Women’s National Road Series
Handsling riders take overall individual and team prizes in the Lloyds Bank Women’s National Road series
The Lloyds Bank Women’s National Road series came to it’s conclusion on the 15th September with the final race in the series, the Curlew Cup. This race is part of the year long Cyclone Festival of Cycling, which includes family, gravel and sportive rides for all types of riders. The Curlew Cup has been running for twelve years and includes Dame Sarah Storey, Hannah Barnes, Katie Archibald and Alice McWilliam amongst it’s previous winners. Corinne Side, was last year’s victor.
Handsling riders have performed exceptionally well in the series, with two wins for the DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK team. These came at the Lancaster Grand Prix with Frankie Hall and Lucy Lee at the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix. This puts the team at the top of the team standings with a 90 point lead. Meanwhile Alba rider Eilidh Shaw went into the final round with a 16 point lead over second placed Lucy Harris and 21 over Frankie Hall. This would mean either of the the three could potentially grab the overall with a race win.
Curlew Cup report
The Curlew cup is the sixth and final round of the Lloyds Bank Women’s National Road Series. The race is run over a 40.8Km circuit that starts and finished in Stamfordham, Northumberland. The riders would cover this course three times, for a total race length of 122.4Km. The main feature on the course is the Ryals climb. This is a 2.7km ascent with gradients hitting up to 13% in places; so bound to be a focal point for any attacks.
The first two laps were ridden cautiously, with the series leaders not prepared to risk an early attack. This didn’t stop Alba RT rider Lauren Dickson from taking the QoM on the first two ascents of the Ryals. After the second lap her attack had created a 20 second split in the bunch. Teams began to gather and closed the attack down before the final climb of the Ryals, which was taken by Dickson again!
A group of six then pulled clear, including Dickson, Shaw and Hall. They had a 10 second gap, which was bridged by a group of twelve riders fin the last three kilometres. This group would go on to contest the win. Molly Patch (The Phoenix Collective) tried a late attack, but was caught with a kilometre to go, meaning the race would be decide by a sprint. Robyn Clay took the final win of the Lloyds Bank Women’s National Road series with a powerful sprint. Her attack left her plenty of time to sit up and get her hands in the air for the finish-line photo!
Winner, winner!
This meant Shaw came away as the individual winner of the Lloyds Bank Women’s National Road series. This would be a great result for any rider, but Eilidh has doubled down, as she is also the circuit series winner. What a brilliant season for this young rider and her team who finished second in the road and circuit series. DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK took first place in both competitions, proving their strength in depth.
We spoke to Eilidh about the series and how it went for her.
Eilidh going into the Curlew Cup with that sixteen point lead, were you confident of taking the overall? “We worked it out that I would have to finish around eight places behind the rider in second and ten places behind the rider in thirdrd to stay in the Jersey; which felt close, but doable. I was conscious that the Curlew Cup typically finished in bunch sprint and it’s easy to loose position in a bigger group. It was key to stay nearer the front and not get boxed in.”
How did you find having to stay consistent over the series? “I would say this had been my most consistent season. The series starts in March and finishes in September and lots can happen in seven months (injury/illness etc), but it’s nice knowing if you have a dip at some point there’s time and races to get it back.”
Is that season’s end now? “Yes that’s the end of the road season for me. I have a bit of an offseason and some track racing at the London3day which I’m really looking forward to, then it’s back to winter training.” Thanks Eilidh!
Curlew Cup winner Robyn Clay on her race.
Robyn the climb of the Ryals was a big feature of the race, do you think it prevented any attacks because of its reputation and did this keep the race together, at least for the first two laps?
“I think a lot of people worried about the Ryals breaking up the race and so the girls that are good on them will sit in and wait to do damage but then the girls that aren’t as strong on the Ryals also sit in, I suppose in fear that they might get dropped on them, so want to save energy elsewhere. The Ryals didn’t completely stop the attacks though, as I was in a number of small moves and saw plenty of attacks at times. It just seemed that no one wanted them to stay away.“
When Molly Patch attacked in the final kilometres were you worried she would get away and did the group all work to bring her back?
