Announcing the We Buy Cycle Crit League for 2026

February 5, 2026

You may have seen on our socials, but just in case, we’re back, and we have a new roster of supporters to help us bring you the best crit league series in the country.

We’ve used the winter to listen to you, the racers, to understand what we do well, and what could be improved. We’ve tried to make as many adjustments as possible and we hope you’re as excited about the 2026 season as we are. On that note, I’ll stop waffling and share the detail you really want to know.

We Buy Cycle Crit League 2026

This year, the league will be contested across 7 events at our Darley Moor home, starting in March, and concluding in August. We have more categories, longer races, and every race will be run separately to ensure everyone feels safe and supported – Life can be hectic, racing bikes should be a fun escape and thats our goal for 2026.

Race Categories:

Each event will be run as normal under the British Cycling governance as stand alone races. This means you’ll earn BC points for qualifying positions and cash prizes for podium positions. The categories and start times are as follows;

08.30 – Women’s Cat 2,3 & 4 Race – 45mins
09.30 – Open Cat 4 only – 45mins
10.30 – Open Cat 3 & 4 – 60mins
12.15 – Open E123 – 90mins
14.00 – Masters (40+) Cat 3 & 4 only – 60mins

Series Points and Prizes

While BC points are only awarded to the top riders, everyone earns We Buy Cycle Crit League Points. You can read the full rules/system by clicking here, but in summary, the winner of every category earns 100 points, 99 for second and so on. We’ll tally the points throughout the season to track your progression, providing friendly competition for everyone, no matter your category.

At the end of the season, the rider with the most points will add Crit Champ of Derbados to their palmares. We’re super lucky again to work with amazing local brands who are donating a prize pot in the region of £10k to reward your efforts.

GC Prizes –

1st Place Prize – supplied by title sponsors We Buy Cycles is a £3,000 bike voucher to be used against any stocked item.
2nd Place Prize – A premium carbon wheelset from Vetta Cycling
3rd Place prize – £500 repair or respray voucher from carbon specialists CBT

Sprint Prizes –

New for 2026 is the sprint league supported by A6 Coffee Co and Kick Back Coffee. Full details can be found on the rules page. Riders will earn points for mid race prime sprints and the final position over the line. The rider with the most points at the end of the year will be crowned Watt Bomb of the Midlands.

Riders who win a prime sprint, will wheel away with goodies from our sponsors including;

250g bags of coffee from Kick Back Coffee
Cycling accessories from Velo-Tool
Track taster sessions from Derby Arena

Kit Sponsor

This year we have Acesca who will be proving both a leaders and a sprinters jersey. We can’t wait for you to see the designs we’ve cooked up, but lets just say everyone will be wanting one.

Sign Up, Dates and Pricing

All entries are to be made via the British Cycling Website for your first race of the day. You can find the details for entry linked here. We were open with you, and as expected, our costs have increased this year. Your feedback was to keep the entry price as low as possible, sacrificing the prize pot. We’re proud to announce that entry fee remains £20 for online entry and £25 on the day.

We’re also committed to promoting team racing and offer 5 riders for the price of 4.

And last but least, we know racing is a commitment so make the most of your day and do a second race for £10 only.

Unfortunately the BC website can’t process discounts yet, so get in touch if you need to access any of our deals, or just need help with navigating the entry process.

Final thoughts

Expect more updates in the coming weeks. We can guarantee sunshine, the sexiest leaders jerseys, a little Haus madness and maybe even a few more surprises up our sleeves.

That’s enough waffle for now, keep your eyes peeled, ride safe and hopefully see you in March!