Club rider Seth Davey continues his UK season at Kennel Hill Classic
At just 17 years old, Utmost & Ian Browns Academy junior Seth Davey competed at the 2026 Kennel Hill Classic, a tough National B road race held on March 28 at Goodwood's punishing circuit in West Sussex.
Davey launched aggressively from the start, helping forge a blistering early pace over the opening laps of the seven-circuit, 100km+ test centered on the brutal Kennel Hill climb. Competing against a field including riders from several UK elite teams, Seth held his own during the early stages and found himself in the lead group.
The intense early pace saw the riders split towards the end of the second lap, with Davey slipping out of the lead group. After working well with two other riders to bridge back to the chasing group, his aggressive start and effort to get himself back in contention began to take its toll. As he neared the 60km mark he couldn't sustain the relentless tempo set by the leaders, and his race was over. In only his second season competing on a road bike, competing against senior riders with significant experience at this level marks a steep but invaluable step in his rapid development.
"Racing wheel-to-wheel with elite riders was eye-opening," Davey reflected. "I wanted to ride aggressively and follow the breaks, not just sit back in the bunch—the pace and tactics these riders and teams bring are next level, but starting strong with them sets a marker for the level I need to get to."
Eager for more UK mainland challenges, Seth looks forward to building on these lessons throughout the rest of the season.
