Nikki Brammeier turned back the clock to win in Derby while Thomas Mein came out on top for the second time at this year’s National Trophy Series.

Elite women

Nikki Brammeier took a dramatic solo victory in Derby, turning back the clock to take her first National Trophy Series victory since retiring from international competition in 2019.

A former professional, four-time national champion and 2016 Olympian, the 36-year-old was racing Derby as her local National Trophy Series event.

The riders set off at high speed and hit the first muddy section with Alderney Baker (Team Empella) and Xan Crees (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS) leading the field.

Series leader, Elena Day (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS), had a slow start and had a battle on her hands to move back up through the field. Brammeier was another rider who was forced to fight through the bunch after being gridded towards the back of the field.

By the end of the first lap, Day had made her way through the bunch and was leading the race with Ruby James (Hope Factory Racing) and Crees on her wheel, but the latter was struggling to hold the pace and she gradually dropped back.

Day struggled in the muddy sections, and she lost traction on one of the corners midway through the race, dropping her chain. She was forced to dismount and fix the problem, but she lost a significant amount of time, and her chances of the win were dashed.

Brammeier and James flew past, now battling it out at the front. James had been at the head of affairs all race, but she was unable to stop Brammeier, who slowly pulled out an advantage on the technical course.

By the end of the race, Brammeier had a 30-second lead, and she could hardly believe her luck as she crossed the line with her arms aloft.

James finished second, 15 seconds ahead of Hope Inglis (Brother UK-Orientation Marketing). Day eventually crossed the finish line in fifth place, retaining her leader’s jersey, but no doubt cursing her luck.

Elite men

Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing) powered to his second victory of the 2023 National Trophy Series, once again beating Toby Barnes (Ribble-Verge Sport) in a battle that promises to last the whole season.

Mein and Barnes were quickest off the line, closely followed by Toby Barnes’ younger brother, Daniel (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS), who is leading the under-23 competition. The three riders quickly had a gap on the rest of the field, headed by Callum Laborde (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli).

Toby Barnes led for the early part of the first lap, setting a pace that put Daniel under pressure and distancing him on some tight, muddy switchbacks halfway through the lap. However, he fought his way back and the trio were together again by the start of the second lap.

It didn’t take long for Mein to have the measure of his companions and make an acceleration of his own to test his legs, and he pulled away as the three came through the forest section for the second time.

From that point on, Mein was calm and composed, picking his lines carefully as the course slowly dried out. Daniel Barnes was unable to keep up with Toby’s pace and the three riders slowly drifted apart.

But the victory was not quite confirmed for Mein just yet as the muddy course meant that a wrong move could prove decisive and limited his power advantage. Instead, the two leading riders were locked together, with Barnes never losing more than a few seconds per lap.

By the final lap, Mein had a 25-second lead and enough time in hand to avoid taking risks. He crossed the line celebrating and the relief was palpable. Toby Barnes finished in second with plenty of time to spare ahead of his brother Daniel.

Mein’s victory moves him even further ahead in the National Trophy Series overall standings, while Daniel Barnes extended his lead in the under-23 category.

 

Junior women

Alice Colling (Shibden Cycling Club) cruised to victory ahead of Ellie Mitchinson (Montezuma's Race Team) in the junior women’s race.

The two riders that have dominated the early rounds of the National Trophy, Imogen Wolff and Cat Ferguson, were absent from the race due to international duties. Instead, Colling started as the pre-race favourite.

Mitchinson was quickest off the start line and had a small gap by the end of the lap while Colling spearheaded the chase group behind alongside Esther Wong (Shibden Hope Tech Apex).

By the second lap, the roles were reversed, and Colling was alone at the front of the race, with Mitchinson and Rebecca Woodvine (RR23 - runandride.co.uk) chasing hard. However, Colling quickly proved strongest on the difficult course, lapping significantly faster than her rivals and growing her lead each time past the finish.

Towards the end of the race, Colling’s gap was almost at two minutes and, despite slowing on the final lap, she still had plenty of time to celebrate the win.

