Curlew Cup - Race Review
The Curlew Cup, the final round of the National Road Series, once again served up an unpredictable and dramatic conclusion to the season.
Our main focus was to maintain Lucy Harris's second-place and move Bexy Dew up the overall classification. At the conclusion of a season marked by illness and injury, we were left with just four riders Annabel, Bexy, Jo and Lucy with a clear goal: to protect and secure Lucy’s position.
The Curlew Cup always feels a bit peculiar to me. With a long rolling circuit, sharp & testing QoM climb and some technical sections through small villages the race seems ripe for breakaways and defining attacks, yet it rarely unfolds that way. This year was no different, as the peloton rolled out from the start in Stamfordham for the first of three long circuits through the rolling Northumberland countryside, the peloton showed no real signs of breaking up.
Perhaps it's an end-of-season feeling to the race, a mode of defending what we have, or simply one final time this year with tired, injured bodies.
The first of three Queen of the Mountain climbs saw the group predictably split up, but without any significant attacks, and the peloton quickly reformed as they neared the start of the second lap. Several small attacks went off the front but nothing managed to stick and the peloton largely stayed intact. The team maintained a constant presence at the front of the race, Lucy racing on instinct with Bexy, Annabel, and Jo all in attendance close by.
Through Matfen on lap two the leading group was strung out but more due to the short lived effect of the preceding climb and tight bends through the village, Lucy, as always, covering any potential moves at the front, closely followed by Bexy, Annabel & Jo.
Awaiting the finish, news broke over race radio of a significant crash among the leaders. Rain had begun to fall on the western part of the course and riders at the front had slid out on a tight bend. An initial group was reported to have broken away, followed by a larger group who were chasing them down in the final few kilometers. Race radio reported Bexy and Lucy had made the leading group with Annabel one of the riders unlucky to crash out of it. Another bunch sprint finish was on the cards for the Curlew Cup.
At the line, Robyn Clay emerged victorious, with Bexy (5th) and Lucy (10th) contesting the sprint and finishing in the same time, amongst a group of just sixteen.
Having been brought down in the crash, but recovering without injury or damage, Annabel came in 30th at +1:31 and Jo 40th at 2:00.
Lucy’s battling performance supported by her teammates throughout paid off as she retained her position as runner up to Eilidh Shaw in the overall standings. Bexy’s 5th place was her best National Road Series result and promoted her into 6th in the series standings. Overall the team secured 4th place in the overall team classification.
As the curtain falls on the 2024 season, it’s clear that while the individual results might not have mirrored previous years’ achievements, this year was defined by remarkable perseverance and noteworthy performances. Not one but two podium appearances at the Tour of Britain and the resulting awareness that created a particular highlight for me, in the team's first season at UCI Continental level, a whole new set of challenges for the the entire operation.
Whilst the challenges on the road have been ever visible, the challenges and efforts behind the scenes have been largely hidden but just as critical to the team's ongoing success. With a huge team of helpers and supporters pulling together, the team haven't just turned up at significant races such as the Tour of Britain and Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche but have gone toe-to-toe with some of, if not the biggest names in the sport.
Away from the camera, my highlight has to be hearing SD Worx Protime marking us out of any more moves in the Tour of Britain!
Thanks as always to the whole team for serving up a great spectacle to cover, all the riders for their engagement and company, especially at our Girona camp in February, and allowing me to capture the season's highs & lows.
Thanks to Rick for his incredible efforts this year pushing the team forward, sometimes in what must have felt like desperate times. For the team to be planning a bigger and better future based upon a long-term sponsorship deal is testament to Rick's efforts, tenacity and undefeatable passion for his team.
The network of helpers, supporters, friends, family members... have all contributed to the development of the team this year. It's been great to meet new faces and spend time with them.
We'll be looking back at the season in due course as well as looking forward to 2025, and planning for the new season, keep your eyes peeled for updates soon.
#MORETHANATEAM
Words and Photos; Adam Winfield, Through the Lens