Beaumont Trophy 2026

That could explain how the race exploded on the very first lap. Heading into Stamfordham at the end of the opening tour, groups of riders were scattered across the road. The lead group of 10 were motoring along with a fair rate, aided by a pack that included the JAKROO Handsling pair of Alex Franks and Oscar Nisbett, Olivier Mangham (DAS-Richardsons), Foran CT’s Dom Jackson and Oliver Hucks, Josh Housley (Ride Revolution Cycling), Oliver Hurdle (StolenGoat 4Endurance), Cai Curtis-Roberts (360cycling), Damien Clayton (Private Member), and Matthew Warhurst (Schils-Doltcini Racing Team). 

Behind, the nearest chasers were Mark Hansom (TS Racing) and Benjamin Fish (Private Member) but had Tom Martin (Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli), Ethan Squires (BCC Race Team), and Thomas Heal (JAKROO Handsling) only a handful of seconds further back. 

The leaders had a mammoth advantage over the peloton, which was 3m40sec as they crossed the line for the first time. That deficit was no doubt aided by the fact that the peloton with JAKROO riders including Rowan Baker controlling pace, wasn’t entirely keen to attack their own squad mates.

Come the end of the second of the four full laps the front 10 had, if anything, got even more comfortable in their position. Working smartly together and sharing the effort at the front, they built up a lead of two minutes on a group of eight which included Martin and Heal, alongside Henry Hunter (360cycling), Alex Beldon (NSN Development Team), Will Truelove (JAKROO Handsling), Jordan Giles (DAS Richardsons), Jonny Britton (Moonglu SpatzWear) and Oliver Snodden (Mandene Racing). 

They had a decent advantage over the peloton, which was over two minutes, but as the third lap got going properly, the race was neutralised for a crash in the peloton involving half-a-dozen riders. When the race got going again with about a 45-minute delay, the action was quick to evolve. 

From the lead group, three riders departed. Franks had to retire with a mechanical, whilst Curtis-Roberts and Jackson slipped into the clutches of the lead chase group behind. That group found itself under pressure by the peloton, which had reset and was renewed in its resolve to chase down the leaders.

Formed into one cohesive unit, the peloton’s pace started to ramp up and was taking chunks of time out of the lead seven’s advantage with every kilometre ticked off. 

Coming into the closing stages of the lap, just before the last ascent of the Ryals, the chase group made contact with the leaders. That didn’t settle the race, though, as riders looked to shake up the composition of the front group. Attacks came from riders including Clayton, who had a long spell off the front come the closing 10km of the race and had a decent lead at one point as the chasers behind all looked at each other to do the work of pulling him back in.

It took to within the final handful of kilometres for Clayton’s solo effort to initially be pulled back in, but he immediately launched a counter attack to try and fracture the group again. The leaders didn’t let him get away this time, and Beldon made strong work of sticking to Clayton’s back wheel.

In the closing kilometres the group finally settled somewhat with Clayton still providing most of the forward momentum on the front as riders looked toward a likely sprint finish. Sam Carrotte (Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT) tried an audacious move off the front in the final kilometre but was shut down by Wheelbase-CabTech-Castelli as the squad made its numerical advantage at the front count.

Working up through the lead group, Shoreman found himself at the rear of a fluorescent green lead out which launched him into the village in pole position. There was just one obstacle: Ollie Wood. The latter’s sprinting prowess needs no explanation, the Rapha Cycling Club rider is one of the fastest on two wheels and was side-by-side with Shoreman. 

The pair were putting in maximum effort and on the run to the line, it was Shoreman who just snatched the victory by what appeared to be about half-the-width of his front tyre. He said afterwards, because he was looking down the full length of the sprint, he could see Wood’s front wheel and knew it was going to be close but just not how close until they crossed the line. 

In an equally explosive sprint behind, John Bardsley (Private Member) out-muscled Beldon and Trueolve to take the final spot on the podium. 

Elsewhere, Josh Housley’s early exploits in the break bagged himself enough points to win the King of the Ryals competition. 

National Road Series leader Tom Armstrong, Shoreman’s teammate, took 13th on the road and bagged important points in his quest to take the series title next weekend at the North Yorkshire Grand Prix. He now leads by 45 points over teammate Tom Martin and, without wanting to put a curse on him, surely has one hand on the title.