Sensational Saturday: Finucane Stars at Lloyds National Track Championships

by | Feb 21, 2026

All Images © Cycepix4u / Chris Maher

Sensational Saturday: Finucane Stars at Lloyds National Track Championships

Day three of the Lloyds National Track Championships in Manchester delivered an action-packed Saturday, highlighted by Emma Finucane’s commanding Women’s Keirin victory and a flurry of multi-title wins across the individual, team, and para-cycling disciplines.

Here is how the action unfolded at the National Cycling Centre:

Women’s Events:

Women’s Keirin

• Gold: Emma Finucane

• Silver: Lowri Thomas

• Bronze: Lauren Bell

In the final event of the day, Emma Finucane put on a flawless performance. She dominated from the front, building a massive gap to secure the gold in style. Behind her, an intense battle for the podium saw Lowri Thomas narrowly pip defending champion Lauren Bell for silver.

I raced in the Keirin last year and got silver, so I’m really happy about how this Keirin went… It was a massive group of girls who raced really well, and really fast, so I am really proud of this one.

Emma Finucane

Women’s Points Race

• Gold: Anna Morris (Private Member)

• Silver: Josie Knight (DAS-Hutchinson)

• Bronze: Katie Archibald (dooleys cycles)

Anna Morris stormed to her second victory of the week following Thursday’s Scratch win. After a reserved start, Morris, alongside Archibald, Knight, Jess Roberts, and Phoebe Taylor, made a decisive move at the halfway point to gain a lap and 20 points. Morris and Archibald traded late attacks, but Morris secured second on the final sprint to seal the title by more than ten points. Knight managed to sneak fourth in the final dash to edge Archibald out of the silver medal spot.

Men’s Events:

Men’s Elimination

• Gold: Matt Bostock (Rapha CC)

• Silver: William Tidball (Velo Club Villefranche Beaujolais)

• Bronze: Charlie Tanfield (Private Member)

Matt Bostock secured his second national champion jersey of the weekend in a chaotic elimination race. With a high-calibre trio remaining for the final laps, confusion arose regarding the bronze medal elimination between Tanfield and Tidball. Bostock capitalized on the hesitation, riding away for a straightforward victory.

It’s mint, especially since the elimination is kind of a gamble. It’s always much trickier to win than other races so it feels good.

Matt Bostock

Men’s Team Sprint

• Gold: Team Inspired A (Matthew Richardson, Marcus Hiley, Harry Radford)

• Silver: Team Inspired B (Ed Lowe, Hamish Turnbull, Hayden Norris)

• Bronze: Team Inspired C (Lyall Craig, Joe Truman, Archie Gill, Oliver Pettifer)

Team Inspired A backed up their dominant qualifying run with gold, but they had to fight for it. After an inspired turn by Hamish Turnbull, Team B held a slender lead heading into the final lap. However, Matthew Richardson proved he was on another level, unleashing a massive burst of speed to swing the pendulum back to Team A and win by over a second.

Para-Cycling Events:

Women’s B Individual Pursuit

• Gold: Sophie Unwin & Jenny Holl (Private Member)

• Silver: Georgina Bullen & Miriam Jessett (Born to Bike)

• Bronze: Amelia Robertson & Kate Richardson

World champions Sophie Unwin and Jenny Holl completed a spectacular hat-trick, securing their third national title of the week. Racing in their rainbow stripes, the duo produced a textbook ride to overtake Bullen and Jessett in the second half of the pursuit.

We are world champions right now and riding at home, which is not something you get to do all the time, so that has been super cool.

Jenny Holl

Women’s C1-5 Scratch

• Gold: Crystal Lane-Wright (Private Member)

• Silver: Rebecca Newark (Jadan Glasdon pb Vive le Velo)

Crystal Lane-Wright made history by becoming the inaugural women’s C Scratch champion, adding to her C5 Elimination win from Thursday. Lane-Wright, Newark, and Morgan Newberry accelerated away from the pack just past the halfway mark. After dropping Newberry, Lane-Wright stayed cool on Newark’s wheel until the bell, powering over the top on the final bend to cruise to victory.

Men’s B Sprint

• Gold: Frederick Ireland & Aaron Pope (Private Member)

• Silver: Tim Caldwell & Benedict Elliot (Weaver Valley CC)

An illness to pre-race favourite Matthew Rotherham (piloting world champion James Ball) blew the competition wide open. Ireland and Pope—who only got on a tandem together for the first time this week—seized the opportunity, comfortably beating Caldwell and Elliot in the final.

