Photos: swpix.com
The Lloyds National Road Series [women and junior men] kicked off in style in Melton Mowbray on Sunday 23 March 2025, with Lucy Harris (Smurfit Westrock Cycling Team) and Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova) taking the women’s and junior men’s victories respectively.
9th Anexo CAMS Women's CiCLE Classic, Melton Mowbray, 23 March 2025
A devastating breakaway in the final kilometres saw Lucy Harris earn her first National Road Series win, breaking away from Holly Ramsey (Hess) inside the final 10km, to take the victory by 25 seconds in the end.
After a cagey start, it was Eilidh Shaw (UAE Development Team) – last year’s National Road Series champion - who won the first point at the QOM at Burrough Berg.
It was at the first time through Somerberg that the race split, with Alice McWilliam – the eventual second placer – leading charge as a group of 25 went clear. Jo Tindley (Smurfit Westrock) won the QOM sprint in Owston as the race wound down to the closing stages.
Harris and Ramsey attacked with 15km to go, with the former pushing on and holding onto her lead through to the finish. Ramsey was swept up by the bunch as McWilliam won the bunch sprint ahead of Neah Evans.
Harris said afterwards,
“I made the move. I knew it was further out than I wanted to go. The hills work in my favour, the cross head wind didn’t. I just thought, I mean it now, I’ve committed. I knew we have a strong team, so if I got reeled in, someone would be able to go over the top of me. I really wanted to do the team proud.”
11th Anexo CAMS Junior Men’s CiCle Classic, Melton Mowbray, 23 March 2025
Harry Hudson (Harrogate Nova) was the star of the show as he claimed a memorable win in Melton Mowbray.
The race split after a crash in the first two miles, and subsequently there became eight groups on the road. Hudson, caught behind the crash, had to chase back on to the groups ahead, but he got back just before the first time at Somerberg.
Hudson and Matthew Peace (Tofauti Everyone Active) then broke away with 50km to go, with the former moving ahead on the final circuit to win by close to a minute after a superb solo effort.
Hudson said afterwards,
“It was really bunchy at the start, and there was a big crash which really split it up. I got caught behind and had to chase back on. Me and Matt went with 50km to go, and it was a really good race from me. The flatter stuff doesn’t really suit me, so I knew I had to go solo from quite a way out, so I did.”
