Heatwave Hustle – A Month of Racing Across Europe
In the space of four weeks we contested six major races, stretching from domestic crits at home to UCI stage races in France and Poland in what has been one of the team’s busiest ever periods.
Race-Ready Bike: Handsling A1R0evoS running Alta Via wheels. Photography: Josh Tipper
Paris–Troyes (UCI 1.2)
Tour de la Manche (4‑day French stage race)
Ronde de l’Oise (UCI 2.2)
Tour of Małopolska (UCI 2.2)
Tour of the Reservoir (National Road Series)
London Nocturne & Fort Vale Colne Grand Prix (National Circuit Series)
The calendar has been relentless and the mercury is climbing across Europe and the UK. With a heatwave on the horizon and the National Championships looming, here’s how the team has been levelling up.
Highlights from a hectic spell
Attacking at Paris–Troyes – We opened the block at Paris–Troyes, a 180 km UCI 1.2 classic, with an audacious strategy: hit the key hill in the middle of the race, force a counter and drive it. Two riders made the decisive four-man counter move and held off the peloton for nearly 10 km. Although the move was caught, Harrison Dainty still sprinted in for 11th, just outside the top ten. A promising sign of our willingness to animate races at the UCI level.
Heat training in Normandy – At the Tour de la Manche, the Normandy heat tested everyone. We chalked up 12th on stage 1 and 8th on the final stage as we delivered second overall in the team classification with outstanding performances from Oliver, Oscar and Harrison. It was brutal but invaluable preparation for the scorching conditions expected at the British National Champs.
Drama at Ronde de l’Oise – The four‑day UCI 2.2 race was marred by one of the strangest moments of the season: Dutchman Jan‑Willem van Schip was disqualified for having a water bottle down his jersey. While he made the headlines, our lads witnessed the discussions with the commissaires and got stuck into the action as we continued to hone our race craft.
Harrison Dainty at the Tour of Malopolska 2026 Prologue. Photography: Josh Tipper
First UCI podium of 2026 – Poland’s Tour of Małopolska delivered our standout result. Harrison scorched around the 1.3 km prologue in 2:56, just 1.6 seconds off the winner and good enough for third place. It’s our first UCI podium of the year and evidence that our athletes can mix it on the European stages. Oliver Dawson later spent much of stage 2 in the breakaway wearing the virtual GC lead, adding to the buzz.
Climbing prowess at Tour of the Reservoir – Back in the UK, the National Road Series returned to Consett’s hills. Harrison joined a late four‑man move with Danylo Riwnyj, Gabriel Dellar and Zachary Walker. Riwnyj attacked and won as Harrison took third after a gruelling day where only a handful of riders stayed ahead of the bunch. Oliver Dawson swept up the mountain points to claim the day’s KOM prize.
Crit season opener – The block wrapped up with fast‑and‑furious crit races. At the London Nocturne we welcomed Sam Chaplin into the fold as our riders battled through the technical city circuit amongst the crowds; three days later at Colne GP Dylan finished in the top twenty in a crowded bunch sprint. These races sharpened our speed for the National Circuit Championships just around the corner.
What’s next
The heavy schedule continues. Over the next weeks we’ll be featuring in:
National Time Trial Championships (25 June)
National Circuit Championships (26 June)
National Road Championships (28 June)
Otley GP (1 July) and Ilkley GP (3 July) – National Circuit Series rounds
Nogent sur Oise UCI 1.2 in France (5 July)
Guildford GP (8 July) & Lancaster GP (12 July) – National Circuit Series
The heatwave forecast across the UK could make these events brutal, but our recent stints in Normandy and Poland have helped us acclimatise.
Post-Race. Photography: Josh Tipper
Key takeaways
Bold racing pays dividends – Our willingness to attack at Paris–Troyes and Tour de la Manche shows the team’s mindset. We’re not content sitting in the wheels.
Breakthrough podium – Harrison’s prologue podium in Małopolska is our first UCI silverware of 2026 and signals bigger things to come.
Heat conditioning – Racing in 30°C+ French weather has hardened the squad ahead of a predicted UK heatwave and the national championships.
Depth across disciplines – From stage races and gravel‑strewn French roads to city‑centre crits, the team adapts quickly and consistently performs.
We couldn’t keep this momentum without the backing of JAKROO, Handsling, Alta Via, OTE, Ekoï, Roubaix London, Myatts of Mockbeggar and Trupart Automotive. Thanks for following our journey – the summer is just heating up!
