The last Saturday for the VB Crit series started cool, calm, with no drama; that is until Gemma and Emily decended onto sign-on. They had a plan to mix things up…
The day kicked off with the Open 4th Cat Only and the Women’s 2/3/4 race, and what unfolded was without doubt the most exciting spectacle of the series so far. But first, we were treated to a moment of comedy timing, Tim Banks burst the zip on his skinsuit as the race briefing finished. No fix possible, he simply shrugged it off and rolled to the line, jersey flapping in the wind — “who needs aero anyway?”
The women’s race is started 30 seconds behind the mens race and have run as individual races all season. The rules are simple: the two groups are run as separate races, unless the women catch the men. On lap one, that’s exactly what happened — the women stormed through, immediately changing the whole dynamic of the race.
From that moment, the racing was relentless. Both men and women launched attack after attack, keeping the bunch on edge and the spectators glued to the action. Emily Martin and Gemma Mitchell rode nose to tail for the whole race, while Abbie showed no regard for the overall prize and instead detonated the bunch with a ferocious sprint to claim the full gas coffee prime.
By the final lap the story was written: not only had the women started behind the men, they had caught them, then pulled clear, proving their dominance. In the end it was Libby Bell who delivered a decisive victory, with Gemma Mitchell in 2nd and Emily Martin rounding out the podium in 3rd.
The men’s race also saw a hard-fought battle, with George Cooper taking the win, ahead of Darley’s own only fans model Tim Banks and Joseph Bullock. For the crowd, this was racing at its absolute best: fast, unpredictable, and historic for the series.
Another huge field rolled out for the Open 3/4, with more than 60 riders on the line and one shared objective: destroy the field from lap one.
A few hardy legs from the earlier 4th Cat race had decided one race wasn’t enough and signed up for race two, ready to turn themselves inside out all over again. The start, however, didn’t go quite to plan. One rider had pinned his number the wrong way around in his skinsuit, meaning a short delay while the mistake was corrected.
When the flag finally dropped, the pace was savage, more in line with what you’d expect from the elite riders. Attacks flew in every direction, but nothing could break the stranglehold of the bunch. Even the prime laps weren’t enough to dislodge a move.
That meant only one thing: a full-gas last lap. The speed through the chicane was white-knuckle, and Erica, the medic, was left praying for clean wheels and upright riders. This time, the prayers went unanswered. A spectacular crash shredded the bunch, with one beautiful Trek Madone reduced to scrap carbon fibre. Fortunately, the rider performed a near-Olympic standard forward roll across the grass and escaped with little more than bruises.
At the sharp end, it was the “old guard” showing the youngsters how it’s done. Paul Thursfield surged to victory, with Paul Foster in 2nd, and Josh Williams in 3rd. Williams also grabbed the first Prime, which he credited to the “smooth, exceptional performance advantage” of the Vetta Wheels he was borrowing.
Another brutal, chaotic, and highly entertaining race — the Open 3/4 didn’t disappoint
The Elite boys always have a certain presence on the line. No panic, no fuss, just calm faces and ruthless intent. When the whistle went, that calm turned into savage watts as they blasted straight into sub-three-minute laps, immediately heaping misery on the brave riders who had doubled up after the Open 3/4.
It took several volleys of attacks before a move finally stuck. Three riders forced a gap, and over the next few laps the escape swelled to nine. With a 30-second cushion established, the rest of the field were locked out — no one was bridging across.
Meanwhile, Erica decided to crank up the suffering. In a stroke of savage genius, she called for back-to-back primes to see how badly they wanted the Full Gas Coffee and Velotool prizes. The first sprint was all-out, but by the second lap the effort proved too much; Michael Chadwick rolled over the line to take it — blissfully unaware he’d even won.
As the race reached its climax, the front group wound it up for a furious finale. Josh Horsfield delivered a powerful last lap to take the win, securing his overall 2nd place in the league in the process. Sam Llewelyn claimed 2nd on the day, while Adam “supposed to be retired” Kenway showed his class once again in 3rd.
Another fast, clinical, and brutal display from the elites — and a perfect way to close out the VB Crit League.
The day’s racing closed out with a crowd favourite: the Fatties & Forties — a special spin on the Open 3/4, reserved for riders over 40 or tipping the scales at 90kg+. A chance for the experienced campaigners to enjoy their own race, free from the teenage racing snakes.
On paper, this looked like it might be a steady, tactical affair — silver highlights in the bunch suggesting wisdom over wildness. In reality? Quite the opposite. From the whistle it was attack, attack, attack! with riders refusing to let the pace drop for the full 60 minutes.
Despite the aggression, no break could get clear. Eventually, the peloton seemed to concede that this one would come down to a drag race. And so it was: the line approached, the sprint erupted, and Alex Whittaker powered through for the win. David Miller chased hard for 2nd, with Antony Ryder completing the podium in 3rd.
A fitting finale — fast, fierce, and anything but sedate. The perfect way to close out another cracking day of racing. All the results and links are below!
A huge thank you goes out to everyone who made today and this series possible — the riders who gave us such fierce, entertaining racing, our sponsors for their continued support, and the volunteers who keep the wheels turning. Special mention to Harry Compton, who still gets lost inside a flag (and whose dad, Mark, really does need to buy him a bike so he can race instead).
And of course, thanks to the commissaires for keeping us just about on the right side of order (we’ll never be PC on this side of the track). We’ll be back next year — provided British Cycling can tolerate our slightly unconventional, “rules are meant to be broken” approach to crit racing!
You’ve been brilliant. We’ve done our best. Same again next year….?
The cherry on top of every event has to be the amazing content you guys create. It really does help showcase the cycling scene we have here in the midlands, which we truly believe is the best racing in the country for all abilities. Links below for photos and videos to keep you motivated for the cold winter months ahead… don;t worry, it’ll soon be March!
- Emma Wilcock Photography
- Link to the updated Velo Bavarian Crit League
- Pictures from Andy Lidgett and Jayne Crick with some sneaky drone footage can be found here.
And our regular Youtubers share their race performances below…
