Great Britain’s Matthew Gibson set the quickest qualifying time in the 4000m Individual Pursuit setting a time of 4.23.212 holding a perfect line around the boards of Derby Arena. His closest competitor Owain Doull will ride in the finals later in the day.
Event 1 Individual Pursuit – Qualifying Men
Matt Gibson 04.23.212
Owain Doull 04.25.420
Germain Burton 04.25.664
Dion Beukeboom 04.26.345
Andrew Tennant 04.28.841
Julien Morice 04.29.653
Aleksandr Lisouski 04.32.144
Jan-Willem Van Schip 04.33.110
Jake Kelly 04.36.610
Steven Burke 04.36.610
Fintan Ryan 04.44.052
Dennis Wauch 04.44.679
Ivan Kovalev 04.45.562
Mark Downey 04.46.751
Roy Pieters 04.51.377
Event 2 Sprint Qualification Time Trial Men
Lewis Oliva 10.067
Callum Skinner 10.088
Quentin Lafague 10.108
Jason Kenny 10.109
Francois Pervis 10.188
Hugo Haak 10.327
Philip Hindes 10.343
Christos Volikakis 10.345
Matthew Crampton 10.419
Eoin Mullen 10.423
Zafeiros Volikakis 10.508
Matt Rotherham 10.530
Jose Moreno Sanchez10.633
Event 3 Sprint Qualification Time Trial Women
Katy Marchant 11.163
Jessica Varnish 11.276
Dannielle Khan 11.286
Victoria Williamson 11.333
Tania Calvo 11.465
Rebecca James 11.617
Yesna Rijkhoff 11.644
Olivia Montauban 11.662
Sandie Clair 11.744
Laurine Van Riessen 11.831
Nicky Degrendele 11.942
Shanaze Reade 12.043
The first Women’s Omnium event a forty lap Scratch Race, saw the first thirty laps run at a steady pace staying all together. With no one willing to commit early on the pace didn’t lift until around ten laps remaining.
As the race intensified, Ciara Horne attacked off the front of the pack with three laps to go, but faded in the final few hundred meters as the battle for the overall title began to take shape.
The crowd, already whipped up into a frenzy by Horne, we delighted to see Laura Trott cross the line first, with Jolien D’Hoore second and Laurie Berthon third in the bunch sprint.
A good start to Laura Trott’s Omnium campaign, but her biggest rivals were still looming within striking distance. The next event in this session will be the 3000m IP.
Event 4 The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – 10Km Scratch Race Women
Marchant, Varnish, Khan, Williamson, Calvo & Rijkhoff progress through.
The first Men’s Omnium event a sixty lap Scratch Race couldn’t have been any different to that of the Women’s event. An energetic start with small attacks from the start including Chris Latham whom managed a spell out-front.
It wasn’t long before a six man break got free to take a lap, with Clancy & Cavendish making the move. Seeing the danger, De Ketele and two others joined the front of the race also gaining a lap.
De Ketele and Lisouski manage to gain another lap on the field in the chaos as the race drew to it’s conclusion, with Dibben going for a long solo victory to cross the line first.
Clancy turned up the heat to take the bunch sprint for second placement, but both Brits were down a lap on De Ketele & Lisouski who lead the Men’s Omnium going into round two, the 4000m IP.
