Conor White produced a resilient performance for Jakroo Handsling Racing as the 2026 National Road Series kicked off with a brutal 100-mile test at the East Cleveland Classic.
Starting and finishing in the picturesque but punishing Saltburn-by-the-Sea, the race was a war of attrition over North Yorkshire’s double-digit gradients. Lucas Jowett of MyPad Racing secured the victory, emerging from an early breakaway to cross the line in 3:47:45 after a relentless battle through the coastal winds.
White, fresh from his recent Pan American track success, found himself in the thick of a splintered peloton as the race climbed the iconic Saltburn Bank for the final time. The Bermudian stayed within striking distance of a chasing group that had fractured under the pressure of over 2,000 meters of elevation gain.
White crossed the line in 31st place with a time of 3:54:11, finishing 6:26 behind Jowett. It was a day of mixed fortunes for his Jakroo Handsling teammates; while Alex Franks secured a podium spot in third, Rowan Baker was forced to finish on a spare bike after a mechanical disaster on the final lap, eventually rolling in just ahead of White in 21st.
The result marks a solid start to the domestic season for White, who is using the British National A circuit to build the "anaerobic capacity and raw grit" required for his major target this summer: the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. With the first leg of the National Series now complete, the focus for the Jakroo Handsling squad shifts to the continental calendar as they look to build on a promising opening weekend.
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