Xan Crees edges Danni Shrosbree to win elite women's British Gravel Championship
Photo finish decides gravel title for 21-year-old Crees
Xan Crees (Spectra-Cannondale) outsprinted Danni Shrosbree (Amius) at the line to capture her first elite women’s British Gravel Championship.
Shrosbree held the lead in the final kilometre of the fifth and decisive lap, but when wide with two corners to go. Crees made the pass and held off Shrosbree, the defending champion, to take the victory in a photo finish. Jane Barr (Velocity44 RT) was third in the small group, finishing one second behind.
“I think it’s a bit overwhelming because when I looked at the start list I was like, 'oh my gosh I actually have a chance of winning this’. Then to actually do it, especially with it being close it was just a let go of all emotions, my gosh it’s happened,” said Crees following a brief delay to confirm the final result.
“It was weird because I was telling myself second’s still great because Danni is the previous national champ, I’ll take second if I get second, but obviously you always want to win. But then if I’ve lost it by a millimetre it’s going to be so annoying. But to do it I am so happy and over the moon.”
At 21 years of age, Crees has the most experience with off-road racing in cyclocross, which she combines with mountain bike and gravel disciplines. She was fourth at The Gralloch, the UK’s only UCI Gravel World Series event in May.
Shrosbree added a silver-medal finish to a growing list of results, which include fourth at this year’s Unbound Gravel 200. Last year in the first British Gravel Championship, which is also part of King’s Cup Gravel Festival, she was second overall in the elite women’s race, behind South African Tiffany Keep. As the first British woman across the line last year, she took the gravel title.
The gravel championships returned as part of King’s Cup Gravel Festival this year, with the women and men competing in separate starts. Both fields completed five laps of a 15.3km circuit for a total of 76.5km.
Women’s and men’s races have separate starts, the women starting at 8:30a.m. and the men competing at 12:30p.m.
Results
Pos. | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Xan Crees (Spectra Cannondale) | 2:42:12 |
2 | Danni Shrosbree (Amius) | |
3 | Jane Barr (Velocity 44 RT) | 0:00:01 |
4 | Amelia Mitchell | |
5 | Holly Winstone | 0:00:04 |
6 | Louise Wren (Athlon CC) | 0:00:07 |
7 | Morven Yeoman (Torelli) | 0:00:10 |
8 | Josie Knight (Spectra Cannondale) | 0:00:13 |
9 | Natasha Reddy (LDN Academy) | 0:00:44 |
10 | Samantha Fawcett (Hutchinson Brother) | 0:00:54 |
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Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).
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