Spa Riders

11/05/2026

This weekend saw Hamish and Ruben take on Round 2 of the National Downhill Series at Antur Stiniog.

With sunshine overhead and cold winds on the mountain, the lads were ready to race.

Hamish was riding strongly all weekend and put in a solid seeding run on Saturday. Unfortunately, during Sunday’s race he suffered a huge crash. After feeling that something wasn’t right, he made the sensible decision not to continue racing and went to get checked over, where it was confirmed he had broken his clavicle. We wish Hamish a speedy recovery and hope to see him back on the bike soon.

Ruben hit the track confidently and rode consistently throughout the weekend, finishing 27th out of 40 riders with a time of 2:51.600. A strong result and great experience gained for the rounds ahead.

Next weekend, Andy takes on Round 1 of the Pearce Series. Good luck Andy!

28/04/2026

Spa Riders Race Report – Highs & Lows

Sunday marked a huge opening chapter for the team, with riders split across two major events: round one of the MIJ Series at the Forest of Dean’s iconic Elephant Man track, and round one of the SDA at Innerleithen in Scotland. A full day of graft, progression, and standout moments across the board.

MIJ Round 1 – Forest of Dean

Andy doubled up in both Masters 30 and E-bike, delivering consistency and progression across his runs. He secured 9th place in Masters 30 with a 1:15.257, then pushed even harder in E-bike to claim 4th with a 1:14.468. Clean riding throughout, no drama—just steady improvements, shaving around two seconds off with each run in both categories. Exactly the kind of composed racing we expect.

Ashton lined up in the Youth category and showed real determination. After a DNF in his first run, he regrouped and came back fighting, laying down a 1:11.984 to finish 30th. A solid recovery and a strong mindset to build on.

Monty, also racing Youth, made his debut at this level. Taking on a competitive field, he held his own and crossed the line in 42nd with a 1:16.667. A promising first outing—plenty more to come as he settles into the pace of top-level racing.

Ruben delivered one of the standout performances of the weekend. Racing in the Juvenile category, he stormed to 3rd place with a rapid 1:05.846. This marks his first podium, first MIJ race, and first podium since joining the team—a milestone weekend and a result to be proud of. 🥉

SDA Round 1 – Innerleithen

Up in Scotland, Hamish took on the demanding Innerleithen track. Despite strong riding through the upper sections in both runs, crashes towards the lower stages held him back. He finished 42nd with a combined time of 3:43.673. A frustrating outcome, but clear pace is there—just needs a full clean run to bring it together.

Looking Ahead

A weekend of mixed fortunes, but plenty of positives across both venues. Strong starts, valuable experience, and a podium to kick things off. With upcoming races spanning nationals to Pearce events, the team is just getting warmed up.

27/04/2026

Will be a write up at some point just waiting on the S.D.A to post there results 🤦‍♂️

22/04/2026

20/04/2026

Spa Riders Race Report – Bala National (Rhyd y Felin)

This weekend, Ruben and Hamish took on the notorious Rhyd y Felin in British National Downhill Series Round 1. It marked a first visit to the venue for both riders, adding an extra layer of challenge to an already demanding track.

Arriving on Friday, the team was met with harsh conditions—persistent rain left the course saturated, while the infamous woodland sections proved as dark, technical, and slippery as expected.

Saturday – Practice & Seeding
Both riders faced a tough day during practice and seeding, particularly in the wooded sections where grip was minimal and line choice proved critical. Despite the conditions, valuable track time was gained ahead of race day.

Sunday – Race Day
Conditions remained difficult, with wet and unpredictable terrain throughout.

Ruben – Juvenile Category
22nd out of 34
Time: 3:16.922
Hamish – Youth Category
47th out of 76
Time: 3:16.164

Both riders delivered solid race runs under challenging circumstances, handling the deteriorating track well and gaining important experience at national level.

Looking Ahead
Next weekend, Hamish will compete in the SDA, while the majority of the team will take on Round 1 of the MIJ series.

12/04/2026

Race season is officially underway for Spa Riders 🚵🔥
Hamish kicked things off in Portugal at Bike Park Monte de São Marcos for Round 1 of the IXS European Downhill Cup 🇵🇹

Seeding started strong, but a crash just before the first split saw him pushed off line on a step-down, landing hard into the rocks and damaging his rear wheel. Thanks to a quick save from his coach with a spare, he was back and ready to race Sunday 💪

First out of the gate on race day in a stacked U17 field of 56 riders, Hamish laid down a solid run, finishing in 3:02.082 and taking 46th place 👏

A big step up from grassroots racing and only his second major event — valuable experience gained and plenty more to come 🌟

Next up: Hamish and Ruben take on Rhyd Y Felin for Round 1 of the British Nationals 🇬🇧🔥

12/04/2026

The race season is well and truly underway for Spa Riders, with Hamish opening his 2026 campaign in Portugal at Bike Park Monte de São Marcos for Round 1 of the IXS European Downhill Cup 🇵🇹🚵
Saturday’s seeding run was going well until a crash just before the first split saw Hamish pushed off line on a step-down and land heavily into the rocks, damaging his rear wheel. Thankfully, his coach had a spare wheel ready, allowing him to get back up and prepared for race day 💪
Sunday saw Hamish first out of the gate in a highly competitive Under-17 field of 56 riders. He put together a solid run, crossing the line in 3:02.082 to finish 46th 👏
A great result in his first major international event and a huge step up from grassroots racing, especially after only competing in one national event last season. The experience gained this weekend will be invaluable as the season progresses 🌟
Next up, Hamish and Ruben head to Rhyd Y Felin for Round 1 of the British National Series. Best of luck to both riders! 🇬🇧🔥

