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."

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