The 2017 British Cycling National Road Championships will be hosted by the Isle of Man this coming June. Leisure Lakes Bikes, a store that sells road bikes, provides us, here, with a preview of this prestigious and exciting event.
Reflecting on the 2016 National Road Championships
There was a lot of drama and excitement in the 2016 British Cycling National Road Championships which resulted in both men and women winning their first titles in road races. The time trials also produced some history-making results.
The men’s road race
It was Adam Blythe who, with three laps to go, set off in pursuit of his first national champion’s road race jersey. He was behind the leading group who had managed to establish a ten second lead by the second last lap and had even extended it to close to a minute and a half.
The finish line was in the city centre and the gap had been reduced with former world champion Mark Cavendish and Blythe in hot pursuit. 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. Beating the world champion to take out the title was a very satisfactory feeling for Blythe.
The women’s road race
Hannah Barnes, riding for Canyon SRAM team, scored her first national champion’s road race jersey with just two laps to go. She was in a riding group of 12 who closed on the leader, Dame Sarah Storey, and together they put a 50 second gap between themselves and the main group.
In the last minute or so to the end, there was a lot of positioning and sprinting to give Barnes an attempted a break. In the end, the race to victory was down to a sprint finish between Hannah Barnes and her younger sister Alice. Alice did go on to win the under-23 title, so all was not lost.
The time trial races
There were no maiden wins in the time trial but history was still made nonetheless.
Alex Dowsett put on a brilliant display to capture his fifth British time trial championship. Another great effort was Scott Davies who won his under-23 title for the third consecutive year.
The women time trial riders were also successful when Hayley Simmonds became a two-time champion defending her title.
Full results of the men’s time trial race can be found by clicking here, while the entire under-23 men’s time trial results are available through this link and all the women’s time trial results here.
Early insights into the 2017 National Road Championships
Things are shaping up okay for the 2017 edition of the National Road Championships and entries are open until June 22nd. You can enter any of the races here if you would like to be a part of the action.
British Cycling has already revealed the various courses of the championships, so riders and spectators can make themselves ready in anticipation. Past winners have been Olympic champions so you are in rather esteemed company if you are good enough to win any of the titles up for grabs.