Event 7 The Sir Brailsford Omnium – Scratch Race Men
DE KETELE, Kenny BEL
LISOUSKI, Aleksandr BLR
DIBBEN, Jonathan GBR -1
CLANCY , Ed GBR -1
STEWART, Mark GBR -1
ELLORIAGA, Unai ESP -1
THOMAS, Benjamin FRA -1
EEFTING, Roy NED -1
WOOD, Oliver GBR -1
RODRIGUES, Gideoni BRA -1
CAVENDISH, Mark GBR -1
KNEISKY, Morgan FRA -1
DE PAUW, Moreno BEL -1
VELDT, Tim NED -1
KOVALEV, Ivan RUS -1
RYAN, Fintan IRL -2
WAUCH, Tobias AUT -2
DOWNEY, Mark IRL -2
MATZNER, Stefan AUT -2
LATHAM, Christopher GBR -2
MASTALLER, Stefan AUT -2
DOULL, Owain GBR DNF
Event 8 The Sir Brailsford Omnium – 3000m Individual Pursuit Women
Event 11 The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – 4000m Individual Pursuit Men
Chris Latham 04.26.073
Mark Cavendish 04.26.822
Jon Dibben 04.27.335
Ed Clancy 04.29.208
Mark Stewart 04.29.502
Kenny de Ketele 04.30.886
Gideoni Rodrigues 04.32.437
Aleksandr Lisouki 04.34.138
Unai Elloriaga 04.34.258
Oli Wood 04.35.182
Benjamin Thomas 04.35.755
Tim Veldt 04.35.971
Morgan Kniesky 04.36.161
Moreno de Pauw 04.40.976
Roy Eefing 04.41.085
Ivan Kovalev 04.41.916
SATURDAY EVENING SESSION:
Doors open at 18:00. Racing from 19:00 to 22:00.
Event 12 Sprint – 5-8th Finals Men
Volikakis, Haak, Lafargue & Pervis
Event 13 Sprint – 5-8th Finals Women
Williamson, Khan, Clair & Montauban.
Event 14 The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Elimination Women
TROTT, Laura GBR
D’HOORE, Jolien BEL
ARCHIBALD, Katie GBR
JEULAND, Pascale FRA
KAY, Emily GBR
NELSON, Emily GBR
OLABERRIA, Leire ESP
BERTHON, Laurie FRA
WOJTYRA, Malgorzata POL
STEEL, Elizabeth NZL
BOYLAN, Lydia IRL
REYBOULD, Rebecca GBR
LLOYD, Manon GBR
HORNE, Ciara GBR
Event 15 Sprint – Semi Final (Match A) Men
Lewis Oliva beat Jason Kenny in the semis. Callum Skinner beat Philip Hindes in a three round tie breaker to join Oliva.
Event 16 Sprint – Semi Final (Match A) Women
Katy Marchant beat Tania Calvo in the semis. Jessica Varnish beat Yesna Rijkhoff to join Marchant.
Event 17 Individual Pursuit – Finals Men
Matthew Gibson continued his impressive qualifying performance to win the 4000 Individual Pursuit, passing Owain Doull in the closing stages of the race. Germain Burton squeezed a marginal win over Netherland’s Dion Beukeboom for third place.
Event 20 The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Elimination Men
A fast start in the final Omnium Session from the day came to a halt as a collision on the home straight neutralized the race. The race then re-started and it wasn’t long before the pace intensified. Another crash, once again neutralized the race involving the same rider Rodrigues, this time with Jon Dibben.
With Omnium leader De Ketele finding himself out of contention early on, second place man Lisouski went out soon after.
With four Brits left to battle the top slots, Cavendish found himself on the Cote Azure and relegated from the remainder of the race. Ed Clancy went on the win the second round, with Chris Latham second and Benjamin Thomas of France third.
Event 23 Madison Time Trial Men
Great Britain’s Steven Burke & Owain Doull set the quickest time 0.55.240 in the Revolution Madison Time Trial, getting to close to the sub 55s Revolution record.
100% ME 0.56.774
Austria 0.58.514
France 0.59.434
Belarus 1.00.316
Ireland 1.02.181
Belgium 1.21.760
Event 29 Revolution Longest Lap Men
Matthew Gibson
Morgan Kniesky
Thomas Benjamin
Alekandr Lisouki
Ivan Kovalev
Roy Eefing
Event 30 Sprint – Final Men
Lewis Oliva beat Callum Skinner to clinch the Sprint Title. Jason Kenny beat Philip Hindes.
