Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) on stage 6 of the 2019 Tour of California (Image credit: Getty Images)
British Cycling confirmed today that Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) will ride the HSBC UK National Road Championships next week in Norfolk. The national time trial champions will be crowned on the Royal Sandringham Estate on Thursday, June 27, while the road races will be contested on Sunday, June 30.
Cavendish, the 2013 British road race champion, will face defending champion Connor Swift (Arkea-Samsic), along with 2016 champion Adam Blythe (Lotto Soudal), 2019 Tour de Yorkshire winner Chris Lawless (Team Ineos), Gabz Cullaigh (Team Wiggins Le Col), Hugh Carthy and Dan McLay (EF Education First), Ethan Hayter (VC Londres), Scott Thwaites (Vitus Pro Cycling p/b Brother UK) and Charlie Tanfield (Canyon DHB-Bloor Homes).
Both Chris Froome and reigning time trial champion Geraint Thomas of Team Ineos will miss the championships this year. Froome, because of his serious injuries suffered in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine, and Thomas because of a minor crash at Tour de Suisse. In their stead, Harry Tanfield and five-time winner Alex Dowsett (both Katusha-Alpecin), who finished second and third, respectively, behind Thomas last year, will be looking to claim the top spot on the podium this time around.
Steve Cummings (Dimension Data), the 2017 champion, will also be among those tackling the 41.4km course, as will Ian Stannard and Olympic track champion Owain Doull (both Team Ineos), John Archibald (Ribble Pro Cycling) and Scott Davies (Dimension Data).
The elite women’s time trial will see reigning champion Hannah Barnes (Canyon-Sram) return to defend her title. Barnes beat her sister. Alice (Canyon-Sram) into second place last year, and the siblings will again compete for the title. They'll be challenged by Last year's bronze medallist Neah Evans (Team HUUB), 2015 and 2016 champion Hayley Simmonds (BTC City Ljubljana), Dame Sarah Storey (Storey Racing) and Olympic track champion and 2017 bronze medallist Katie Archibald (Team HUUB).
The elite women, under-23 men and under-23 women will all race over a 26.4km course.
Reigning champion Jess Roberts and four-time winner Lizzie Deignan will not be not riding the elite women's road race, making Hannah Barnes the only rider in the field to have previously won the national title.
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Looking to win their first-ever national road champion’s jersey will be last year’s bronze medallist Ellie Dickinson (Drops), Lizzie Banks and Norfolk native Sophie Wright (both Bigla), Alice Barnes, Archibald, national circuit race champion Anna Henderson (Brother UK Tifosi-OnForm), Olympic and world track champion Elinor Barker (Drops) and double former junior world champion Lucy Garner (Hitec Products Birk Sport).
