The HSBC UK | National Women’s Series and HSBC UK | Grand Prix Series continue at the Stockton Cycling Festival on Sunday 15 July.
About the HSBC UK | National Women’s Series
The HSBC UK | National Women’s Road Series consists of seven rounds of racing with Stockton being the fifth. The National Women’s Series follows the same points system for race placing, with the overall winner accumulating the most points over the series.
The course
Ones to watch
19-year-old, Sophie Wright (Torelli-Brother) heads into Round five of the HSBC UK | National Women’s Road Series with a 17-point lead in the overall standings. Wright jumped into the lead after winning stage two at round three of the series, Tour of the Reservoir.
Smart riding from Wright at round four in Otley to finish fifth saw her successfully defend her leader’s jersey from second placed overall Nikki Juniper (NJC – Biemme - Echelon) and third, Anna Henderson (Cycle Team OnForm). Both Juniper and Henderson will race in Stockton, perhaps looking to take advantage of Wright’s unknown form after crashing at the recent Mercedes Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Val Di Sole.
Rhona Callander took an impressive win at round four in Otley ahead of Mel Lowther (Storey Racing). Callander and her Team Breeze teammates, national road race champion Jess Roberts and Eleanor Dickinson, third at the HSBC UK | National Road Championships will aim to put in a good team performance to maintain their overall lead in the team classification.
Multiple Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey will also ride on Sunday for her namesake team Storey Racing. She will be joined by teammate Anna Kay, who is having an excellent first season with the team and finished third in the under-23 classification at the HSBC UK | National Road Championships.
About the HSBC UK | Grand Prix Series
The HSBC UK | Grand Prix Series is a five-part race series taking place throughout June, July and August. The series kicked off with the two-day race at the Tour of the Reservoir and a thrilling race in Bristol - three rounds remain in Stockton, Leicester and ending in Ryedale on 26 August.
The course
Ones to watch
The HSBC UK | Grand Prix Series leader and national road race champion, Connor Swift continued his excellent form at round two of the series taking third place and securing the overall lead in the series for his team, Madison-Genesis.
It was the young rider Matt Gibson (JLT Condor) who won the Bristol GP, not by surprise however, Gibson is currently leading the HSBC UK | National Circuit Series by 30 points to his nearest competitor, points amounted through a second place and two third place finishes in that competition.
Canyon Eisberg rider Jack Pullar currently occupies second place in the overall standings. Two top ten finishes at round one, the Tour of the Reservoir and second behind Gibson puts the 28-year-old in a positive position for the overall classification.
Winner of Skipton Grand Prix earlier this week and under-23 national road race champion Rob Scott (Team Wiggins) is in excellent form and proving himself to be a serious threat. With a good team around him, Scott will be hoping to start making an impression on the Grand Prix Series.
How to follow
-
Follow the action from the HSBC UK | National Grand Prix Series and the HSBC UK | National Women’s Road Series on our live blog on Sunday from 8.15am for race updates, images and social media.
-
Follow @BritishCycling on Twitter for updates from both events throughout the racing.
-
Video highlights, reports, results, images and reaction will appear on the British Cycling website.
