Published: 19th May 2025 Images: Scottish Cycling

Richardson Czechs Out to claim maiden UCI win

Kate Richardson (Handsling-Alba) won out at the Tour de Feminin in Czechia to claim hers and the team’s first UCI-level victory.

Main Image: Images: Jakub Trmal

Tour de Feminin

Kate Richardson came out on top at the UCI 2.2 Tour de Feminin in the Bohemian Switzerland over the weekend.

After a solid start in the opening Team Time Trial left Handsling-Alba just 43 seconds down on the race lead, the Scottish team would go on the attack on Stage 2, with Lauren Dickson racing for Queen of the Mountain points, with the stage ultimately coming down to a sprint.

Saturday’s Queen Stage would decide the race – the 113.6km route through the Šluknov Hills would see the peloton fall to pieces. Torrential rain in the later part of the stage would suit the British-based teams with Richardson forcing her way clear with Ester Wong (Torelli), Emilie Fortin (CJ O’Shea), and Robin Clay (DAS-Hutchison) with 20km remaining.

The Glaswegian would attack again at the sprint point, to pick up three more bonus seconds, and drop Wong to leave the trio out front in the final few kilometres. Clay would take the stage on the wet cobbled streets of Rumburk, with Richardson in second.

Importantly the trio would come home 55 seconds clear of the peloton – enough to provide Richardson the leaders jersey by 18 seconds over Malwina Mul (MAT Atom Wroclaw) heading into Sunday’s final stage – with a further seven riders within a minute of the race lead.

The final 104.5km stage in Krásná Lípa would see Mul attack alongside fourth-placed Tess Moerman (Belgium), but excellent teamwork by Handsling-Alba would see the attacks covered before materialising into significant threats.

The final climb to Vápenka, which crested just three kilometers before the finish, would be springboard for further attacks. The MAT Atom team managed to put the yellow jersey under pressure, but Richardson managed to stay in the leading group of 16 riders over the summit.

In the sprint finish in Krásná Lípa, Kate Richardson finished safely in 14th place without losing time and could begin celebrating her overall victory – her first UCI victory, and a long-awaited first win for Handsling-Alba to top off an excellent few weeks for the Scottish team, bolstered by a ninth place in the overall for Lauren Dickson in her first ever stage race.

Scottish Omnium Champs

Sam Barbour (Cycling Sheffield) and Mille Thomson (Solas Cycling) came out on top at the Scottish National Omnium Championships on a Beautiful Sunday in Dundee.

Attacking riding was rewarded in the Senior Open, with Barbour attacking in both tempo and points races, while there was a surprise in the elimination race with Andrew Bruce’s (Vanelli-Project GO) long range effort catching the field off guard. It was a similar story in the Female championship with Thomson sweeping up sprints at every turn, except in the elimination race.

Read the full report here.

 

The Gralloch

Some of the world’s best gravel riders descended on Gatehouse of Fleet for the The Gralloch – a UCI Gravel Series event.

The third edition of the Gralloch, UK’s biggest gravel event in the Galloway Forrest attracted 2392 riders from 35 countries at the start to enjoy the world class course.

In the women elite field, Noemie Thomson broke away on the first hill to build up a nearly 2:30 lead halfway the race. A chase group of 4 formed behind with Tessa Neefjes, Lizi Brooke, Sophie Wright and Ffion Gilbert. Thomson then crashed with 14km to go which gave the group behind the chance to close the gap in the final paved section to finally decide on the victory in a 4-women sprint (Thomson finally finishing seventh). Neefjes won ahead of Gilbert, Wright and Brooke in that order.

Scotland’s Anna Flynn (Spectra Racing) would come in an excellent fifth place, and has now qualified for the World Championships. Mia Padmanabhan (Glasgow University) and Rebecca Saunderson (Studio Velo) would come home second and third in the Female 19-34 category, and in 19th and 21st overall.

The men’s race saw an early attack from the duo Petr Vakoc and Ben Thomas that was steadily built up towards halfway the race when Vakoc had a puncture and two riders came back, including Matthew Holmes, already winner in Portugal earlier this season and Benjamin Perry. In a 4-men sprint, Holmes started early but was passed by Vakoc on the line with Perry rounding out the podium and Thomas finishing fourth.

Cameron Mason (Seven Racing) came home as top Scot in 18th place; Aaron King (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) and Gavin Dempster (Moray Firth Cycling Club) would come home inside the top 30 – with Dempster claiming the 35-39 age group win.

Well done to all of those who took part in either the race or sportive – and we hope you’ve cleared all the dust off by now – there’s time for you to enter the Scottish Gravel Championships on 16th August at Whitlee Windfarm

UCI Para-Road World Cup

In Italy, it was the latest round of the UCI Para Road World Cup in Maniago, with Fin Graham and Callum Deboys in action.

In the Men’s C3 category, Fin Graham would win out in the road race, riding away from the field to collect another stunning win to his already large palmares.

While Deboys would have another excellent ride to back his fourth in Belgium, scoring eighth in Veneto – winning the bunch kick to the line.

If you want to get involved in Para-Racing, then we are hosting a Para-Cycling Talent Identification Day on Sunday, 25th May at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.

On the day you will:
• Learn more about para-cycling, Scottish Cycling and the Great Britain Cycling Team Performance Programmes
• Learn more about classification
• Have the opportunity to ask questions
• Participate in a track cycling skills session

Apply Here.

BMX Series

The latest round of the Scottish Regional BMX Series took place in Clydebank, organised by Western Titans.

Amongst the wins were Harrison Bell (Western Titans), Alexis McCartney (Cumbernauld Centurions) and Lewis Collin-Nimmo (Western Titans).

Check out the full results here.