Men’s MC C1-3 Time Trial

• Gold: Finlay Graham (1:08.546)

• Silver: Matthew Robertson (+1.210s)

• Bronze: Callum Deboys

Finlay Graham blitzed the track to win his third gold of the week, overcoming a tough field to secure the national jersey.

I have not done much track stuff, but, obviously winning three events, I could not have asked for any better.

Finlay Graham

Men’s C4-5 Time Trial

• Gold: Alex Jones (1:06.221)

• Silver: Jody Cundy (+0.243s)

• Bronze: Sebastien Tyrie (1:09.468)

In the most fiercely contested para-cycling event of the day, Alex Jones pulled off an overwhelming victory, edging out silver medallist Jody Cundy by a razor-thin margin of just 0.243 seconds.

It is pretty overwhelming as I did not expect that and I am just lost for words right now.

Alex Jones

Richardson Dominates and Knight Shocks at the Lloyds National Track Championships

by | Feb 20, 2026

All images © Cyclepix4u

Day Two Highlights: Richardson Dominates and Knight Shocks at the Lloyds National Track Championships

Day two of the Lloyds National Track Championships delivered a blistering showcase of elite track racing. The velodrome witnessed Matthew Richardson cruise to a second national sprint title, Josie Knight pull off a dramatic late surge to dethrone a world champion, and Kadeena Cox master a demanding new distance. Meanwhile, bold attacks and high-stakes Paralympic events rounded out a thrilling day of competition.

Event Recaps & Key Moments

Men’s Sprint: Richardson Back on Top

Matthew Richardson (Team Inspired) secured his second national jersey in GB colours with a masterclass in control. Cruising through the knockout rounds undefeated, he met teammate Harry Ledingham-Horn in the gold medal final. Ledingham-Horn had previously bested Archie Gill (Private Member) in the semis, but Richardson proved untouchable on the line.

It’s good to win another national jersey. It was a conservative day. I respected my opponents but obviously raced smart as I didn’t want to waste too much energy… It wasn’t the hardest day I’ve ever had on a bike but it’s all part of learning. It’s still very special but nothing will quite top the first time, as last year was obviously really special.

Matthew Richardson

Women’s Individual Pursuit: Knight Edges Out Morris

Josie Knight (DAS Hutchinson) set the tone early by qualifying just 0.141 seconds ahead of reigning world and national champion Anna Morris (Private Member). In the gold medal showdown, Morris established a strong early lead, but Knight unleashed a fierce late charge to close the gap, snatching victory right at the finish line to deny Morris’s title defence. Erin Boothman (Liv AlUla Jayco) secured the bronze ahead of Jessica Roberts (Spectra Racing).

All images © Cyclepix4u

Honestly I think it’s an absolute privilege to race Anna [Morris]. She pushes you on to be better, you’re up against a world champion and that comes with some pedigree. You want to beat the best and that’s her, I’m happy that I’ve done that today.

Josie Knight

Women’s C4-5 Time-Trial: Cox Conquers the Kilo

Kadeena Cox added another gold to her collection, showcasing immense adaptability in the new, longer kilo distance. Racing last, Cox executed a flawless and confident ride, pacing herself brilliantly to grow stronger as the laps ticked down. Crystal Lane-Wright (BCP – Private Member) took a well-earned silver, and Rebecca Newark (JAD) claimed bronze.

I’m used to riding the 500m and just going all guns blazing, so I tried to taper back the first lap a little bit so I had a bit more on the second and third… It does feel like a massive difference with the new event. I am a ‘sprinter’ sprinter—one lap is probably my best, so it’s a challenge, but also I feel like it’s the type of challenge I’ve needed for the past few years.

Kadeena Cox

Standout Performances in the Scratch and Elimination Races

• Matt Bostock lit up the men’s scratch race with a bold, early attack that sealed a massive statement win.

• Fin Graham and Archie Atkinson both reigned victorious in the high-stakes, newly introduced Paralympic Games elimination races for the C1-C3 and C4-C5 categories, respectively.

(For the full daily round-up and live results from the National Cycling Centre, please visit the official event page.)

 

Morris Defends, Tanfield Topples the Champ

by | Feb 19, 2026

The opening day of the Lloyds National Track Championships at Manchester’s National Cycling Centre was a masterclass in tactical racing and raw power, with seven national titles decided in a packed Friday session.