Event 31 Sprint – Final Women
Katy Marchant beat Jessica Varnish to take the Sprint Title. Tania Calvo beat Yesna Rijkhoff over three heats.
SUNDAY AFTERNOOON SESSION:
The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Time Trial Women
Trott, Laura
D’Hoore, Jolien
Berthon, Laurie
Boylan, Lydia
Olaberria, Leire
Wojtyra, Malgorzata
Archibald, Katie
Jeuland, Pascale
The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Time Trial Men
Clancy, Ed
Latham, Chris
Eefting, Roy
Veldt, Tim
Cavendish, Mark
Dibben, Jon
De Pauw, Moreno
De Ketele, Kenny
Wood, Oliver
Kneisky, Morgan
Keirin – First Round Men
Volikakis, Olivia, Crampton, Kenny, Hindes & Haak go through from round one.
Keirin – First Round Women
Khan, Marchant, Calvo, Clair, Van Riessen & Montauban go through from round one.
The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Flying Lap Women
Trott, Laura
D’Hoore, Jolien
Berthon, Laurie
Jeuland, Pascale
Archibald, Katie
Wojtyra, Malgorzata
Boylan, Lydia
Olaberria, Leire
Nelson, Emily
Kay, Emily
The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Flying Lap Men
Clancy, Ed
Eefting, Roy
Cavendish, Mark
Veldt, Tim
Dibben, Jon
De Pauw,Moreno
Latham, Chris
De Ketele,Kenny
Thomas, Benjamin
Elloriaga, Unai
The Sir Dave Brailsford Omnium – Points Race Women
Since their incorporation as a charity last year, The Racing Chance Foundation has been providing cycle training and racing opportunities for women in the UK, and have provided coached sessions for over 200 women since January 2014.
Limited funding has meant that the majority of racing opportunities so far that the Foundation has been able to provide have been restricted to the UK scene, however, since receiving a generous donation from the Fred Whitton Challenge, the Foundation has been able to secure places in two international stage races, the first of which is this weekend: The Ladies Tour of Norway.
The Foundation are pleased to announce that their first team to travel abroad will consist of the following riders:
The Racing Chance Foundation is a charity registered in England and Wales which was set up in April 2014 to provide an alternative pathway for women in competitive cycling. They focus on road-based events, providing training and racing opportunities from novice through to elite level.
RCF have membership opportunities available, where you can join for £5. They will have a membership area up and running on their website shortly, but in the meantime, they are affiliated with British Cycling, you can sign up here. Not only will you be supporting a charity dedicated to women’s cycling, but the Foundation is also affiliated to Cycling Time Trials and the Manchester & District Ladies Cycling Association for those of you who want to have a go at time trialling but are not sure about what it is all about. So, whether you are already a member of a club or are currently riding on your own, why not sign up today? Men are welcome as much as women! In return you get exclusive access to their members and coaching area on the website (launching shortly), a discount off all purchases in the Racing Chance Shop for the duration of your membership (more benefits to be announced soon). You can also book and attend the charity’s heavily subscribed training events, for details of the latest events click here or why not visit the Racing Chance Foundation shop to purchase some stylish race kit, all profits from sales are put straight back in to the charity to provide more cycling opportunities for members. Even the smallest donation make a huge difference.
The Racing Chance Foundation is a not for profit registered charity: 1156835.
Jean-Pierre Drucker produced the sprint of his life to win the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic today beating Britain’s Ben Swift and Dutchman Mike Teunissen on The Mall in central London to claim the first victory of his professional career.
The 28-year-old was part of an eight-strong group of cyclists that burst clear of the peloton with a quarter of the 200-kilometre race to go before four riders hared up Whitehall and under Admiralty Arch in pursuit of glory.
Swift led them up The Mall with the Finish Line in sight and Buckingham Palace visible in the distance, the Team Sky sprinter desperate to make amends for last year when he lost by a hair’s width to Adam Blythe.
