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Previewing the 2017 National Road Championships

20th June 2017 Print

The 2017 British Cycling National Road Championships will take place on the Isle of Man this year. To see what the prestigious even has in store, road bikes stockist Leisure Lakes Bikes has provided the following preview:

A look back at the 2016 National Road Championships

We are in store for a truly amazing Championships if it can match what occurred throughout the 2016 edition of the British Cycling National Road Championships. In this event, maiden titles were awarded in both the men’s and women’s road races, while history was recorded across the time trials.

How the time trial races played out

History was made when Alex Dowsett picked up an unprecedented fifth British time trial championship when winning the elite men’s races by more than a minute; his time was 55:38.523. Furthermore, Scott Davies reached uncharted territory by winning the men’s under-23 title for the third year running in a time of 44:10.430. 

Speaking of title defences, the elite women’s race saw Hayley Simmonds recording a time of 47:33.357 to become a two-time champion. It was a time that eclipsed those set by such illustrious names as Emma Pooley and Dame Sarah Storey.

Head here to analyse the full results of the men’s time trial race, click this link to view the results of the under-23 men’s time trial race and click here to see the results of the women’s time trial.

How the men’s road race played out

With under three laps of the main circuit in Stockton-On-Tees remaining, Tinkhoff rider Adam Blythe set out on his pursuit of his first-ever national champion’s road race jersey. At this point, he set off on a break alongside Tao Geoghegan Hart, Tom Moses and Alex Peters. The leading group had managed to establish a ten second lead going into the penultimate lap of the main circuit, before extending it to close to a minute and a half.

However, the gap closed significantly heading into the city centre finishing circuit, with former world champion Mark Cavendish making his move. This led to a big sprint finish between Blythe and Cavendish, with the former taking the win on the line as the rain began to fall.

Blythe commented: "I wanted that one. All day I was thinking about it and always trying to be in the right move. With a couple of laps to go, I thought we might hold off the chase, it was hanging around 20 seconds, we did a few hard turns hoping they'd stay away but we came back together and I just gambled it would be a sprint and luckily I got round Cav.”

Team Sky’s Andrew Fenn was third in the men’s race, with the under-23 title going to Axeon Hagens Berman CT rider Geoghegan Hart. You can click here to see the full results. 

How the women’s road race played out

The last two laps of the main circuit can be pinpointed as the moment where Canyon – SRAM rider Hannah Barnes’ pursuit of her first national champion’s road race jersey really started to gather pace. It was at this time of the race that Barnes set off in a group of 12 riders to close a lead that Dame Sarah Storey had earlier built up; a move that also saw the group quickly gain a 50-second lead over the main pack.

Entering the finishing circuit, Barnes quickly attempted a break but was swiftly denied the opportunity to build a lead thanks to Danielle King. It wasn’t long after though that the race to victory was down to a sprint finish between Hannah Barnes and her younger sister Alice Barnes, riding for the Drops Cycling Team. 

It was Hannah who would take the win, with Alice gaining the under-23 title for her efforts. Wiggle High5 rider Lucy Garner was third in the women’s race. Click here for the full results.

Hannah commented: "It feels really great. It was a really big aim for me this year. I think having the winter off, it was a realistic aim for me to focus on this race. (With Lizzie Armitstead not competing) it left the race pretty wide open. I'm really pleased to have the race win and how I could finish it off.”