Here is how the action unfolded:

 

Morris Defends, Tanfield Topples the Champ

Anna Morris successfully defended her Women’s Scratch Race title after a high-stakes tactical battle. Morris remained patient within a congested pack until the final five laps, when she countered an attack by Josie Knight. While Knight eventually faded, Morris powered through the final stretch to secure gold. Jenny Holl surged late to take silver, while 17-year-old Phoebe Taylor rounded out the podium with bronze.

In the Men’s Individual Pursuit, Charlie Tanfield delivered the performance of the day. In a head-to-head against reigning world champion Josh Charlton, Tanfield turned a razor-thin lead at the 1km mark into a dominant victory. He finished in 4:04.010—more than four seconds ahead of Charlton. Leon Atkins secured the bronze, defeating Michael Gill with a time of 4:10.846.

History in the Women’s C Elimination

The championships saw a historic debut for the Women’s C Elimination race. Crystal Lane-Wright (C5) and Elisabeth Simpson (C2) became the first-ever gold medalists in this event.

  • Simpson outperformed Amelia Cass to take the C2 honors.

  • Lane-Wright, competing in her first national championship since becoming a mother, survived a near-elimination early on before powering away to win the C5 title ahead of Morgan Newberry.

Dominance in the Team & Para Scratch Races

The playfully named “Jean Claude Tan Damme” squad—comprising James Ball, Matt Rotherham, Sophie Unwin, and Jenny Holl—lived up to their billing in the Mixed B Team Sprint. They dominated the final with a time of 50.760, finishing nearly two seconds clear of their closest rivals.

In the Men’s C1-5 Scratch Race, Archie Atkinson (C4-5) and Fin Graham (C1-3) proved why they are global forces. After 40 laps of trading attacks, Atkinson unleashed a perfectly timed sprint at the bell to take the overall win and the C4-5 title. Graham, finishing third across the line, secured the gold for the C1-3 category.

Sprint Qualifiers: Setting the Pace

The speedsters took to the boards for qualifying rounds, signaling a fast weekend ahead:

  • Men’s 200m Sprint: Matt Richardson set a blistering pace of 9.192 seconds to top the standings.

  • Women’s Team Sprint: Team Inspire A (Parris-Smith, Thomas, and world champion Emma Finucane) clocked a 47.077, leading the field by a significant 1.5-second margin heading into the finals.

Men’s C1-3 Scratch 

Gold – Fin Graham

Silver – Charlie Stanton Stock

Bronze – Matthew Robertson

Women’s Scratch

Gold – Anna Morris

Silver – Jenny Holl

Bronze – Phoebe Taylor

Mixed Team B Sprint 

Gold – Jean Claude Tan-Damme

Silver – Freddie Said Go

Men’s C4-5 Scratch 

Gold – Archie Atkinson

Silver – Will Bjergfelt

Bronze – Xavier Disley

Men’s Individual Pursuit 

Gold – Charlie Tanfield

Silver – Josh Charlton

Bronze – Leon Atkins

Women’s C5 Elimination 

Gold – Crystal Lane-Wright

Silver – Morgan Newberry

Bronze – Elsie Hughes

Women’s C2 Elimination

Gold – Elisabeth Simpson

Silver – Amelia Cass

Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International – Harrogate

by | Sep 21, 2019

The cycling celebrations got off to a sensational start on Saturday with the Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International taking place in glorious conditions before the opening ceremony kicked off the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in the Harrogate Fan Zone.

Tens of thousands of fans turned out to cheer on the best para-cyclists in the world as they competed in the first-ever para-cycling event to be held alongside the UCI Road World Championships. 89 male and female para-athletes battled it out in no less than 26 different races, with Beverley’s Adam Duggleby the very first rider to cross the finish line piloting Hebden Bridge resident Stephen Bate after emerging triumphant in the B class, after pulling away from Team Ireland on the final drag up Parliament Street on the finish on West Park.

Interview – Stephen Bate – Yorkshire 2019 Para Cycling Class B Winner by Cycling Shorts

Team GB rider Stephen Bate chats to CyclingShorts.cc after his win in the Yorkshire 2019 Para-cycling Class B race in Harrogate. All Content ©Anna Magrath / cyclingshorts.cc

 

That’s one of the fastest rides we’ve done all year and it was a real war of attrition. The atmosphere was absolutely incredible and we couldn’t have asked for more. Every town we passed through was absolutely packed and to hear our names being called out was just phenomenal. We’ve never experienced anything like that – not even at the Rio Games. It’s great to come away with a win and we want to thank everyone for all that support.

