Regional Champs, she can tackle this event with the aim of adding another podium to what has been a very strong season for the second-year road racer.
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