Following the culmination of the Lloyds Bank National Circuit Series in Beverley on Friday, the domestic peloton switches its collective attention to road racing on Sunday for the Lancaster Grand Prix.

Now in its fifth edition for the men and third for the women, the Lancaster Grand Prix is a key event on the UK road racing calendar. The event forms Round 4 of the women’s National Road Series and Round 3 of the open Series. It has quickly gained prestige and recognition for its challenging route and excellent organisation. The race takes place in Lancaster, starting and finishing at Williamson Park, known for its scenic beauty and festive atmosphere. National Road Series leaders Lucy Harris (Pro-Noctis – 200° Coffee – Hargreaves Contracting Ltd) and Tim Shoreman (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) will be competing among a highly competitive field.

Route

The race route is a 14.8km circuit featuring 273 metres of elevation per lap, with three sharp climbs that make it a puncheur-friendly course, often compared to the Ardennes classics. The women's race comprises six laps, totalling 90 kilometres, while the open race covers 10 laps, totalling 150 kilometres.

The course starts and finishes at Williamson Park, where spectators can enjoy a festival vibe with a food market and big screen broadcasting the race. The final kilometre back to the park includes gradients reaching double digits, followed by a technical, slightly uphill final 500 metres, meaning good positioning will be as important as good legs if either race comes down to a sprint.

Riders to watch

In the women’s race, National Road Series leader Harris will set out to defend her leaders’ jersey but will have strong competition. Young Scottish sensation Eilidh Shaw (Alba Development Road Team) is only 8 points behind Harris in the Series standings and is in scintillating form, demonstrated by her recent wins in Guildford and Dudley in the National Circuit Series.

Expect DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK to feature prominently. The team’s line-up includes last season’s Lancaster GP winner Ruth Shier, the in-form Frankie Hall, victor at the Otley Grand Prix, and last year’s Lincoln Grand Prix champ Robyn Clay.

2023 National Road Series champion Monica Greenwood (Team Coop-Repsol) will be on the hunt for her first National Road Series win, while Jess Finney (Doltcini-O’Shea) will look to add to 2022 Stockton Grand Prix and 2023 CiCLE Classic wins in the National Road Series. For an outsider pick, Team Boompods’ Lizzie Hermolle has thrived in National B road racing this season and should suit the Lancashire hills.

After Cat Ferguson’s win in the East Cleveland Classic in April, we could see more exciting junior prospects to shine. Among the junior picks are Shibden Apex RT’s Esther Wong (4th in the Lincoln Grand Prix this year) and Ruby Oakes, as well as junior UCI road race winners Carys Lloyd and Amelia Cebak, both of Tofauti Everyone Active.

In the open race, Series leader Tim Shoreman headlines the field, although the Wheelbase CabTech Castelli rider comes into the race with uncertain form, not having raced since the Otley Grand Prix. Damien Clayton (Le Col RT) sits just two points behind Shoreman in the Series rankings and has been Mr Consistent this year. Can he grapple the lead from the Scot?

Saint Piran dominated this race last year. This season, however, much of its team will be in France riding the UCI stage race Kreiz Breizh Elites, along with fellow British squads Thriva-SRCT and Sn Vitae HUUB p/b Bim Bam Coaching, leaving James McKay and Harry Birchill to lead the Cornish squad. McKay has raced infrequently this year but was nonetheless the team’s best performer at the national road race championships and was third in East Cleveland. 2023 Ryedale Grand Prix victor Birchill was second in Lancaster last year and will to go one better this time around.

There are plenty of other contenders, none more so than Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix Matt Holmes (One Good Thing Orientation Marketing), whose Dad helps to organise the race. Rás Tailteann winner Dom Jackson (Foran CT) will look to continue his breakthrough season. Ben Granger and Matthew Kingston of the Italian UCI Continental team Mg.K VIS Colors for Peace are local riders and should thrive on the terrain. Ollie Rees (Sagbal-Anicolor), Adam Lewis (Team Skyline) and Harry Macfarlane (TAAP Kalas) are among the other names to watch.

Timings and coverage

The open race kicks off at 9:00am and is expected to finish around 12:45pm. The women’s race begins at 2:20pm, with an estimated finish time of 4:45pm. Fans can follow the race on British Cycling's social media channels and watch it live on Monument TV.

For those attending in person, Williamson Park offers a prime viewing experience with the big screen and various family-friendly activities, including the Booths Food Festival.

For more a more in-depth preview of the race, as well as the latest start lists, head to The British Continental.