Stephen Bate

Yorkshire 2019 Paracycling Class B Winner, Team GB

This is the first time para-cycling races have ever been held alongside an able-bodied event and finishing on the same line as the Road World Championships was pretty special.

Adam Duggleby

Yorkshire 2019 Paracycling Class B Winner, Team GB

Dame Sarah Storey meanwhile, was one of five world champions in action and she too romped to victory in the C5 class. It was the first time we had seen Sarah compete wearing her Rainbow Jersey after retaining her title last month in the UCI World Championships.

This is the biggest para crowd I’ve raced in front of since London 2012 and I heard so many cheers and people shouting my name – it was amazing. The course was really good too and held in such a beautiful location. We very rarely get to ride point to point but Yorkshire’s taken the bull by the horns and hopefully this can be a blueprint for how para-cycling events are run worldwide. It was a really sensational event and I’m proud to have been part of it.

Dame Sarah Storey

Yorkshire 2019 Paracycling C5 Class Winner, Team GB

Interview – Will Bjergfelt Yorkshire 2019 Para Cycling International – C5 Winner by Cycling Shorts

CyclingShorts.cc caught up with Will Bjergfelt after his C5 win in the Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International race. All content ©Anna Magrath | CyclingShorts.cc

 

Interview – Ireland’s C5 Team – Vereker & Forristal – Yorkshire 2019 Para Cycling International by Cycling Shorts

We caught up with Ireland’s C5 Team – Damien Vereker & Paul Forristal – after they came 2nd in the Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International in Harrogate. Apologies for the poor sound quality. All content ©Anna Magrath | CyclingShorts.cc

 

The Men’s C5 win went to Will Bjergfelt, beating Alex Jones by over a minute, and a further one and a half minutes behind in third place was Jonathan Gildea.

In the men’s C2 Class Team GB’s Matthew Robertson beat Australia’s Darren Hicks by 7 seconds on the line. I caught up with them both for a quick chat at the finish line, they were in high spirits.

The was awesome, getting more exposure for the sport and parity, after competing in this race, after being part of this event, it’s really a new experience. Having everyone just treat you the same as all other competitors, it really spurs you on and makes you work harder for your results. It’s been amazing!

Matthew Robertson

Winner Men's C2, Team GB

A course like this is bloody tough, and so it should be, we are athletes and we should be given a course that’s really hard and challenges us. Having this number of people cheering it’s unbelievable. We would be lucky to have an eighth of this crowd at one of our top races, for the whole road race, let alone just at the finish like today. It’s cool.

Darren Hicks

2nd - Men's C2, Team Australia

The Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International was the first-ever para-cycling event to take place alongside a UCI Road World Championships.

The event was organised by Yorkshire 2019 and British Cycling and included 26 races in total, all held on one day, with men’s and women’s contests taking place across all four para-cycling classifications. Setting off from Beverley, Tadcaster and Wetherby, every race finished in Harrogate and the results will count towards qualification for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Highlights of the Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International will be screened on BBC Two from 1pm on Sunday as part of the live coverage of the Team Trial Mixed Relay.

I think this para event took cycling to a whole new level in Yorkshire, and I didn’t think there were many levels left! I was in Tadcaster at one of the three start locations and the way the town embraced it was amazing. Beverley was buzzing as well and Wetherby equally great. Harrogate obviously deserves a mention too – it was amazing – and today was a real first for Yorkshire. We’re so proud it’s been a success as both ourselves and our partners pushed very hard for a para event to be held alongside the Championships. Those efforts have definitely been rewarded.

Over 36,000 people were in the Fan Zone as well today too and it’s been a real party atmosphere – very reminiscent of the Tour de France Grand Départ back in 2014. We can’t wait for the Championships now and that’s going to be equally spectacular.

Peter Dodd

Commercial Director, Welcome to Yorkshire

I’ve been completely blown away by the weather, crowds, scenery and support. The racing was brilliant too and all the riders were telling me it’s the best event to happen since London 2012. That means so much to me as we really wanted this to be a meaningful event, held on exactly the same stage as the Championships. The dream has become a reality today.

Andy Hindley

CEO, Yorkshire 2019

Once the para action had concluded, attention immediately turned to the Fan Zone as huge crowds saw UCI President David Lappartient officially declare the UCI Road World Championships open alongside Yorkshire 2019 CEO Andy Hindley, British Cycling CEO Julie Harrington and Welcome to Yorkshire Commercial Director Peter Dodd.

