From Nationals to Nogent: A New High for the Team
A packed fortnight has taken us from the British National Championships in Wales to three of the country’s biggest town-centre criteriums – and then across the Channel for the strongest result in our brief history.
There have been crashes, tight corners, huge crowds and plenty of tough lessons. But the headline belongs to Oliver Dawson, who finished second at the UCI 1.2 Grand Prix de Nogent-sur-Oise and also won the mountains classification.
Nationals from the inside
The British National Championships are always different. Bigger fields, WorldTour opposition and three very different tests across the time trial, circuit and road races.
Our riders threw themselves into the week, from Sam Chaplin picking himself up after a crash in the time trial to the speed and intensity of the crit and the attritional road race that followed.
We also brought the cameras along. Our new three-part YouTube series goes behind the results and shows what a National Championships week looks like from inside the team: preparation, setbacks, support and the moments between the racing that rarely make the final edit.
The first film is live now, with the remaining episodes to follow on our YouTube channel.
Finding our crit legs
From Wales, the focus shifted immediately to the National Circuit Series at Otley, Ilkley and Guildford – three fast, technical and completely different tests.
At Otley, we placed riders 10th, 20th and 30th on a course built around repeated accelerations, a sharp chicane and the infamous high-speed final corner. Ilkley brought another top-20 result on one of the hardest crits in the UK, before the team stepped forward again at Guildford with Sam Chaplin 10th, Conor White 16th and Alex Franks 20th.
JAKROO Handsling rider Tom Heal cornering at Guildford GP. Photography: Josh Tipper
The racing has been relentless, but the atmosphere has matched it. Barriers packed, pub gardens full and fans shouting from every corner of the course. These races give us the chance to showcase our partners at close range, in the middle of towns and cities, with thousands of people watching the riders pass every few minutes. Travelling the UK with the team is always enjoyable, but nights like these show exactly why British crit racing remains such a powerful platform.
Dawson delivers at Nogent
While part of the squad continued the domestic crit block, another group headed to France for the Grand Prix de Nogent-sur-Oise, a UCI 1.2 one-day race.
The start of the race was marred by an unfortunate crash that took out two of our riders and caused a neutralisation. After the restart, Oli Dawson was determined to make the decisive selection joining and then attacking the breakaway as he collected points across the classified climbs. He was part of the last group standing before a rider soloed out to victory at an opportune moment. With a teammate in the reduced bunch willing to lend a hand in the leadout, Oli pushed to the line in an effot to win the sprint.
He delivered.
Second place. Mountains classification winner. Our highest-ever result in a UCI race.
It is a result that matters beyond the podium itself. We have said from the beginning that this team belongs at Continental level. Nogent was another piece of evidence.
It also followed a complete team performance, with three riders finishing inside the top 20. The result was not an isolated flash, but the product of an expanding international calendar, better organisation and a group increasingly comfortable competing at this level.
Oli Dawson - 2nd Overall & KOM Winner at Nogent-Sur-Oise 1.2
Still ascending
There is plenty still to improve. We are continuing to find our legs in the crits, continuing to fight against the strongest domestic riders and continuing to build the consistency needed to perform week after week.
Second at Nogent resets the benchmark – our upward trajectory shows the programme is working, and the team is proving that it can do more than simply take part. We can shape races, compete for classifications and stand on UCI podiums.
Thank you to JAKROO, Handsling, Alta Via, OTE, EKOÏ, Roubaix London, Myatts of Mockbeggar and Trupart Automotive for helping us keep moving forward.
Watch the National Championships series on YouTube, follow the team through the remainder of the crit season and stay with us as we continue to climb.
FEED the FIRE