But Drucker had been tailing him home and the Luxembourg rider launched his attack with 50 metres to go, surprising the Briton and Lotto NL-Jumbo’s Teunissen to take a hard-earned victory built on brilliant teamwork by his experienced BMC Racing Team.
Drucker threw his arm in the air as he crossed the line to thunderous roars, a huge grin breaking out on his bearded face.
“To get my first professional win in front of Buckingham Palace is so special,” said Drucker. “The crowd here is so crazy about cycling, it’s fantastic to get my first win here.
“I love racing in England. I did the Tour of Yorkshire this year and that was fantastic too. After getting my first pro win here, I love it even more.”
Swift broke his shoulder in the Yorkshire race but fought his way back from surgery to bid for victory in this event, still smarting from last year’s defeat. He led the three medallists in a hard chase along Millbank to reel in Teunissen’s team-mate Sep Vanmarcke, who had made a lone bid for victory 12km out.
Once they’d overpowered the Belgian, all the smart money was on the Sheffield man, a renowned finishing kicker. But Drucker had finished just behind ‘Manx missile’ Mark Cavendish in California earlier this year and was confident of his chances.
“I was feeling good all day and at the end I just kept my eye on Swift,” said Drucker. “I could see he was very motivated and really wanted victory in front of his own crowd. I knew he would go for the win, but I worked hard as well.
“I’m a fast guy too and I just tried not to make any mistakes. I love it when it’s hard and that was our plan. We tried to make it a hard race by moving guys to the front. It always feels so good when a plan works out.”
As for Swift, in the end he was happy enough to make the podium for the second year in a row after missing three months’ training, although he admitted to miscalculating his finish.
“I had to go really hard in the last few kilometres and I started to cramp up a little bit from the effort of chasing,” said Swift. “Even though I’d have loved to have won, I’m really, really happy.
“I had three months out of competition so this is a really nice way to come back to racing and get a good result straight away. It was good to be on the podium.
“I couldn’t see any metres-to-go boards so I got caught on the front, trying to get the others to come round me, but you could see the guys coming from behind so you couldn’t play too much cat-and-mouse.”
As for Cavendish, the much-fancied Briton was missing his key lead-out man Mark Renshaw and was not at his best after a week-long illness following the Tour de France. It quickly became clear that he wasn’t going to save himself for a final sprint as he spearheaded not one, but two attacks during the race, and coasted home 44th.
In fact, Cavendish was barely out of the camera lens in the early stages as he could be seen chatting with Britain’s other big-name star Sir Bradley Wiggins as the field of 143 riders rolled off the red carpet and away from the signing-on point at Horse Guards Parade, and he was among a group of four in a mini-break shortly after the peloton passed over Hampton Court Bridge.
The Briton was soon at the back of the race, however, where he stopped to receive mechanical attention to the front of his bike, leaving him briefly off the pace.
Madison Genesis rider Erick Rowsell, brother of Olympic gold medallist and RideLondon-Surrey 100 rider Joanna, was among a group of five who then escaped as the peloton rattled through Byfleet to Ripley and on to the sun-splashed Surrey countryside.
Another Briton, Peter Williams of One Pro Cycling, was also in the breakaway, along with the young Italian Riccardo Stacchiotti of Vini Fantini, Topspot Vlaanderen’s Sander Helven, and Lander Seynaeve of Wanty-Group Gobert.
They opened a gap of five minutes with just over a quarter of the race gone and stayed away over the first four of the event’s five categorised climbs up Leith Hill and over Ranmore Common three times.
Rowsell, from Sutton, was racing in his own backyard and the Surrey man used his local knowledge to lead up the narrow lanes and over the summits, amassing points for the King of the Mountains competition, while Williams concentrated on securing the sprint title, out-battling Stacchiotti for the honour.
