British Cycling National Time Trial Championships 2016

by | Jun 26, 2016

Stockton-On-Tees

Dowsett, Simmonds And Davies Back Up Their Twenty-Fifteen Titles Here In Stockton-On-Tees In The National Time Trial Championships 2016 Defending champion Alex Dowsett [Movistar] successfully reclaims his Time Trial National Jersey in Stockton-On-Tees for an impressive fifth senior title. Setting the quickest first split, Dowsett was the odd-on favorite around the circuit through the High Street, along the Riverside and out of town before returning for another three laps. James Gullen [Pedal Heaven] posted the closest time for Silver over a minute down and Ryan Perry [Langdale Lightweights RT] the Bronze. Talking in-front of the assembled cheering crowd Dowsett praised Stockton Council on their circuit layout and organization.

The whole Town Centre aspect of time-trialing is really something quite incredible. (Last year’s circuit was on a partly closed circuit at Cadwell Park Racing circuit near Louth, Lincolnshire) The atmosphere was really great, even out of town there were a lot of people watching. I think the course suited the spectator crowd, so Stockton should be proud of what they put on today.

For me personally I paced it I’d say, as perfectly as I could.

The gap to second last year was a lot bigger. I’ve seen these guys at 10s this year and it’s great to see British time-trialing really coming up.

Alex Dowsett

British National Time Trial Champion 2016, Movistar

When Alex was asked about another hour record attempt in the near future:  I hope so, the bar has been set quite high by Wiggins (Bradley). I know I’m capable of it from the numbers from the last attempt. It’s just a question of when. 54k is not a distance to taking lightly. It’s a huge ask from my team [Movistar] as well to set it up. It takes months to set up. I can’t see it happening this year, but possibly for next year.

 

All images ©CyclingShorts.cc | www.chrismaher.co.uk

Hayley Simmonds successfully defended her first National title from twenty-fifteen backing up her win having spent most of the year riding abroad riding her first professional contract.

Back on her beloved Cervelo P5, Simmonds put over half a minute on her closest on-form rival Claire Rose [Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa] who took Silver, with Team-mate Dame Sarah Storey close behind for Bronze.

Cycling Shorts: What have you been up to recently?

Simmonds: With-in the last couple of weeks I’ve recently changed Teams. I was riding professionally for Unitedhealthcare, I made the decision when they offered me, to be let out of my contract, so I accepted that. I made the decision to ride for Aerocoach. 

It was a really hard decision to leave the team. I had to weigh-up in my mind, was I prepared to potentially sacrifice defending my title today to remain on the team.

I decided that I wasn’t and that defending my title today probably meant more to me.

I want to return to a UCI team, I want to be a professional bike rider.

Hopefully I’ll be able to find a UCI team for next year.

I’m lucky that I managed to find some guest rides in UCI races for the later part of the year. So I will still be keeping my hand in UCI races.

Cycling Shorts: How did you find the course here in Stockton-On-Tees and did it suit you?

Simmonds: I didn’t think it suited me. When I looked at the course before, I didn’t think it suited me as much as last year’s course did. But it was a good course. It was a really interesting course. It was a course of two parts.

It had a technical bit in the town centre and the dual carriageway section that was more of a traditional time trial course.

The bit in the town centre was actually really good in terms of support from local people and I was lucky enough to meet some of the local people a couple of weeks ago when I first came to look at the course.

The support was great and yeh! It suited me enough.

 

Interview – Hayley Simmonds 2016 National TT Champion by Cycling Shorts

Haley Simmonds talks to CyclingShorts.cc writer / Photographer Chris Maher after taking the 2016 National TT Champion title in Stockton.

In the U23 Time Trial, Scott Davies [Team Wiggins] also defended his twenty-fifteen title beating Tao Geoghegen Hart [Axeon Hagens Berman CT] for Silver by nineteen seconds with Gabriel Cullaigh [100%ME] a further thirty seconds back off the pace.

  1.  40 Davies Scott Team Wiggins 44: 44:10.43
  2.  39 Geoghegan Hart Tao Axeon Hagens Berman CT 44:29.81 @9.38
  3.  34 Cullaigh Gabriel 100% ME 44:40.24 @29.81
  4.  35 Hetherington Ben Planet X – Northside Cycling 44:[email protected]
  5.  38 Baylis Thomas One Pro Cycling 44:53.39 @42.96
  6.  37 Shaw James Lotto Soudal U23 45:12.22 @01:01.8
  7.  12 Fry Joseph Pedal Heaven 45:24.97 @01:14.5
  8.  28 Kelly Jake Team Wiggins 45:42.33 @01:31.8
  9.  36 Stewart Mark 100% ME 45:54.37 @01:43.9
  10.  30 Latham Christopher Team Wiggins 45:54.60 @01:44.2
  1.  50 Hayley Simmonds Aerocoach 47:33.36
  2.  44 Claire Rose Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 48:06.32  @0:32.96
  3.  47 Dame Sarah Storey Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 48:12.47 @0:06.15
  4.  49 Emma Pooley 48:33.46 @0:20.99
  5.  45 Hannah Barnes Canyon – SRAM 49:29.28 @0:55.82
  6.  40 Julia Shaw 49:39.92 @0:10.64
  7.  48 Molly Weaver Liv-Plantur 49:53.32 @0:13.40
  8.  11 Elizabeth-Jane Harris Podium Ambition p/b Club La Santa 50:56.20 @1:02.88
  9.  9 Angela Hibbs Fusion RT Fierlan 51:03.12 @0:06.92
  10.  42 Abby-Mae Parkinson Servetto Footon 51:13.39 @0:10.27
  1.  40 Alex Dowsett Movistar Team 0:55:38.52
  2.  35 James Gullen Pedal Heaven 0:56:54.83
  3.  38 Ryan Perry Langdale Lightweights Racing Team 0:57:52.53
  4.  32 Peter Williams One Pro Cycling 0:58:15.36
  5.  26 Richard Handley One Pro Cycling 0:59:09.39
  6.  33 Samuel Harrison Team Wiggins 0:59:11.87
  7.  37 Lloyd Chapman Pedal Heaven 0:59:36.73
  8.  20 Ashley Cox CC Luton 0:59:45.70
  9.  36 Andrew Tennant Team Wiggins 0:59:59.87
  10.  34 Rhys Howells Richardsons-Trek RT 1:00:04.48

