British road racing has a fresh storyline for 2025. Rapha’s brand-new Super-League knits 16 of the calendar’s most prestigious road races, town-centre crits and a single two-day stage race into one running league table – a modern heir to the old Super-Prestige Pernod and, organisers hope, a shot of narrative caffeine for a fractured domestic scene.
Latest posts
What is it?
- One league, 16 rounds, four months. The series opened at the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix on 11 May and closes at the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix on 31 August. In between it sweeps from the cobbles of Otley to the reservoirs of County Durham, via a midsummer double-header in Devon.
- Gender-equal leaderboards. Men and women race for identical points and identical spoils.
- Prizes and pageantry. Come the post-series after-party in London the overall leaders receive £1,000, a winner’s sash, a Super-League trophy big bragging rights.
British road racing has been crying out for coherence. By stitching disparate events into a recognisable storyline, Rapha hopes to make the home scene easier to follow, more marketable to sponsors and, crucially, more compelling for casual fans. British Cycling has given its blessing, seeing the league as a quick win while its own National Series rebuilds.
How does the scoring work? Read this.
Standings
Calendar
FAQs
Is the Rapha Super-League supported by British Cycling?
Yes, the Rapha Super League is supported by British Cycling. The concept was created in part as a result of the work done by the British Cycling Elite Road Task Force. Rapha aims to support British Cycling with the Elite Road Task Force recommendations – specifically on dynamic race coverage and delivering new audiences and engagement with the sport.
Jon Dutton OBE, Chief Executive of British Cycling, said: “The Rapha Super League is an exciting and original concept which highlights a selection of some of the best races our sport has to offer.
“We want to champion innovative ideas to evolve the domestic cycling scene aligned to our own Lloyds National Series and we look forward to seeing the potential of this new league to help re-energise the bike racing community whilst captivating interest from new fans.”
How does the Rapha Super-League differ from the British Cycling Lloyds National Series?
The British Cycling Lloyds Road Series and Circuit Series are two separate, self-contained competitions, with the ultimate winner of each typically being a specialist in either road or crit racing. The Super-League covers races across both disciplines plus a stage race and aims to find the best all-rounder of the season.
All Lloyds National Series races from the Rapha Lincoln GP onwards are included in the Super-League and riders can take part in both simultaneously.
Do you need to enter the Rapha Super-League?
No, anyone who finishes a race in any of the 16 races in the League will automatically be included in the League rankings. Names and points will be automatically added and calculated based on the official race results published by British Cycling.
Do I get automatic entry into races if I am part of the Rapha Super-League? What if I can’t race?
No, the races are run by independent race organisers, not by Rapha. Entry for each race is at their discretion and/or in the case of Lloyds National Series races, British Cycling’s selection process. Rapha does not have any control over race selection. If you don’t get entry into a race, we recommend entering another race in the League that has more availability.
Is Rapha organising the 16 races in the League?
No, each race is run by an independent race organiser. The purpose of the Rapha Super-League is to raise awareness of the existing British racing scene.
Is Rapha sponsoring all 16 races in the League?
Each race in the League receives a financial contribution and other benefits, but Rapha will not be acting as a title or main sponsor of any races with the exception of the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, leaving space for other sponsors and brands to support the grassroots racing scene.
Is there a women’s Super-League?
Yes, the Rapha Super-League offers gender parity and will be covering the open and women’s races. There will be two leaderboards, two competitions, two winners.
How have the points been allocated per race?
The points system is weighted according to the importance and style of the race. The more prestigious the race, the more points. The points allocation has been agreed by a committee of individuals at Rapha, The British Continental and active racers.
With total top points equally weighted for road and crit races, we could see a specialist from either discipline come out on top. Road races get more points awarded in descending value down to 20th place, whilst the more numerous crit races in the season get points to 15th place. The stage race (Ronde Van Wymeswold) includes additional points for stage wins.
The final two races of the series (a crit and a road race) also have extra points for the top rankings, meaning that everything could change in the last two races if the standings are close.
How were the races in the League chosen?
Rapha wanted to create an easy-to-follow racing calendar to show the cream of the crop of British racing, with distinct parts and an exciting grand finale. Each event represents what we at Rapha believe makes a great race, including prestige, grit, innovation and atmosphere.
OVERALL CALENDAR DESIGN
- Succinct
- Regular cadence
- Geographically spread
- Varied disciplines
- Varied parcours
RACE SELECTION
- Race organisation
- Parity – Includes an Open and Women’s race
- Prestige / Grit
- Spectator experience / atmosphere
- Innovation
Where can we see the points system? How are the standings calculated?
The points are published here. Standings will be calculated and published shortly after each race.
Will the races stay the same?
No, if the League continues it will evolve and the list of races will likely evolve too.
Will there be any other awards?
Yes, there will be other awards and prizes which will be announced closer to the time.
What do the winners receive?
The two overall winners will be invited to the Super-League Awards Party in London to be awarded with a Rapha Super-League 2025 trophy, a winner’s sash and £1000 cash each. Not to mention the enviable title of Rapha’s best all-rounder of the year, which is of course priceless.
How many years will the Rapha Super-League run?
2025 is a pilot year for the Rapha Super-League. Depending on the success of the format, we will look to continue it for many years to come and establish it as part of the fabric of the British racing scene.