BMC sent their young Dutch stagiaire Floris Gerts up the road to try and bridge the gap, and by the time they’d completed the three Ranmore loops, he had replaced Seynaeve among the leaders. The peloton broke up on the third Ranmore climb, and Lotto NL-Jumbo charged out to reel them in like a pack of wolves hunting down their prey.
Seven men reached the base of Box Hill with just over 50km to go. But their time alone was numbered and Gerts’s team-mates Philippe Gilbert and Rohan Dennis emerged from the pack for the first time to lead the chase up the slopes, driving on at the top in an attempt to leave the race sprinters in their wake.
With an hour’s racing still to go, it was now a case of heads down for the city. Cavendish briefly launched himself out in front with Dennis, then eight burst clear to open a gap that grew to more than a minute as they reached Kingston for a second time.
Among them were Swift, Drucker, Vanmarcke and Tuenissen. The gap grew to two-and-a-half minutes and with just 15km to go the main field called off the hunt.
Vanmarcke attacked as they skirted Wimbledon Common and he opened a 16-second lead as he crossed the river at Putney Bridge. A well-practised one-day rider, the Belgian seemed to be pulling away. But he was he gasping for air, and the lead vanished as Swift led the chasers on the run-in to along Millbank and past the Houses of Parliament.
It was a hard slog. Too hard as it turned out for the Briton, as Drucker burst off his shoulder for the win of his life.
Swift may have missed out, but there was some good news for Britain as a delighted Rowsell bagged the King of the Mountains contest on the rolling hills he’s been riding since he was 14.
“They are all local roads to me,” said the 25-year-old. “I grew up riding around here and have been up Box Hill and Leith Hill hundreds of times. I knew no one in the race would know these hills as well as me.
“So to win King of the Mountains here made it a perfect day.”
It was a perfect day for Jean-Pierre Drucker too.
Defending champion Adam Blythe talks team tactics ahead of the Classic
The Orica-GreenEDGE rider expects this year’s Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic to come down to a bunch sprint on The Mall when the riders roll into the capital after conquering the Surrey Hills.
Guarischi pays tribute to her team after Grand Prix win
Velocio Sports deliver team leader Barbara Guarischi to the line in the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix.
Alldis makes it third time lucky to win Handcycle Classic
A bad night’s sleep couldn’t stop Brian Alldis from fulfilling his dream of winning the 2015 Prudential RideLondon Handcycle Classic.
Bunch Sprint Along The Riverside in Stockton-On-Tees Gives Victory For ONE Pro Cycling’s Chris Opie.
After three and a half hours and ten circuits out of town, the peloton returned for the final six Riverside laps and the conclusion of the fifth Stockton-On-Tees Festival of Cycling Grand Prix.
The race burst into life with one final lap, around four miles remaining, as the long time two man breakaway of NFTO’s Ian Bibby and ONE Pro Cycling’s George Aitkins looked like it would possibly stay away, slowly began to fade.
There was plenty of attacking out on the main course, many of the top riders breaking free, but never got much further than around thirty seconds.
At one point thirteen riders gained some momentum, and all the big teams were represented.
Approaching the final few main laps, Madison Genesis formed on front of the peloton, and the chase got underway.
Heading back into town, it still looked like the two leaders would stay away, having around thirty seconds advantage.
With half the Riverside circuits complete, No-one team had took-up the challenge of finally closing the gap.
An arrowhead formed on the front of the peloton, with JLT Condor leading them along. The gap had been reduced to fifteen seconds.
Team Raleigh GAC’s Evan Oliphant made a bid for a long one with two laps left, but JLT Condor’s Richard Handley marked the move. News came that the leading pair Atkins and Bibby had been caught around the backside of the course.
As the riders returned onto the Riverside Road for the bell lap, the teams once again formed into lead-out trains, battling for position, with George Atkins of ONE Pro Cycling in the front position.
The pace increased significantly, shelling all but the strongest riders.
It wasn’t long before the leaders where back in sight crossing the river for the final push.