Behind, Mitchinson pulled away from Woodvine to take second place, while Woodvine crossed the line unchallenged in third.

Junior men

Oscar Amey carried on his good start to the season, beating Luke Gibson (4T+ Cyclopark) in a close sprint at the end of a thrilling race.

Amey and Alfie Amey of GKR Racing, Lewis Tinsley (BCC Race Team), and Jamie Stewart (Shibden Cycling Club) were fastest in the early parts of the race, with Gibson slowly fighting his way back to the front from a slower first lap.

The front group started to trade attacks, with each rider making an effort to drop the others. However, it wasn’t until the finale that it looked like one of them would succeed.

Oscar Amey held a slender lead ahead of his companions coming into the final lap. For a moment it looked like Amey had the race sewn up, but Gibson slowly closed the gap, pulling him back just in time to set up a thrilling sprint for the line.

Launching early, Amey led into the final hundred meters, and in the end, he had the energy left to win by a bike length ahead of an exhausted Gibson. Oscar’s brother, Alfie, crossed the finish line 20 seconds later in third.

Podiums

A full list of podium placings is below:

Elite women

1. Nikki Brammeier
2. Ruby James (Hope Factory Racing)
3. Hope Inglis (Brother UK-Orientation Marketing)

Elite men

1. Thomas Mein (Hope Factory Racing)
2. Toby Barnes (Ribble-Verge Sport)
3. Daniel Barnes (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS)

Under-23 women

1. Hope Inglis (Brother UK-Orientation Marketing)
2. Ella Maclean-Howell (Hope Tech Factory Racing)
3. Elena Day (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS)

Under-23 men

1. Daniel Barnes (Team Spectra Cannondale P/B DAS)
2. Ben Chilton (Ribble Collective)
3. Callum Laborde (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli

Junior women

1. Alice Colling (Shibden Hope Tech Apex)
2. Ellie Mitchinson (Welwyn Wheelers CC)
3. Rebecca Woodvine (RR23 - runandride.co.uk)

Junior men

1. Oscar Amey (GKR Racing)
2. Luke Gibson (4T+ Cyclopark)
3. Alfie Amey (GKR Racing)

Under-16 boys

1. Leon Atkins (Ribble - Verge)
2. Arthur Limb (Matlock CC)
3. Milo Wills (GKR Racing)

Under-14 boys

1. Rhuairdh Fulton (West Lothian Clarion CC)
2. Zach Buchan (Pentland Racers)
3. Josh Stewart (SteppingStanes Youth CC)

Under-16 girls

1. Peggy Knox (ViCiOUS VELO)
2. Zoe Roche (Ribble - Verge Sport)
3. Freya Mowbray (Scotia Offroad RT)

Under-14 girls

1. Olivia Poole (Deeside Thistle CC)
2. Aisling Charlesworth (Fibrax Wrexham Roads Club)
3. Eva Gibson (4T+ Cyclopark)

Women’s veterans 40-49

1. Kate Eedy (Team Empella)
2. Verity Appleyard (Velo Fixers)
3. Kate Robson (Pedalon.co.uk)

Women’s veterans 50-59

1. Lucy Siddle (Reifen Racing)
2. Helen Pattinson (Montezuma's Race Team)
3. Miriam Whitehurst (Reflex Racing)

Women’s veterans 60+

1. Carolyn Speirs (Kendal Cycle Club)
2. Karen McGrath (Worthing Excelsior CC)

Men’s veterans 40-49

1. Robert Jebb (Hope Tech Factory Racing)
2. Adrian Lansley (Pedalon.co.uk)
3. Lewis Craven (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli)

Men’s veterans 50-59

1. Ian Taylor (Shibden Cycling Club)
2. Stuart Marshall
3. Nicholas Whitley (Team Enable-M.I.Racing-McCann)

Men’s veterans 60+

1. Grant Johnson
2. Mick Style (Element Cycling Team)
3. John McGrath (Team TMC - Strada Wheels)