Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson) powered to her first National A win of the season at the Curlew Cup, riding clear for a decisive solo victory in Round 6 of the National Road Series and Round 13 of the Rapha Super-League.
Later in the day, Dylan Hicks (Raptor Factory Racing) held off a fast-closing peloton at the Beaumont Trophy to deliver both his own and his team’s maiden National Road Series triumph.
Featured image: Olly Hassell/SWPix.com
Curlew Cup
The sixth round of the Women’s National Road Series didn’t suffer from the 30 degree heat that boiled the North East earlier in the week, but pleasant temperatures and a gentle breeze meant the 62-rider field could at least focus on battling each other, not the elements.
When the action did get underway, memories of previous editions of the Curlew Cup culminating in a sprint finish prompted the peloton to keep their powder dry at the start, with the first lap going off with limited attacks. Indeed, the first real news from the peloton was Eluned King (Handsling Alba Development Road Team) getting a rear puncture.
As the race tackled the Ryals for the first time, there were still not challengers to the status quo except for the now traditional turning of the screw that seems to unfold in most Women’s races as the pace at the front of the peloton started to ramp up higher and higher. A brief split at the exit of the small circuit being used in the Beaumont Trophy was the first sign of real action at the head of the field.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
That pace was being driven by the top three on the first QoM climb – Lauren Dickson (Handsling Alba RT) taking the win, with Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson) and Lucy Harris (Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team) following quickly behind.
Through the feed zone for the first time, teams having smaller entries – thanks to clashes with races on the continent – meant that not one squad in particular was driving the race forward. Jennifer Powell (Performance Development Team) was on the front, but behind was a mix of Team Boompods, Handsling Alba, and Brother UK – On Form riders.
After an early flurry of attacks, it settled back down again – perhaps with riders satisfied with their last lap strategies having tested them out – and the peloton remained together. Riders who had dropped off slightly on the Ryals climb motored their way back on through the first passage of Stamfordham.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
The race descended into a battle of attrition over the second ascent of the Ryals climb with another ramp up of the pace making for an increasingly splintered bunch with several riders pushing the race forward at the front and a crash disrupting things further back.
DAS-Hutchinson started to mass at the front with Lee and Morven Yeoman again on the podium on the QoM, but again beaten by Dickson who continued to attack the climb.
Toward the line for the second time and the first break with some promise was launched as Lee was joined by Grace Reynolds (Smurfit Westrock) and then Mari Porton (Handsling Alba RT) bridged across in Stamfordham to establish a lead that had established at 21sec across the line and had grown out to over half-a-minute past the feed zone.
With no one from the peloton wanting to chase through the first half of the lap, their advantage was quick to grow to more than a minute.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
As the race tackled the Ryals for the first time, the only change in the status of the race was a blow up at the front as Lee attacked solo and grew an advantage of more than 50 seconds over Reynolds and Porton.
Come the finish and Lee, who first tackled the race as Junior in 2016 and pulled out after 8km, took a dominant victory – the first time the Curlew Cup hasn’t been a sprint finish in a number of years. Second was Reynolds, with Porton third.
A top ten was enough for Robyn Clay to retain her Series Leader’s jersey, and move back into the lead of the Rapha Super-League with just the Cambridge Criterium and Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix left to race.
Lucy Lee talks to Joe Hudson after her Curlew Cup triumph
Beaumont Trophy
With the weather starting to heat up, the historic Beaumont Trophy had 120 starters tackling the roads just beyond Hadrian’s Wall. If the Curlew Cup proved to be a more measured affair, this race certainly wasn’t.
From the end of the neutralised section, attacks were launched faster than they could be relayed over Radio Tour. A group went clear immediately, their advantage steadily growing to more than a minute. For a time there was a lead two, with Judicael Clair (Raptor Factory Racing) taking the first KoM at the top of the Ryals climb. But as they headed into Stamfordham, the scattered chasers merged into a bunch of 10 including Clair, Josh Housley (Primera-TeamJobs), Maxwell Hereward and Ben Hetherington (360Cycling), Finn Mason (Hubo Remotive CT), Joshua Horsfield (Reflex Nopinz), Danny Hedley (Royal Air Force CA), Alex Pritchard (DAS Richardsons), Ben Goodwin (StolenGoat Race Team), and Lance Childs (TAAP Kalas).
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
As the race approached the decisive Ryals ascent for the second time, the move was reeled in and the peloton reached Stamfordham together.
That didn’t last, as a counter-attack of nine riders broke clear through the village. Once again Pritchard and Housley were present, joined by James Satoor (Bridgnorth CC), Charlie Genner (Telco’m – On Clima – Osés), Thomas Gardner (University of Exeter CC), Cai Curtis-Roberts (360Cycling), Conor White (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK), James Sawyers (Cycling Sheffield), and Oliver Hurdle (Private Member).
More change followed on the lap as the race split into three groups. A lead 11 formed, featuring the ever-active Housley, with just a handful of seconds on a chasing seven that included Thomas Mein (PROJECT1 Cycling Team), Rowan Baker (Raptor Factory Racing) and Will Truelove (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK).
With Matt Holmes (One Good Thing – Factor Racing) powering the peloton forward, that situation was never likely to last. Heading into the back stretch toward Little Bavington, news came that three riders had attacked from an enlarged bunch of 30.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
That trio soon became a group of eight as they took the bell, featuring Truelove, Gardner and Mein along with Dylan Hicks and Alex Franks (Raptor Factory Racing), George Radcliffe (XSpeedUnited), Tom Martin (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) and Alex Beldon (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK).
Behind, Raptor’s Rowan Baker and Spirit Racing’s George Kimber were trying to bridge across from a peloton that was beginning to lose its resolve.
The final lap, though shorter, was not without incident. News reached organisers that a tractor had tipped over, spilling hay bales across the road. A short neutralised section allowed the race to pass safely and avoided the need for another full lap – which would not have gone down well.
Into the closing kilometres the lead group began to fracture, with some attacking and others slipping back towards a peloton that had rediscovered its momentum.
Image: Olly Hassell/SWpix.com
On the run to the line, one rider still held out in front: Hicks. With the bunch breathing down his neck, he clung to just enough of an advantage to raise his hand in victory – securing both his and Raptor Factory Racing’s first ever National Road Series triumph.
Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) led home the bunch, with Truelove rounding out the podium.
Adam Howell (MUC-OFF-SRCT-STORCK) continues as the National Road Series leader thanks to 10th place on the day. Truelove sits 32 points behind with one round remaining. In the Rapha Super-League, Truelove has reduced Matt Bostock’s (TEKKERZ CC) advantage to 42 points with the Cambridge Criterium and the Wentworth Woodhouse Grand Prix still to come.
Dylan Hicks talks to Joe Hudson about his Beaumont Trophy success
Curlew Cup
Full results here.
Beaumont Trophy
Full results here.
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