Lizzie Deignan wins fourth British road race title

Lizzie Deignan (Boels-Dolmans) claimed a fourth British women's road race title on Sunday, attacking late from a group of four to win solo. 

The former world champion, who won the national title in 2011, 2013, and 2015, spent much of the day as part of a chase group, and no sooner than she finally joined up with the head of the race, with two kilometres remaining, had she taken off solo, and there was no catching her. 

Katie Archibald outsprinted 2016 champion Hannah Barnes for the silver medal, several seconds back, while Elinor Barker, who had spent most of the day at the front of the race, rolled home in fourth. 

"It's great to be in the jersey again. It's always such a difficult race to win – you don't just need good legs, you need a bit of luck too," said Deignan. 

Luck wasn't on Barker's side in the end, but it looked like the Olympic track champion was on her way to a huge victory on the road. She made it into a group of three that formed on the long loop of the Isle of Man course, and that led onto the 7.2km finishing circuit - to be covered six times.

Behind her, Deignan, Barnes, and Archibald gave chase in a group of seven as the peloton drifted back. Barker went solo but never had more than a minute, though when her lead started to rise again towards 45 seconds, with just over a lap remaining, it looked promising. 

Deignan attacked from the chase on the last lap, dragging Barnes and Archibald with her, and that spelled trouble for Barker, who tried to hold on for as long as possible with the chasers just a hundred metres back. When the catch was made, Deignan, by far the most experience of the group, wasted no time, and seized the moment to take her fourth title.

"It's one of the hardest national championships I've ever won – it wasn't a case of going in to the race with five rivals, it was more likely 20, and I'm very proud of the fact that we have so many women now who are capable of competing internationally as well as domestically," she said. 

"I know that Elinor will be so disappointed but she shouldn't be; it was an incredible performance. It'll stand her in good stead in the future."

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Elizabeth Deignan (GBr) Boels Dolmans Cyclingteam2:44:18
2Katie Archibald (GBr) Team WNT Pro Cycling0:00:14
3Hannah Barnes (GBr) Canyon SRAM RacingRow 2 - Cell 2
4Elinor Barker (GBr)0:00:17
5Melissa Lowther (GBr)0:01:28
6Neah Evans (GBr)Row 5 - Cell 2
7Manon Lloyd (GBr)Row 6 - Cell 2
8Hayley Simmonds (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 7 - Cell 2
9Anna Christian (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 8 - Cell 2
10Eleanor Dickinson (GBr)0:08:34
11Dani King (GBr) Cylance Pro CyclingRow 10 - Cell 2
12Emily Nelson (GBr)Row 11 - Cell 2
13Abigail Van Twisk (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 12 - Cell 2
14Natalie Grinczer (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 13 - Cell 2
15Rebecca Durrell (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 14 - Cell 2
16Elizabeth Stedman (GBr)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Laura Massey (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 16 - Cell 2
18Joscelin Lowden (GBr)Row 17 - Cell 2
19Elizabeth Holden (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 18 - Cell 2
20Dani Christmas (GBr)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Julie Erskine (GBr)Row 20 - Cell 2
22Hayley Jones (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 21 - Cell 2
23Abby-Mae Parkinson (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 22 - Cell 2
24Annasley Park (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 23 - Cell 2
25Elizabeth-Jane Harris (GBr)Row 24 - Cell 2
26Jennifer Powell (GBr)Row 25 - Cell 2
27Rebecca Carter (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 26 - Cell 2
28Hannah Payton (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 27 - Cell 2
29Molly Weaver (GBr) Team Sunweb WomenRow 28 - Cell 2
30Alicia Speake (GBr)Row 29 - Cell 2
31Lucy Shaw (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 30 - Cell 2
32Claire Rose (GBr) Visit Dallas DNA Pro CyclingRow 31 - Cell 2
33Bethany Crumpton (GBr)Row 32 - Cell 2
34Kimberley Ashton (GBr)0:08:39
35Emma Cockroft (GBr)Row 34 - Cell 2
36Jennifer George (GBr)Row 35 - Cell 2
37Chanel Mason (GBr)Row 36 - Cell 2
38Georgina Panchaud (GBr)Row 37 - Cell 2
39Jennifer Hudson (GBr)Row 38 - Cell 2
40Genevieve Whitson (GBr)Row 39 - Cell 2
41Alice Barnes (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 40 - Cell 2
42Emma Lewis (GBr)0:08:44
43Bethany Hayward (GBr)0:09:01
44Amy Gornall (GBr)0:09:05
45Corrine Hall (GBr)0:09:10
46Amy Roberts (GBr) Wiggle High50:09:19
47Hannah Walker (GBr) Team WNT Pro Cycling0:10:32
OTLMonica Dew (GBr)Row 47 - Cell 2
OTLMelissa Brand (GBr)Row 48 - Cell 2
OTLHolly Flannery (GBr)Row 49 - Cell 2
OTLFiona Hunter-Johnston (GBr)Row 50 - Cell 2
OTLMaryka Sennema (GBr)Row 51 - Cell 2
OTLAmy Hill (GBr)Row 52 - Cell 2
OTLGemma Sargent (GBr)Row 53 - Cell 2
OTLRose Osborne (GBr) Drops Cycling TeamRow 54 - Cell 2
OTLGabriella Shaw (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 55 - Cell 2
OTLMolly Patch (GBr)Row 56 - Cell 2
OTLChloe Weller (GBr)Row 57 - Cell 2
OTLCharmaine Porter (GBr)Row 58 - Cell 2
OTLKeira Mcvitty (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 59 - Cell 2
OTLBethany Taylor (GBr)Row 60 - Cell 2
OTLJennifer Holden (GBr)Row 61 - Cell 2
OTLRebecca Goodson (GBr)Row 62 - Cell 2
OTLKaren Poole (GBr)Row 63 - Cell 2
OTLJessica Duffy (GBr)Row 64 - Cell 2
OTLGrace Garner (GBr) Wiggle High5Row 65 - Cell 2
OTLEmily Kay (GBr) Team WNT Pro CyclingRow 66 - Cell 2
OTLTina Hartwright (GBr)Row 67 - Cell 2
OTLCrystal Lane (GBr)Row 68 - Cell 2
OTLCharlotte Redden (GBr)Row 69 - Cell 2
OTLCharlotte Colclough (GBr)Row 70 - Cell 2
OTLAlexandra Sheehan (GBr)Row 71 - Cell 2
OTLLucy Harper (GBr)Row 72 - Cell 2
DNFLucy Garner (GBr) Wiggle High5Row 73 - Cell 2
DNFSarah King (GBr)Row 74 - Cell 2

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