“When Molly went I was concerned because I know she’s strong but everyone was onto it fairly quickly and seemingly wanted a sprint so she was brought back.”
Was it a team lead-out or every rider for themselves at the end?
“The team were riding for me if it came down to a sprint and Mia in particular did a really good job of keeping me forward and sheltered before the sprint.”
Another visit to the podium, putting that terrible crash to one side, would you say you’re happy with this season?
“I can’t say I’m happy with the season as I’d hoped for much more, but I’m happy with where I am now considering the circumstances and to finish the season with a national series win was such a good feeling. I feel like I’ve got a lot of unfinished business and I’m already chomping at the bit to start next season.“
Both DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK and the Alba Development RT are riding on Handsling A1R0evo bikes. Simon Whiten is the director of Handsling Bikes, we asked him how he felt about the teams’ results;
It is fantastic that we support the two top teams in British women’s road cycling. Everyone at Handsling really enjoys following both teams’ progress as they prove the quality of our product in a totally resounding way – by winning races, left, right and centre!
Lloyds Bank Women’s National Road Series final standings
Individual
- 1 Eilidh Shaw (U23) Alba Development Road Team 220
- 2 Lucy Harris Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 188
- 3 Esther Wong (JR) Shibden Apex RT 184
- 4 Frankie Hall DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 178
- 5 Amelia Tyler (U23) Alba Development Road Team 159
- 6 Bexy Dew Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 153
- 7 Morven Yeoman (U23) DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 147
- 8 Lauren Dickson Alba Development Road Team 132
- 9 Lucy Lee DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 131
- 10 Eluned King (U23) Lifeplus Wahoo 130
- 11 Grace Reynolds Brother UK – On Form 128
- 12 Caitlin Dimbleby FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing 128
- 13 Molly Patch The Phoenix Collective 123
- 14 Ruby Oakes (JR) Cycling Club Isle of Man 122
- 15 Elizabeth Hermolle Team Boompods 122
- 16 Carys Lloyd (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 102
- 17 Cat Ferguson (JR) Shibden Apex RT 98
- 18 Robyn Clay (U23) DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 96
- 19 Monica Greenwood Team Coop – Repsol 92
- 20 Imogen Wolff (JR) Shibden Apex RT 92
- 21 Madelaine Leech (U23) Lifeplus Wahoo 88
- 22 Alice McWilliam Hess Cycling Team 86
- 23 Rachel Galler Saint Piran WRT 78
- 24 Tilly McKibben (U23) Doltcini – OShea 73
- 25 Tamsin Miller DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 73
- 26 Isabel Darvill Doltcini – OShea 71
- 27 Beth Morrow (U23) Alba Development Road Team 69
- 28 Katy Hill London Academy 68
- 29 Alice Colling (JR) Shibden Apex RT 67
- 30 Holly Ramsey (U23) Hess Cycling Team 58
- 31 Nicola Greenwood Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon 58
- 32 Kim Baptista Torelli 57
- 33 Maddie Heywood Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 56
- 34 Lizi Brooke Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 54
- 35 Jessica Finney Doltcini – OShea 51
- 36 Kate Richardson (U23) Lifeplus Wahoo 50
- 37 Jo Tindley Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 49
- 38 Savannah Morgan London Academy 49
- 39 Abi Plowman Alba Development Road Team 45
- 40 Jennifer Powell Performance Development Team 45
- 41 Maria Apolonia vant Geloof Hess Cycling Team 42
- 42 Tiffany Keep DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 42
- 43 Amy Gornall Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 41
- 44 Arianne Holland Alba Development Road Team 41
- 45 Mia Rutterford (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 38
- 46 Awen Roberts (U23) CANYON – SRAM Generation 38
- 47 Anna Boniface FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing 37