Opie took the honors, with NFTO’s Jonny McEvoy taking second. Team Raleigh GAC’s Sam Lowe took third.
Team Raleigh GAC’s Steve Lampier started the race in the leaders red jersey and has extended his lead to one-hundred and twenty-eight points with Team Wiggin’s Andrew Tennant second at seventy-nine points. Third overall a point behind is ONE Pro Cycling’s Yanto Barker.
Raleigh GAC lead the Team Points Standing by a narrow margin from ONE Pro Cycling. NFTO are in third position.
Top Ten Results
1 Chris Opie One Pro Cycling
2 Jonathan McEvoy NFTO
3 Sam Lowe Raleigh GAC
4 Evan Oliphant Raleigh GAC
5 Graham Briggs JLT Condor
6 David McGowan Pedal Heaven RT
7 James Lowsley-Williams NFTO
8 Steve Lampier Raleigh GAC
9 William Bjergfelt SportGrub KUOTA Cycling Team
10 Ian Wilkinson Raleigh GAC
Elite Road Series 2015
Spring Cup
Chorley GP 04 April 2015
Tour of the Reservoir Two Day 11-12 April 2015
Cycle Wiltshire 10 May 2015
Grand Prix Series
Stafford Kermesse 04 July 2015
Stockton Festival of Cycling 12 July 2015
Ryedale GP 19 July 2015
Grand Prix of Wales 09 August 2015
Leicester Castle Classic Kermesse 16 August 2015
Full Results can be found on British Cycling Website
Stockton-On-Tees has put a successful bid in for the 2016 National Road Race Championships. Further details will be released in the near future.
Peter Kennaugh and Lizzie Armitstead took the road race titles at today’s British Cycling National Road Championships in Lincolnshire.
Peter Kennaugh took his second successive British men’s road title in a remarkable race while Lizzie Armitstead delivered a stunning solo effort to win the women’s title.
Team Sky’s Kennaugh finally distanced a courageous Mark Cavendish on the ninth and final climb of Michaelgate in Lincoln. Ian Stannard completed the podium behind Cavendish.
After crosswinds saw the peloton ripped apart in the early stages, Kennaugh and Team Sky colleague Stannard escaped leaving Mark Cavendish, Luke Rowe, Scott Thwaites and Adam Blythe in pursuit.
Thwaites and Blythe dropped back before Luke Rowe decided to work with Cavendish to shut down the gap on his Team Sky associates with only three laps remaining.
They cut down the 40-second gap on the duo and bridged on Michaelgate – the eighth of nine ascents of the cobbles.
On the final 13-kilometre lap Stannard burst free but was caught before Kennaugh and Cavendish accelerated away leaving Rowe and 2012 champion Stannard to contest bronze.
It was fittingly left for the final climb of Michaelgate for the title to be decided and although Cavendish kept with Kennaugh the 26-year-old eventually pulled away to become the first British male to win back-to-back road titles since Roger Hammond in 2003 and 2004.
Team Wiggins’ Owain Doull impressed to finish seventh and with it take the under-23 men’s championship.
“The atmosphere is incredible and something I’ll never forget,” Kennaugh said.
“Obviously last year it meant everything – it was the first time – I’d been on the podium about four times before that so I really enjoyed this last year.
“I’m over the moon just to stay in white with my white bike and my white accessories!
“It means a lot to me and it gives you that extra motivation with that added pressure of carrying the jersey in the pro peloton – you can’t just get away with sitting at the back and stuff. You’re easily spotted.
“It’s good for the motivation – it’s good for the morale going forward for the rest of the year.”
Armitstead won her third British road title – after victories in 2011 and 2013 – with a solo attack on the penultimate climb of the famous Michaelgate. Alice Barnes, just 19 years of age, was second with Laura Trott third.
No rider was able to match Armitstead’s effort on the fourth of five times up the cobbled climb and the Boels Dolmans Cycling Team rider completed the last lap alone before crossing the finish line to the backdrop of Lincoln Cathedral.
