Curlew Cup 2026

The penultimate round of the National Road Series provided something of a unique feature, certainly this season, as showers ranging from light to heavy peppered the Northumberland course. 

That left the roads of the former borderlands, this course just a stone’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall, with a covering of dampness, giving the 58 riders starting the Curlew Cup something slightly different to think about compared to the parched conditions experienced this summer. 

Those conditions perhaps explained the approach for the first lap, with no one especially eager to launch a move in the first half lap until Nicola Quaye (360cycling) attacked on the far side of the course. Alone going up the Ryals for the first time, her advantage stretched to just under a minute, aided by the peloton splitting into two groups as they approached the climb. 

The penultimate round of the National Road Series provided something of a unique feature, certainly this season, as showers ranging from light to heavy peppered the Northumberland course.
That left the roads of the former borderlands, this course just a stone’s throw from Hadrian’s Wall, with a covering of dampness, giving the 58 riders starting the Curlew Cup something slightly different to think about compared to the parched conditions experienced this summer.

Those conditions perhaps explained the approach for the first lap, with no one especially eager to launch a move in the first half lap until Nicola Quaye (360cycling) attacked on the far side of the course. Alone going up the Ryals for the first time, her advantage stretched to just under a minute, aided by the peloton splitting into two groups as they approached the climb.

Through Fenwick and back into Stamfordham to complete the first lap, the peloton rejoined into a roughly 40-rider mass but no one was wanting to burn matches too early. As Quaye passed the feed zone and got to Blackheddon Bridge her lead had grown to 90 seconds. 

For the middle lap, it was a similar story. The peloton was fracturing and reforming, with Quaye able to pace herself to a certain extent as the lead remained steady at around the minute-and-a-half mark. However, as the race approached the Ryals for the penultimate time the lead starting to shrink, 1min15sec at the top of the climb became 44sec going into Stamfordham. 

With the bell ringing in their ears the peloton started to really power along, pushed forward by Lily Martin (Loughborough Lightning) to trim the lead down to 11 seconds on the run North toward Belsay Hall. 

Through Fenwick and back into Stamfordham to complete the first lap, the peloton rejoined into a roughly 40-rider mass but no one was wanting to burn matches too early. As Quaye passed the feed zone and got to Blackheddon Bridge her lead had grown to 90 seconds.
For the middle lap, it was a similar story. The peloton was fracturing and reforming, with Quaye able to pace herself to a certain extent as the lead remained steady at around the minute-and-a-half mark. However, as the race approached the Ryals for the penultimate time the lead starting to shrink, 1min15sec at the top of the climb became 44sec going into Stamfordham.

With the bell ringing in their ears the peloton started to really power along, pushed forward by Lily Martin (Loughborough Lightning) to trim the lead down to 11 seconds on the run North toward Belsay Hall.

 

But as the race reached its crescendo, the race had one more twist in store. The Handsling Alba Development Road Team had been launching numerous attacks throughout, but it was only when Arabella Blackburn attacked in the final half-lap that something finally stuck as she bridged across to Quaye. 

But as the race reached its crescendo, the race had one more twist in store. The Handsling Alba Development Road Team had been launching numerous attacks throughout, but it was only when Arabella Blackburn attacked in the final half-lap that something finally stuck as she bridged across to Quaye.

But as the race reached its crescendo, the race had one more twist in store. The Handsling Alba Development Road Team had been launching numerous attacks throughout, but it was only when Arabella Blackburn attacked in the final half-lap that something finally stuck as she bridged across to Quaye.

 Working well together, they stretched the lead back out to almost 90 seconds as the peloton settled for fighting for third rather than seeing if the leaders were able to be bridged to.
Coming into the final 3km, Blackburn said afterwards that she had tried to launch an attack on the final ascent of the Ryals but couldn’t make a move stick and, starting to cramp and fatigue, elected to sit on Quaye and put the pressure on the erstwhile leader.
Quaye, however, wasn’t going to let her final race of the season fizzle out. Counting down the kilometres until she reached the line, as soon as she saw the Stamfordham village sign she went full gas and sprinted all the way to the finish, holding enough in reserve to be able to pip Blackburn by a matter of metres. To cap off a successful season, having returned to the peloton after a few years away, Quaye also claimed the Queen of the Ryals competition.
Behind, the peloton split coming into the closing stages with a group of three – Awen Roberts (Canyon/SRAM Generation), Katie Scott (DAS-Hutchinson), and Martin – breaking clear of the rest. A ferocious three-up sprint to the finish just went the way of Roberts, with Scott fourth and Martin gaining more useful National Road Series points in fifth.
With Morven Yeoman (DAS-Hutchinson) finishing 10th, in the peloton, the gap at the top of the Series standings has shrunk down to 18 points with Yeoman on 258 and Martin on 240 with just the Ryedale Grand Prix next weekend awaiting the peloton.