The main dish: Nova Road Race

23 April 2023 – What a day! The riders and organisers put on a great show today at the two-stage, one day, Harrogate Nova Road Race smorgasboard! A breezy but dry day created the condition for exciting racing.

Carl Stubbs (Open Collective) from Lincoln came out overall on top, with local lad Ben Mewes (Moonglu Race Team) in a close second, with Corrin Leeming (Cycling Club Isle of Man) in third.  Zac Machin (BCC Race Team) was first junior overall, Maxwell Hereward (Cycle Sport Pendle) and Luke Brennan (BCC Race Team) in third.

The senior winners – L to R: Ben, Carl and Corrin

For this two-course feast, the starter was an intense 2.5km prologue along Menwith Hill Road, with junior Zac showing all the senior how to ride fast! He was followed in by Carl Stubbs one-hundredth of a second down, with Cavan Walker (Wold Top The Edge Pactimo) three seconds later in third. Struan McInnes (Holmfirth Cycling Club) was one second later in fourth, and Jonny Britton of the sponsoring Prologue Racing Team in firth.

The main course was a sumptuous 110km six lap race, with 1300m climbing, around the popular Pennypot circuit with the finish line at the top of Bland Hill.  It was an active race with Jude Taylor (Team PB Performance) attacking on lap two to try and (unsuccessfully) prise a break away.

The bunch up Bland Hill (thanks Michael Cullen)

Tristan Pilling (360cycling) had a go the following lap and established a break which lasted until the penultimate time up Bland Hill, with the ever-present Ben Mewes scooping up the points to win the King of the Mountains competition.  Kudos to first year junior rider JamesSawyers (Clifton CC) who made it into the break, before blowing the doors off.

It was all action on the last lap, with a break escaping the last lap up Pennypot Lane. Joe Turnbull (Prologue) was making it stick, but it came undone for all apart from Corrin Leeming who held on to win, with Ben Mewes popping out the bunch to finishing second, and junior Maxwell Hereward coming third.

Big shout out to event sponsors Prologue Performance Cycles, and Specialized Harrogate Store. Very much appreciated, by cyclists from Harrogate and beyond!