“It means I get to be proud of being British in all the races that I do,” Armitstead said of being able to wear the British champion’s jersey.
“It means a lot – it means new kit for a start! I go to the Giro on Friday so it will be a quick turnaround for them.
“I had some good people around me before the start who told me to believe in myself and I listened.
“It was a difficult race. The longer the race went on the better I started to feel.”
Team Betch NL Superior-Brentjens rider Alice Barnes took a superb second, in her first elite road championships, to win the under-23 women’s champion title with defending champion Laura Trott, of Matrix Fitness, third.
While Armitstead savoured the win, behind her the race for silver and bronze came down to the final corners as Alice Barnes showed her huge potential in holding off the challenge of defending champion Laura Trott.
Full results from the women’s race can be found here and from the men’s race here.
Highlights of the championships will be broadcast on ITV4 at 6pm on Monday 29 June.
DOWSETT, SIMMONDS AND DAVIES TAKE TIME TRIAL TITLES AT BRITISH CYCLING NATIONAL ROAD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Alex Dowsett, Hayley Simmonds and Scott Davies took the time trial titles at the 2015 British Cycling National Road Championships in Lincolnshire today.
Alex Dowsett produced a world-class performance at Cadwell Park to equal Stuart Dangerfield’s record of four British time trial titles, while earlier in the day, Hayley Simmonds and Scott Davies took the women’s and under-23 men’s crowns.
Dowsett set a scorching time of 1:00.11 over the testing 44.8-kilometre course that combined the open roads of Lincolnshire and the swooping tarmac of the Cadwell Park motor racing circuit.
SportGrub Kuota Cycling Team’s Ryan Perry set a marker of 1:04.28 before NFTO’s Edmund Bradbury dropped below the 1:04 mark with a 1:03.42 as title favourites Bottrill and Dowsett ploughed around the three laps of the open road sector of the Lincolnshire course, two of just six riders remaining with a chance of challenging for the medals.
As Dowsett passed Bottrill, it became clear that the 26-year-old Movistar pro was headed for a record-equalling fourth title – it was just a case how big the winning margin would be.
In the end Dowsett’s win was emphatic, a time of 1:00.11, ensuring that the British title was added to his remarkable year of UCI Hour record and Bayern Rundfahrt stage race triumphs.
Bottrill eventually finished fourth, four minutes and 20 seconds down on Dowsett, with Bradbury taking silver and Perry taking bronze.
Speaking after regaining the National Title, Alex Dowsett told British Cycling:
“It’s lovely to get it back,” said Dowsett. “It’s really significant being national champion. Now every time I do a time-trial I get to wear this!”
“I couldn’t have lost it to a more talented guy last year in Brad (Sir Bradley Wiggins) but it’s nice to have it back.
“That was tough. I didn’t have a radio so I had no idea where I was in relation to anyone else.
“The course itself – in training, I thought it would be easier in the race but it was actually harder, so I had no idea how well I was going out there. But when I saw Matt (Bottrill) I knew that either he was on a horrendous day or I was on a good one.
“I had a bit of a moment on the second to last corner around here. I’ve got quite a few friends who race British Superbike and I’m not going to hear the end of it from missing that apex!”
Team Velosport’s Hayley Simmonds produced a superb ride to take the British women’s title, defying the form book and finishing over a minute ahead of silver medallist Molly Weaver and bronze medallist Dame Sarah Storey.
Simmonds, who moved from rowing in 2009, took the lead from early pacesetter Ciara Horne over the 33.6-kilometre course. Posting a time of 51:39.89, the 2014 10-mile and 50-mile time-trial champion, threw the gauntlet down in resounding fashion, with Katie Archibald and Dame Sarah Storey still out on the course.
Liv Plantur’s Molly Weaver soon pushed Horne into third with a 52.58.18 time and within minutes, the pundits’ favourite was dropping out of medal contention.