23/03/2026

SPA RIDERS – HIGHS & LOWS THIS WEEKEND 🔥
This weekend was meant to be big… 4 riders, 2 locations, full send.
But racing doesn’t always go to plan 👇

Jamie Bond
Big crash at the 100% Mini Downhill forced him to pull out. Nothing major, but a few injuries + mechanicals to sort. Heal up and we go again 💪

Ashton Powell
Came in with hype from last week but just wasn’t feeling the track. Crashes + mechanicals… and STILL got both runs down 🤯
Messed up knee, dodgy brakes… no excuses.
59th / 86 – 1:08.50 👊

Ruben Toombs
Flying in practice until the freehub gave up 😩
Quick fix and straight back out.
Second run = crash… but STILL threw down a rapid time:
12th / 61 – 1:05.10 💥
Fastest run even with a crash… madness.

Monty Hambling
Second race EVER at Flyup 417… and bags a podium 🥈
Cool, calm, rapid.
2nd / 42 – 1:34.09 🚀
Newcomer making serious noise!

Andy & Hamish
Down at FOD backing the boys, bringing the energy all weekend 🙌
Highs & lows… that’s racing.
We take it, we learn, we go again 🔥

23/03/2026

SPA RIDERS – HIGHS & LOWS THIS WEEKEND
This weekend was meant to be a big one for Spa Riders. Four riders. Two race locations. Full send mode.

But racing doesn’t always go to plan…
Jamie Bond
After coming in hot, Jamie was forced to pull out of the 100% Mini Downhill following a huge crash. Nothing too serious injury-wise, but enough to shake things up — along with a few mechanical issues that need sorting. One of those weekends where it just doesn’t line up.

Ashton Powell
Rolling into the 100% Mini Downhill off the back of last week’s hype, Ashton was ready. But the track just wasn’t clicking. Crashes, mechanicals… and still, he pushed through.
Both runs completed — no quitting here. Even with a messed-up knee and dodgy brakes, he crossed the line.
59th out of 86 – 1:08.50
That’s grit.

Ruben Toombs
Ruben was looking sharp from the start. Solid practice, good pace — then disaster struck. Freehub gone.
Quick fix, back out, no hesitation.
Second run? Full commitment… and a crash.
Still managed to throw down a time that landed him:
12th out of 61 – 1:05.10
Fastest run despite the crash. That says everything.

Monty Hambling🥈
Now this is the story. Second race ever… and absolutely sends it at Flyup 417.
Cool, composed, and rapid.
2nd out of 42 – 1:34.09
Podium on race number two. Newcomer making serious noise.

Andy & Hamish
Not racing this time, but still part of the squad. Down at FOD backing the boys, keeping spirits high and bringing the energy when it mattered.

The takeaway?
Highs. Lows. Crashes. Comebacks. Podiums.
That’s racing. That’s Spa Riders.
We go again. 🔥

16/03/2026

🔥 Race Report – Windhill Root 1 Downhill 🔥

Two of our Spa Riders took on the Root 1 Downhill race at Windhill this weekend, and what a day it turned out to be. Fast lines, loose sections and plenty of competition made for an exciting day of racing.

Both riders put in strong, confident runs on a tough track and represented the team brilliantly.

🚵 Jamie Bond powered down the course to secure 6th place out of 10, clocking a time of 1:08.355. A solid result against a competitive field.

🚵 Ashton Powell delivered an impressive performance in a stacked category, finishing 13th out of 57 riders with a time of 1:09.472 — a fantastic ride in a huge field.

Massive effort from both riders and great to see the team pushing hard between the tape.

Next up, a few of the Spa Riders head to the 100% Mini Downhill at the Forest of Dean next weekend. We’re looking forward to another big day of racing and seeing what the team can do.

Stay tuned… 👀🔥

25/01/2026

🔥 BIG NEWS FROM SPA RIDERS – 2026 STARTS NOW 🔥
We’ve got some incredible news as we look ahead to 2026…

Spa Riders is proud to welcome FOUR new riders to the team!
🏁 Ruben Toombs 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
🏁 Monty Hambling 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
🏁 Ashton Powell 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
🏁 Jamie Bond 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

From riders brand new to racing to those with experience already under their belts, we’re all about giving opportunities, backing talent, and building something special together 💪
And they didn’t waste any time…

🔥 Race Report – Forest of Dean | 100% Mini Downhill | Ski Run 🔥
Three of the lads were out in force today, sending it at full gas 👊

🔹 Ruben Toombs – Juvenile
Only his second ever downhill race and what a ride!
➡️ 11th out of 58
⏱️ 1:21.27, going 2 seconds faster on his second run
Huge progress and serious pace 👌

🔹 Ashton Powell – Youth
The newest rider on the team, stepping into a brand-new category stacked with 100 riders
➡️ 54th place
⏱️ 1:22.37, with an impressive 4-second improvement on run two
Massive potential already showing 🚀

🔹 Jamie Bond – Junior
Another new addition, taking on a competitive junior field
➡️ 23rd out of 33
⏱️ 1:21.64, first run counted
Solid, composed, and building fast 👊

Every single rider gave it everything out there — absolute class performances all round. This is just the beginning, and we’re buzzing for what’s ahead.

🔥 Bring on the main season 🔥
👀 More news coming very soon…