- 48 Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 36
- 49 Nicole Frain Hess Cycling Team 34
- 50 Lucy Gadd Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 33
- 51 Liv Wenzel (U23) Hess Cycling Team 32
- 52 Mari Porton (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 31
- 53 Zoe Langham Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 30
- 54 Georgia Bullard Doltcini – OShea 30
- 55 Lulu Bartlett Alba Development Road Team 29
- 56 Ella Maclean-Howell (U23) Hope Tech Factory Racing 29
- 57 Arabella Blackburn (JR) Shibden Apex RT 28
- 58 Evie Smith (JR) Shibden Apex RT 27
- 59 Amelia Cebak (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 27
- 60 Penny Colloff Loughborough Lightning 25
- 61 Erin Boothman (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 25
- 62 Mia Griffin DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 24
- 63 Hope Inglis (U23) Brother UK – On Form 24
- 64 Alice Lethbridge Loughborough Lightning 23
- 65 Rebecca Gardiner (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 22
- 66 Megan Anderson Team Boompods 22
- 67 Rosie Simmons Brother UK – On Form 22
- 68 Isabel Mayes (JR) Shibden Apex RT 21
- 69 Jessie Carridge The Phoenix Collective 20
- 70 Helen Jackson Kendal Cycle Club 20
- 71 Sophie Smith (JR) Cycling Club Isle of Man 19
- 72 Sasha Halsey London Dynamo 18
- 73 Sian Marsh Team Boompods 18
- 74 Darcie Richards DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK
- 1875 Keira Bond (U23) Alba Development Road Team 18
- 76 Trhas Teklehaimanot Tesfay (U23) Kingston Wheelers CC 17
- 77 Elena Day (U23) Loughborough Lightning 16
- 78 Abigail Miller (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 16
- 79 Lotty Dawson (U23) Brother UK – On Form 16
- 80 Electra Morris (JR) Brother UK – On Form 15
- 81 Sophie Thackray DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 15
- 82 Charlotte Berry The Phoenix Collective 15
- 83 Jemma Speers North Down CC 15
- 84 Erin Avill (U23) Nouvelles Cycling x Prendas 14
- 85 Lucy Benezet Minns (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 12
- 86 Anna Flynn (U23) Spectra Racing 11
- 87 Annabel Ramsay (U23) Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 11
- 88 Sannah Zaman (U23) DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 10
- 89 Charlotte Deykin Peterborough Cycle Hub 10
- 90 Katie Scott Spectra Racing 9
- 91 Millie Jenkins (JR) Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films 9
- 92 Millie Skinner Alba Development Road Team 8
- 93 Sophie Lewis (U23) DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 8
- 94 Ruth Shier DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 8
- 95 Carys Blowers (JR) Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films 7
- 96 Sian Botteley DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 7
- 97 Olivia Kelly Loughborough Lightning 6
- 98 Miriam Jessett Loughborough Lightning 6
- 99 Anya Tamplin Loughborough Lightning 6
- 100 Jayati Hine Loughborough Lightning 5
- 101 Katie Painter (U23) ASSOS UK Racing Team 4
- 102 Rosie Wayland FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing 4
- 103 Ellen McDermott Keukens Redant Cycling Team 4
- 104 Emma McDonald Saint Piran WRT 3
- 105 Aliyah Rafferty (JR) Tofauti Everyone Active 3
- 106 Elizabeth Sanders FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing 2
- 107 Anastasia Bowler Saint Piran WRT 2
- 108 Sasha Dyke London Academy 1
- 109 Cecilia Hime Paradigm Cycles 1
Team
1 DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK 626
2 Alba Development Road Team 519
3 Shibden Apex RT 516
4 Pro-Noctis – 200º Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd 412
5 Tofauti Everyone Active 262
6 Brother UK – On Form 205
7 Loughborough Lightning 191
8 Doltcini – OShea 183
9 Team Boompods 162
10 London Academy 118
11 Hess Cycling Team 112
12 Lifeplus Wahoo 108
13 Saint Piran WRT 83
14 Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon 76
15 FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing 41
16 The Phoenix Collective 15
17 Liv Cycling Club – Halo Films 9
