BUCS Track Champs 2025
What a weekend.
Off the back of a recent bronze in the National Scratch Race, I headed to Derby for the 2025 BUCS Track Championships with high hopes, and it more than delivered.
Team Pursuit – Gold and a New BUCS Record
One of the best things about riding for the Loughborough Cycling Academy is getting the chance to represent the University at BUCS. With the event just down the road at Derby Arena, we’d had the opportunity to train there regularly — racing at the Derby Track League and using booked university sessions to sharpen our Team Pursuit.
That said, only three of our main squad had even been to those sessions, so in reality, we’d only done a few standing threes, and just one standing four. Still, we were confidently lapping at 15.4 seconds and knew we could deliver when it mattered.
Max and Dave were especially hungry for this one — Nottingham had taken the title last year, and Loughborough wasn’t about to let that slide.
On race day, I lined up with my Loughborough teammates: Kieran Riley, Bo Mayer, and Josh Knowles. Kieran had just smashed the kilo the day before in 1:04 and was absolutely flying.
We were the penultimate team to qualify, aiming for a calm 4:20 to secure a spot in the gold medal final. We rode smart, stopped the clock at 4:17, and came down relaxed. Nottingham qualified fastest with a 4:15 — but they looked gassed. We were chilling.
Elimination Chaos – Bonus Silver
Before the Team Pursuit final, I jumped into the Team Sprint qualifier and the always-mad Elimination Race — or as it’s known in Derby, the “Demolition Derby.”
BUCS is unique. No accreditation required means you can end up riding elbow-to-elbow with national-level riders one minute and complete novices the next. My only goal in the Elimination? Survive.
I hit the front from the gun and stayed there — keeping the pace high and staying out of the chaos. Behind me, I heard it all: the clatter of bikes, snapped spokes, shouted warnings, and a stream of riders either eliminated or wiped out.
Eventually, it came down to just two of us — Kieran and me. He was on fire all weekend and took the gold. I rolled in for silver — a bonus medal and another one for the team.
The Final – Everything Clicked
Back to the Team Pursuit final. We knew Nottingham would bring the heat, but we were confident we had more to give.
When the gun went, everything clicked. Clean changes, smooth pacing, total commitment. Bo pulled off after his 1km turn but didn’t go high enough — drifting onto the blue and nearly taking out Josh during the changeover. Somehow, we avoided disaster.
We crossed the line in 4:10.47, averaging 57.49 km/h over 4km — not just enough to win, but to set a new BUCS record.
For a team that had only ridden together once before, it was unreal. All the winter miles, the gym work, the drills — it all came down to those four minutes of effort. And it paid off.
Max and Dave were buzzing. Beating Nottingham. Smashing the record. Bringing the trophy home to Loughborough. It meant everything.
Track is usually so individual, but this time it was all about the team. The African Violet of Loughborough was resplendent in Track centre with my amazing support crew — Max (coach), Dave (manager), Alice (nutritionist), Steve (mechanic), Josh (physio), Matt (gym coach), Lois and Thea (physiologists), and Ben (DS) — all of them there along with my team mates made this one special. I genuinely can’t thank them enough for the support and for helping make Loughborough feel like home.
What’s Next
Now it’s time to switch gears and focus on the road season, before heading back to the boards for the legendary Good Friday Track Meet at Lee Valley Velopark.
In between, I’m back on the road, logging training miles and learning the ropes in senior and U23 racing with BCC Elite— another great team I’m proud to be part of.
More on that soon.
Big thanks to my sponsors for continuing to back the journey:
Highway Cycles, Newdales, Matt’s Auto Repairs, Pedal Potential, and TLC Live Online Tutoring.
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Follow along for more updates from the road and track. Let’s keep it rolling. 🚴♂️💨
Gilbank Racing 