Molly Weaver of Team Liv Plantur chats to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc about her podium result in the 2015 British Cycling National Road Time Trial 2015.
Dame Sarah Storey couldn’t challenge the time of Simmonds, the multiple Paralympic champion stopping the clock at 53.00.61 and dropping into third with just a few challengers left out on course.
Storey’s team-mate Katie Archibald, who took silver in 2014, was the last challenger to finish but could only manage sixth, handing the women’s crown to a delighted Simmonds.
Hayley Simmonds was crowned British Cycling National Road Time Trial Champion 2015 on the 25th June. She chats to Chris Maher of CyclingShorts.cc about her win.
“It’s completely overwhelming – I’ve worked really hard for this,” said Simmonds. “I hoped it was going to be really close and I just went out and did the ride that I thought I could, did the effort I thought I could and obviously it paid off.
“I was just trying to focus on getting out the ride that I was capable of and not necessarily concentrating on the other big names that were starting after me.”
“After I finished and I was half collapsing over my bike I could just hear the commentator say my time and then say ‘will anyone go under 50 minutes’. Dame Sarah and Katie Archibald are both capable of going under 50 and at that point I wasn’t even sure that I was in the lead, let alone that I was going to win by a minute.”
Cycling Shorts caught up with Hayley after her ride to victory.
She told me that the race had went really well for her. After spending time looking around the course outside of Cadwell Park, She knew that she would be capable of setting a competitive time by sticking to her plan.
Hayley has won a few Time Trial Championships over different lengths in recent years. Coming into this race, she had recently won the Holme Valley Wheelers 2 Day in early June, beating the likes of Dame Sarah Storey and National Road Race Champion Laura Trott. This had gave her confidence to trust her ability, and ride the race at a pace that suited her.
She is currently studying for her PhD, and should have it submitted by March next year. Once that’s out of the way, Hayley said that she would like to take up professional bike riding full-time.
I asked her about the National Road Race coming up on Sunday in Lincoln. “Yes” she told me, “I’m riding it”. But she went on to say that her main objective this week, had been the Time Trial today. That’s were all her focus has been recently. Going out and checking out the course route, the twists and turns, and figuring out the best way to approach each corner, each climb.
For the near future, Hayley said she was going to have a go at a 100, something she’s not attempted before. So it won’t be long before you get to see the Red & Blue Strip Jersey on the road again somewhere around the UK.
Earlier in the day, 100%ME’s Scott Davies successfully defended his British under-23 time trial title.
The 19-year-old from Carmarthen fought off a strong challenge from fellow Welshman, Team Wiggins’ Owain Doull, recording a time of 47:20.32 to retain the jersey he won in Monmouthshire 12 months ago.
Axeon Cycling Team’s Tao Geoghegan Hart had been the first to break into the 47-minute times with 47:37.90, only for Doull to immediately strike back with a stunning 47:26.53.
But Davies, continuing the stellar form demonstrated earlier in the year at Tour de Yorkshire, did not falter, besting Doull’s time by six seconds with a 47:20.32 masterclass, joining Alex Dowsett and Sam Harrison as only the third rider to win back-to-back under-23 time trial titles.
A relieved Davies commented after the race:
“It was pretty tough – I think the nature of the course meant holding a rhythm wasn’t that easy today,” said Davies following his effort.
“It’s quite rolling so there’s no real stretch where you can hold the same pace. It’s up, down and up. That steep hill is quite tough as well – quite a testing course.
“Relieved is the word that I’d use to describe how today went. I came up to it with a bit more pressure than last year – relieved to have defended it.”
Highlights of the time trials will be shown on British Eurosport 2 tomorrow (Friday 26 June) at 6pm.
The 2015 British Cycling National Road Championships continue on Sunday 28 June with the road races, which start and finish in Lincoln city centre. The women’s and men’s race will be broadcast live on British Eurosport from 11:30am with highlights on ITV4 on Monday evening at 6pm.
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