Kate Richardson of Handsling-Alba wins the National Criterium Championship in a nail-biting sprint finish!
Criterium races require a certain set of skills from both rider and machine. They're generally short - less than an hour of furious riding - suiting riders that are fast, skilful and brave. You need skill to corner as fast and smooth as possible, losing as little speed every time. And you need courage to leave your braking to the last moment, to press your opponents and trust in your equipment.
Attributes which Kate had in spades. With wins at the Lincoln Grand Prix and the overall at the Tour de Femenin, there was no doubting her palmares. Even so, circuit racing can be dangerous and nothing can be taken for granted. On the day Kate waited, watching her rivals until lap fourteen, with twenty minutes to go, when Jess Roberts (Spectra Racing) attacked. Kate chased along with Izzy Sharp (Lidl - Trek) and soon the trio had a gap.
The three worked well together to keep the bunch at bay and then it all came down to the final sprint. Kate had positioned herself in second wheel, behind Sharp. As they flashed past the pits, Sharp attacked, keeping to the inside of the slight right hand bend of the finishing straight. This served two purposes, first it was the shortest line to the finish and second it meant the other riders could only pass her on one side.
While Sharp's initial acceleration looked to have caught the other two out, Kate kicked hard. Using the power that had served her on the Michaelgate climb, she pulled level with the Trek rider. As the two riders sprinted elbow to elbow, they both threw their bikes at the line, Sharp first but Richardson lifting her front wheel, such was her determination!
As the riders flashed over the line, the officials had to run to the photo-finish equipment, so close were the two combatants. Eventually the call came through, Kate Richardson was the Women's Criterium Champion for 2025!
This was a great ride by the young Scot, but also for Handsling-Alba who had three riders in the top ten; what a day! After the dust had settled Kate answered some questions for us.
Kate the team were well represented in the race, what was the plan?
We knew going into the race that we had strength in numbers, and so definitely wanted to use this to our advantage. The girls were very active in the first half of the race, covering moves or always very well positioned ready for any potential attacks. As it was a national Championship, we didn’t have as detailed a plan as normal and all had a bit more freedom to race. I knew for me getting off the front was an ideal scenario, and thankfully that’s exactly how it played out!
The circuit looked technical with multiple changes of surface, a bit greasy, some wind and tight sections. Did you enjoy it?
I thought it was a great circuit, but it’s always easy to say that when it goes well it did make me a little nervous when it started raining before the race, as there were some tricky fast corners and lots of slippery drains. But I thought it really allowed for exciting and fast racing.
You said your legs weren’t feeling great during the race, did that ever go away?
To be honest not particularly, they were just very fatigued from the TT the day before. But looking at the power numbers from the race it was no wonder they were hurting as particularly in the first 25 minutes of the race , we were really going full gas which is a great demonstration of the strength and depth of female riders in the UK at the moment. It’s definitely given me confidence though, and I think my motto from now on will be that “feelings don’t dictate outcomes” because even though my legs were sore I was still able to perform!
Did you have to think when the break went, or was it just instinct?
It was just instinct, which is really exciting to me as I feel like this year I’ve really developed my race craft which I feel has been the missing piece of the puzzle the last couple of seasons. The attack that Jess launched was a great move, and when someone like Jess makes a move you would be silly not to follow. I sensed that she was going to try something as she upped the pace on the back part of the course, and so I knew I had to position well.
The break looked like you were working well until the last couple of laps when Isabel missed a couple, were you thinking about the finish then?
It did make me a little nervous when Izzy started missing turns, as we all had to fully commit to ensure we stayed away. But by the last few laps I was confident that the gap we had was big enough to allow for a bit of time for playing games. Going into the sprint I knew I wanted to be second wheel, as the way the road hooked right into the finish made it very hard to get around anyone. Jess and Izzy and incredibly strong riders, and I knew I had to get my tactics right to ensure I came out on top.
I watched the sprint a few times and could not tell you guys apart. Watching you two riding after the sprint you seemed unsure, but did you think you had won?
I had no clue if I had won or not. I knew I was carrying lots of speed but it was very hard to tell from the angle. Izzy was sure I had done it but I didn’t want to celebrate until I was absolutely sure.
After last year, you must be feeling happy with how things are going, winning the Tour de Femenin and now this?
I truly couldn’t be happier with how this season has turned out. In January this year I was scratching my head wondering how I’d ever get back to the level I believed I was capable of, so to pull off the biggest wins of my career six months later feels pretty incredible. I hope to build on this momentum for the second half of the season.
And what does the rest of the season look like?
We have the National Crit series coming up , starting with Otley tomorrow. That will be really cool to wear the stripes for the first time. After that I have a week on track with the national squad and then we have some 1.1 races out in Belgium and France. I absolutely love racing, and particularly after the last two seasons where I missed so much due to injury I can’t wait for the second half of the season!
Thanks Kate.
Kate and the rest of the Handsling-Alba team are riding on the A1R0evo, Handsling's UCI approved, race machine. Designed by Handsling and made from Toray T800 carbon fibre using our own moulds, the bikes are sprayed and assembled in the our Hampshire workshop. While Handsling-Alba are riding on those stand-out blue, Shimano Ultegra Di2 equipped bikes, you can choose your own components and colours. Head over to the customisation page and start building your bike!
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