Important British race disappears from domestic calendar, as scene continues to suffer

Another important British one-day race has announced it will no longer run in the future.

The Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix, held in North Yorkshire and part of British Cycling’s National Road Series, ran its final edition last month, its organiser has revealed.

The race’s demise follows a trend of events disappearing from the domestic calendar. This year, the National Road Series counted five races in the open category and six for the women; in 2019, before the Covid pandemic, there were 10 open races and eight women’s races.

In a statement shared on Facebook, Bob Howden, the organiser of the Ryedale GP, wrote: “Sad to report that the recent 19th edition of the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix was the last one. The Ampleforth Abbey Trust has decided not to be our hosts again.”

The event, which consists of circuits through the grounds of the Abbey, was first held in 2005, with previous winners including James Shaw, now of EF Education-EasyPost, former world and Olympic champion Nicole Cook, and Olympic track silver medallist Ollie Wood.

The most recent edition took place on 18 August, with Tom Williams (Thriva SRCT) and Lucy Lee (DAS-Hutchinson-Brother UK) winning the open and women’s events.

Event organiser Howden said he is now “looking into other possibilities” for a Yorkshire race in the National Road Series.

“In the meantime it's a big thank you to all the staff at Ampleforth, who over the years have helped to keep the show on the road and a shout out to North Yorkshire Council, to North Yorkshire Police and to local suppliers and providers who have never waivered in their support,” he wrote.

Sponsor woes, logistics issues and the cost of living crisis have all impacted the National Road Series in recent years.

The Tour of the Reservoir was put on hold in 2023 and 2024 due to “a number of recent operational challenges”. Likewise, the series shrunk in 2023, losing the three-day Manx International stage race and the Stockton Grand Prix.

Speaking to Cycling Weekly previously, Stockton GP organiser Geoff Lloyd said the event’s cancellation was due to the “current financial climate” which “came up and bit us”.

The races that formed the open National Road Series this year were: The East Cleveland Classic, the Rapha Lincoln Grand Prix, the Lancaster Grand Prix, the Rydedale Grasscrete Grand Prix and the Beaumont Trophy. The women’s series counted the same races, except for the Beaumont Trophy, and also included the Anexo/CAMES CiCLE Classic and the Curlew Cup, scheduled for this Sunday.

Approached for comment, a spokesperson from British Cycling said: "We were saddened to hear that Ampleforth Abbey Trust will not be hosting the Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix. We'd like to thank everyone that has been involved over the 19 years it has been running and we are committed to supporting the event organisers to look at further opportunities."