The Championships’ racing will start on Sunday with the Team Time Trial Mixed Relay that will see male and female athletes compete alongside each other for the very first time.

About the 2019 UCI Road World Championships:

The UCI Road World Championships have only been held in Great Britain on three previous occasions, the most recent of which was at Goodwood in 1982. The 2019 Championships will take place in Yorkshire between 22-29 September.

The Championships commence on the Sunday 22 September with the maiden Team Time Trial Mixed Relay and the programme continues through to Sunday 29 September with Individual Time Trials and Road Races for Junior (17/18 years), Under 23 and Elite male and female riders.

Approximately 1,400 riders are set to compete from 90 countries and the action will be beamed to a global TV audience of over 250 million.

Chris Maher

Chris Maher

Photographer & Writer

Based in the North East of England; photographer Chris Maher specialises in sports photography with his main interests in Cycling and Super Bikes. Chris has covered sports events from local and national level right up to the Olympics for CyclingShorts.cc.
Website: www.ChrisMaher.co.uk

Anna Magrath

Anna Magrath

Editor & Writer

Anna Magrath founded CyclingShorts.cc in 2008 and invited some of her cycling friends; coaches, photographers, writers and pro cyclists of different disciplines to join her, bringing you all things cycling related.

Over the years Anna has supported grass roots cycling events, riders and teams. Anna has a particular interest in Track, Road, womens cycling, recreational cycling and cycling related art. She has reported from the top cycle races on the world calendar including the Tour de France, Olympics, World Cups & World Championships.

Want to get involved? Why not get in touch.

CyclingShorts.cc are official sponsors of The Racing Chance Foundation, Team22 WRT, Team Jadan and cyclists Amy Gornall & Fraser Martin.

Interview – Will Bjergfelt Yorkshire 2019 Para Cycling International – C5 Winner

by | Sep 21, 2019

CyclingShorts.cc caught up with Will Bjergfelt after his C5 win in the Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International race.

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Interview – Will Bjergfelt Yorkshire 2019 Para Cycling International – C5 Winner by Cycling Shorts

CyclingShorts.cc caught up with Will Bjergfelt after his C5 win in the Yorkshire 2019 Para-Cycling International race. All content ©Anna Magrath | CyclingShorts.cc

 

 

Image ©CyclingShorts.cc |  Anna Magrath

Anna Magrath

Anna Magrath

Editor & Writer

Anna Magrath founded CyclingShorts.cc in 2008 and invited some of her cycling friends; coaches, photographers, writers and pro cyclists of different disciplines to join her, bringing you all things cycling related.

Over the years Anna has supported grass roots cycling events, riders and teams all the way up to reporting from the top cycle races on the world calendar including the Tour de France, Olympics, World Cups & World Championships.

Want to get involved? Why not get in touch.

Cycling Shorts.cc are official sponsors of The Racing Chance Foundation, Team22 WRT, Team Jadan and cyclists Amy Gornall & Fraser Martin.

Interview – Stephen Bate – Harrogate 2019 Para-Cycling International B Class Winner

by | Sep 21, 2019

Team GB rider Stephen Bate chats to CyclingShorts.cc after his win in the B Class category of the Yorkshire 2019 Para-cycling International race in Harrogate.

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Interview – Stephen Bate – Yorkshire 2019 Para Cycling Class B Winner by Cycling Shorts

Team GB rider Stephen Bate chats to CyclingShorts.cc after his win in the Yorkshire 2019 Para-cycling Class B race in Harrogate. All Content ©Anna Magrath / cyclingshorts.cc

 

 

Image ©CyclingShorts.cc |  Anna Magrath

Anna Magrath

Anna Magrath

Editor & Writer

Anna Magrath founded CyclingShorts.cc in 2008 and invited some of her cycling friends; coaches, photographers, writers and pro cyclists of different disciplines to join her, bringing you all things cycling related.

Over the years Anna has supported grass roots cycling events, riders and teams all the way up to reporting from the top cycle races on the world calendar including the Tour de France, Olympics, World Cups & World Championships.

Want to get involved? Why not get in touch.

Cycling Shorts.cc are official sponsors of The Racing Chance Foundation, Team22 WRT, Team Jadan and cyclists Amy Gornall & Fraser Martin.

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