The University of Nottingham Cycling Club (UoNCC) had a fantastic time at the BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) Track Cycling Championships 2025, which was held at the Derby Arena Velodrome from February 28th to March 2nd. With plenty of podium finishes, new BUCS records, and achieving their best-ever result in the Individual Pursuit, our green and gold riders truly made a fantastic impression on everyone at the event.
From the very first race of the championships, it was clear that our University of Nottingham athletes meant business. Tilly Gurney set the tone for the weekend by storming to gold in the Women’s Kilo, taking the top spot and smashing the existing BUCS record in the process. It was a stunning display of power and precision, and set the stage for an unforgettable championship for the team.
The Women's Team Pursuit squad, featuring Gurney, Lizzie Broughton, Lotty Dawson, and Izzy Ellis put on an unforgettable show as they raced across the finish line to snag the gold medal! On the men's side, the Team Pursuit team of Matt Brown, Gabriel Taylor, Ed Charles, and George Cottrell gave it their all and captured a fantastic silver, showcasing the incredible talent Nottingham has to offer.
The Individual Pursuit events were a true highlight for the club, marking a historic moment as Nottingham proudly brought home four medals! Tilly Gurney earned herself a shiny silver, while Lotty Dawson claimed bronze in the women's race. Over in the men’s competition, George Cottrell and Gabriel Taylor finished strong, taking second and third respectively. The energy and skill of our cyclists really solidified our growing reputation as a leading force in university track cycling.
Elsewhere, Izzy Ellis was a force to be reckoned with, securing bronze in both the Women’s Points Race and the Women’s Elimination, showcasing her tactical nous and endurance in two of the most gruelling events of the weekend. The team sprint events also saw Nottingham athletes add to their medal haul, with Gurney, Ellis, and Broughton clinching third place in the Women’s Team Sprint, while the men’s trio of Charles, Brown, and Barney Pickford matching their efforts with a well-earned bronze of their own.
Beyond the medals and records, our athletes performance was a testament to the camaraderie and sportsmanship that define the club. Club President Tilly Gurney reflected on the weekend, saying, "The University of Nottingham Cycling Club has had an outstanding weekend at BUCS Track Champs. Alongside our results, medals, and records, it was amazing to see the professionalism of our team, and the compassion and support all of our riders exhibited for each other and other competitors. A massive thank you has to go to our support team, namely Tom Haines and Tim Lawrenson, whose unwavering support has been so key to our success."
Head Coach Tom Haines echoed her sentiments, adding, "I'm immensely proud of the team's outstanding individual and team performances this weekend. The skill level, determination, and support for one another - and for riders from other universities - truly embodied the green & gold spirit, reflecting our squad's values both on and off the track."
The team’s skills saw them claim second place overall in both the men’s and women’s standings, an incredible achievement that underlines the university's status as one of the top cycling programs in the country.
These championships also saw the competitive debut of the University of Nottingham's partnership with Kalas. Under the partnership Kalas are supplying the university’s cycling and triathlon teams with custom-made club kit, including eight bespoke road race suits, to be worn by the newly created University of Nottingham Cycling Club Racing Team, a student-led initiative which will provide racing and training support to eight riders within the performance cycling programme .The road suits have been designed as part of a collaboration between Kalas, UoNCC and the team’s sponsors, and will be worn by the team throughout the season as they race across multiple disciplines, including road, track, grass track, MTB and Cyclocross.
Coming up, the BUCS 3-Up Time Trial on 16th March is set to be a thrilling contest, and the newly formed University of Nottingham Road Team (UoNRT) will make its debut at the Peaks 2 Day stage race on 15th and 16th March. These upcoming events promise more exciting moments, and we can't wait to see what the future holds.
For now though, our riders can take a moment to reflect on an unforgettable weekend of racing. Records were broken, medals were won, and the green and gold spirit shone brighter than ever. The bar has been set, and now it’s time to see just how far we can push it. Congratulations to everyone involved in our outstanding successes at the 2025 BUCS Track Cycling Championships.
You can find out more about the championships on the BUCS official web page here; BUCS Cycling & Para-Cycling: Track Championships 2024-25.
To find out more about the performance cycling programme at the University of Nottingham, please visit our dedicated web page which can be found by clicking here.