Loughborough Lightning’s Lily Martin, a first-year Biology student at the university, delivered an incredible first-place performance on Sunday, attacking away from Morven Yeoman and Lucy Lee on the final climb into Williamson Park and winning the Lancaster Grand Prix solo.
Lily crossed the finish line more than a minute ahead of series leader Yeoman, marking her first National Road Series victory and one of the biggest results yet for an Elite Development Team.
Lily has had a string of top 10 results this season at national level and achieved her first national podium last weekend with second place at Ilkley Criterium. She currently sits second in the National Road Series with three rounds remaining and goes into next weekend’s race at South Molton as one of the favourites.
Also delivering strong performances for Loughborough this weekend were Amelia Cebak, a Loughborough Cycling Academy student, who came in at 7th; Rosie Simmons, who finished 10th; Miriam Jessett, who placed 22nd; and Georgina Oakley, who crossed the finish line at 31st.
The women’s Lancaster Grand Prix was Round 5 of the eight-round series, covering 90 kilometres of the Quernmore circuit. With three rounds remaining in the National Road Series, beginning with the South Molton Grand Prix next Sunday, Yeoman remains the leader of the series on 194 points, but Martin’s win has lifted her to second place on 150 and reduced the gap to 44 points.
The results of the Lancaster leg have significantly reshaped the standings picture, giving Loughborough Lightning a result of wider significance.
Dave Nichols, Lightning Cycling Team Manager, said:
“We launched the team in 2021 with the purpose of providing talented young people with the opportunity to combine university education with elite racing. This first national race win of the team with Lily as a current student is testament to that purpose and I couldn’t be prouder of all of the staff and riders over the past 5 years who have contributed immensely to this project. There’s a lot of national racing to come over the next few weeks and we’re excited to bring this momentum with us for the rest of the series.”
To learn more about Loughborough Lightning Cycling, visit its website here: www.lboro.ac.uk/sport/performance/lightning/cycling/