Stats and facts from all National Road Championships

A win at any of the 2017 National Road Championships will put the rider into esteemed company. This is due to the following Olympians all being previous champions at the National Road Championships:

 

Women’s time trial

Competitor

Year(s) won

Olympics feat(s)

Ceris Gilfillan

2000

Represented Great Britain at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Yvonne McGregor

2001

Bronze medal winner when representing Great Britain at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Wendy Houvenaghel

2003, 2007, 2011, 2012

Silver medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Rebecca Romero

2006

Gold medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Sharon Laws

2008

Represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics

Emma Pooley

2009, 2010, 2014

Represented Great Britain at both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Joanna Rowsell

2013

Gold medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

 

Mens Time Trial

Competitor

Year(s) won

Olympics feat(s)

Stuart Dangerfield

1998, 2001, 2003, 2005

Represented Great Britain at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Chris Newton

1999, 2000

Silver medal winner at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

David Millar

2007

Represented Great Britain at the 2000 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Sir Bradley Wiggins

2009, 2010, 2014

Gold medal winner at the 2004, 2008 (double Gold), 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

 

Under-23 women's road race

Competitor

Year(s) won

Olympics feat(s)

Nikki Harris

2007

Represented Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Joanna Rowsell

2008

Gold medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Lizzie Armitstead

2009, 2010

Silver medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Laura Trott

2011, 2013, 2014

Double gold medal winner at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

 

Women’s road race

Competitor

Year(s) won

Olympics feat(s)

Nicole Cooke

2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009

Gold medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Emma Pooley

2010

Silver medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Lizzie Armitstead

2011, 2013, 2015

Silver medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Sharon Laws

2012

Represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Laura Trott

2014

Double gold medal winner at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

 

Under-23 men’s road race

Competitor

Year(s) won

Olympics feat(s)

Paul Manning

1996

Gold medal winner at the 2008 Summer Olympics and silver medal winner at the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Peter Kennaugh

2008, 2009

Gold medal winner at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

 

Men’s road race

Competitor

Year(s) won

Olympics feat(s)

Roger Hammond

2003, 2004

Represented Great Britain at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics.

David Millar

2007

Represented Great Britain at the 2000 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Geraint Thomas

2010

Gold medal winner at both the 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympics.

Sir Bradley Wiggins

2011

Gold medal winner at the 2004, 2008 (double Gold), 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Ian Stannard

2012

Represented Great Britain at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics.

Mark Cavendish

2013

Bronze medal winner at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

 

What can we expect from the 2017 National Road Championships?

The 2017 National Road Championships is right around the corner, with the time trial championships on Thursday June 22nd and road race championships on Sunday June 25th. 

Getting the occasion underway will be the under-23 men’s and women’s time trial events, occurring on identical routes and covering the same distance. Starting and finishing at Tynwald Hill, in St John’s, entrants will work their way around one lap of a 13.8-mile loop which goes clockwise up to Kirk Michael, before turning and going south to Ballig (it’s the same route as the Isle of Man TT course) and then back towards St John’s. While the men’s race takes place on the exact same route as the other time trial events, they will need to complete two laps in order to get a time and so will be required to race for 27.6 miles.

The road races begin three days after the time trial events have concluded. The women’s race will begin that day’s proceedings, with the start line found at the TT Grandstand in Douglas. From there, riders complete a lap of the 37.7-mile-long Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain Course — the Snaefell mountain road climb will be a part of this route that entrants will want to pay particular attention to. There will then be six laps of a 4.5-mile clockwise finishing circuit to undertake once back in Douglas, before crossing the finish line that will be set out alongside the start line at the TT Grandstand.

Bar two extra laps of the main circuit and ten more laps of the finish circuit, the men’s road race will be almost the same as the women’s race. As such, the men’s race encompasses 120.6 miles of tarmac, with those in the women’s race tasked with completing 64.45 miles for their event.

Mark Cavendish has already stated that “the championships coming to the Isle of Man will be great for all involved, and it will be fantastic to see some of the country’s best cyclists competing over these courses”.

Meanwhile, British Cycling’s director of cycling, Jonny Clay, commented: The Isle of Man is steeped in cycling history, and we are delighted to be able to announce a route for the 2017 HSBC UK | National Road Championships which incorporates some of the island’s most famous sites.

"This will not only provide a fitting nod towards the island’s sporting heritage, but will also give spectators the best possible opportunity to view what is sure to be a fantastic two days of racing.”