Stage 4 – AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016 Race Report

by | Jun 18, 2016

Lizzie Armitstead retained her Aviva Yellow Jersey heading into the final stage of the Aviva Women’s Tour as reigning Olympic Road Race Champion Marianne Vos took the Stage Four victory from Nottingham to Stoke-on-Trent, the European City of Sport for 2016.

Vos headed home Team Liv Plantur’s Leah Kirchmann and Wiggle HIGH5’s Emma Johansson, as a front group of 21-riders contested the finish on an uphill drag into Stoke-on-Trent city centre.

In the process the Rabo Liv rider narrowed her gap to Armitstead on the overall classification to 15-seconds, although Armitstead’s nearest challenger, Ashleigh Moolman Pasio, slipped back to eight-seconds down in second overall, with Elisa Longo Borghini a further two seconds in arrears.

“We race as a team and we race aggressively, that’s always our tactic. From a team perspective we had a good race I had good legs again on the climb,” said Lizzie Armitstead after the stage.

“The race stayed together until the climb and then me, Ashley and Elisa went on the second Queen of the Mountains, Emma was in no-man’s land so she came back up to us and there was a bit of cooperation for maybe 5k and then Emma and Elisa started attacking

“In the final kilometres I could tell they [peloton] were coming back…coming into the final kilometre there were a couple of turns with up-hill flickers and again Emma and Elisa were attacking so it was just about covering them and as the group from behind pulled I tried to put myself in a good position but got caught out a little bit on the last corner.”

Lizzie Armitstead Yellow Jersey – Stage 4 AVIVA Womens Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts

Yellow Jersey holder after stage 4 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016 – Lizzie Armitstead talks of her frustration after a testing day in the saddle for her team.

Interview – Marianne Vos – Stage 4 Winner – AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016 by Cycling Shorts

Marianne Vos winner of Stage 4 of the AVIVA Women’s Tour 2016 chats at the press conference to the assembled media.

On the tough run through the Staffordshire Moorlands in the final third of the stage, Armitstead had again proved herself to be one of the toughest riders in the race, escaping in a four rider group that went clear on two back-to-back Strava Queen of the Mountains climbs at Ramshorn and Oakamoor.

In addition to the World Champion, her breakaway companions from Stage Three who lie second and third overall, Moolman Pasio and Longo Borghini, joined her along with Swedish national champion Emma Johansson.

The four struck out until just after the final kilometre marker, with Vos leading the chase to catch them on the final climb of Botteslow Street into Stoke-on-Trent city centre.  The winner of the 2014 Women’s Tour made the catch and then straight away led out the sprint through the final corner and into the short, uphill finish straight.

“We were riding full gas and we could see them but they were attacking each other so sometimes they were making really high speeds and sometimes it came closer and then the final kilometre was more up than I expected,” said Vos afterwards.

“On Google Maps it looked a wide road and nicely through some roundabouts but it went ‘boom’ uphill but they were still within 10-seconds, so I decided to just go because otherwise you don’t have a chance.

“I knew I had a chance in the sprint but if there are still four in the lead then you are sprinting for fifth and that wasn’t really in my plan today.”

The stage win for Vos helped her to an unassailable 27-point lead in the Chain Reaction Cycles Points jersey, meaning she just has to finish the race to claim the jersey.

In the Best Young Rider jersey, presented by the city of Stoke-on-Trent in its year as European City of Sport, Floortje Mackaij extended her lead to 51-seconds over teammate Molly Weaver.

UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling’s Katie Hall retained the Strava Queen of the Mountains jersey, but Moolman Pasio ate into her lead, meaning the destination of the jersey will be decided between the two riders on the first Strava Queen of the Mountains climb at Newnham Hill outside Daventry.

For full results and standings from Stage Four, please click here.

Stage Five of the Aviva Women’s Tour takes place in Northamptonshire, the third year that the race has visited the county, with the final day’s racing taking place over 113.2-kilometres between Northampton and Kettering.

For further information on Stage Five, please click here.

Amateur cyclists can also ride part of the Aviva Women’s Tour route this year in the Tour Ride Northamptonshire, the official sportive of the Aviva Women’s Tour.  Taking place one month after the final stage, on Sunday 17 July, 40 and 80-mile routes starting and finishing from Delapre Abbey in Northampton will take place using sections of the Stage Five route, while there is also a fun, off-road 10-mile route for families. To sign-up head to www.tourride.co.uk

All images ©Copyright www.chrismaher.co.uk | CyclingShorts.cc

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