British National Road Race Championships - 2016 2016: Road Race - Women

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January 1 - June 26, Stockton, Stockton-on-Tess, Road - CN

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Welcome to live coverage of the women's road race at the British National championships. 

We will have live coverage of the men's road race later today and updates from all the national championships around Europe and beyond.

Good morning. It is national champions week this week and there are going to be a lot of road race champions crowned this weekend. Today, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest results and we'll have live coverage from the women's and men's road races at the British national championships. 

The women got underway just 10 minutes ago in Stockton on Tees.

Defending champion Lizzie Armitstead heads a strong list of contenders today. She is looking for her fourth British national title and second in a row.

The women's races in Germany, Belgium and Ireland are also under way this morning. 

This is what the course looks like today. The women will do six laps of the main circuit and three of the finishing circuit.

There has been a couple of attacks early on but nothing has stuck just yet.

A member of the drops team has gone on the attack as the peloton approaches Thorpe Thewles.

The Drops rider is Jennifer George and she has an eight-second gap on the bunch. 

Apologies for the small delay but here is today's start lists for both the men's and women's races. 

The peloton has pushed on and caught George. It's gruppo compatto once again. 

There is at least one non-starter today and that is Grace Garner. Her sister, two-time junior world champion, Lucy is riding. 

News just in that Canyon-SRAM's Mieke Kroeger has just taken the honours in the German women's road race. Lisa Brennauer comes over in second to make it a 1-2 for the team. 

Since George was brought back, there has been several attacks off the front of the bunch. Sarah Storey has gone solo and has a very slim gap off the front of the bunch. 

Luke Rowe's brother Matt has been out on course watching the women's road race. He posted this photo of George on the attack.

Storey's gap has gone up to 20 seconds. Storey won't be too worried about the lack of company in the break. She is a strong time triallist and made an attempt on the hour record last year. She claimed bronze in the time trial earlier this week too.

Here is the top 8 from the women's road race at the German National Championships.

Dani King (Wiggle-High5) and Nikki Harris (Boels Dolmans) are driving the peloton. Wiggle and Boels are undoubtedly the two strongest teams today and both have potential victors in their ranks. 

Those efforts aren't troubling Story, however, and the Podium Ambition rider has almost a minute on the bunch. Rebecca Durrell of Drops Cycling is trying to bridge the gap. 

Durrell is 15 seconds back on Storey at the moment. 

Rebecca Durrell still on the chase. Durrell is in her first year as a professional. She recently finished the Avivia Women's Tour and rode the Tour of California in May. 

The riders are onto lap three of six on this main circuit and Storey has built up an advantage of 1:30 over the peloton. 

Durrell has given up the chase and is now back in the peloton. 

Here is Storey out front courtesy of British Cycling. 

Wiggle-High5 has now put Anna Christian to the front. The nationals are not a team event but team tactics are often used and Wiggle are using their strength to try and bring this break back. 

Storey continues to hold her gap. This is an impressive effort from her. There are still three laps to go of this main circuit before they hit the 6.7km technical finishing circuit. 

The riders have completed 31 miles of the 66-mile course. 

Storey's gap is falling now as King and Harris push the pace again. She has just over a minute now on the bunch. 

12 riders have now jumped clear of the peloton. The group is 40 seconds behind Storey. 

Now just six seconds between Storey and that group of 12 chasers.

The group has caught Storey so we now have 13 up front.

The riders in the leading group are: Sarah Storey, Nikki Harris, Hannah Barnes, Jennifer George, Lucy Shaw, Neah Evans, Molly Weaver, Claire Rose, Annasley Park, Lucy Garner and Dani King.

Vita Hein has taken the women's Norwegian road race title. She beat Miriam Bjørnsrud to the victory. 

Here is the breakaway group.

After spending so long out front, Storey has been dropped from that leading group. Now back down to 12, the group has a minute over the peloton after 67km. Less than 40km to go. 

In Belgium, Kaat Hannes has won from a bunch sprint. Lotte Kopecky claimed second with Jolien D'hoore in third. 

Nikki Harris has been doing a lot at the front of this break. She was named in British Cycling's squad for the Olympic Games after switching to the road full-time for this season. 

Just 57 seconds separate the leaders from the peloton as they approach the finishing circuit in the centre of Stockton on Tees. They will complete three laps of the 6.7km circuit. 

The pace is really high and a large group of riders has dropped off the back of the peloton. They are three minutes behind the 12 leaders. 

Sarah Storey has made it back to this leading group but as she does Dani King makes a move off the front. King's move comes to nothing and we've got 13 out front once again. 

78km gone and the riders are onto the finishing circuit.

56 seconds for the leaders now. This is going to be a very close run thing. 

20 kilometres to go for the 13 leaders with 55 seconds separating them from the chasing group.

Elsewhere, Daniel Teklehaimanot has taken victory in the Eritrean national champions.

Now just 44 seconds left for the leaders.

The peloton is very active right now, they're sensing the catch and a shot at taking the jersey. 

Two laps remaining for the 13 out front, just just under 14km, and the gap is 42 seconds. If the break work well together they can hold this but there will be many very interested in attacking, knowing they won't win out in a bunch sprint. 

Dani King attacks

The gap continues to come down. It's just 38 seconds. 

Riders losing touch with the break, Beth Crumpton and Sarah Storey are hanging off the back. 

Just one lap to go!

10km to go and just 40 seconds for the escapees. 

Dani King is looking very strong in this group and after missing Olympic selection she will be gunning for this. 

If this escape group makes it, Lucy Garner will be a big favourite to take it in a sprint. 

Hannah Barnes attacks. The leaders have 32 seconds on the peloton. 

King quickly shuts down Barnes' attack.

The Drops team are leading the chase behind this 13-rider escape. 

30 seconds left with 6km to go. This is getting very close.

There is a small lull in the action at the front but there are several riders interested in trying to solo to the line. 

The lull didn't last. Nikki Harris is next to go.

Harris is caught. Just 3km to go. 

The break is making its way through the centre of Stockton on Tees. There are some big crowds out there, who will they see crowned champion?

35 seconds now for the leaders. It looks like they may just hold out on the peloton. 

Looks like this is going to come to a 13-rider sprint. 

1km to go

The leaders have 25 seconds with 500m to go. 

Hannah Barnes wins!

That is a great result for Barnes. She has been slowly making her way back to form after breaking her ankle at the end of last year. 

It was a Barnes 1-2, with Hannah's sister Alice taking the runner up spot. 

Here is the top 4 in that finish

With that second place, Alica Barnes keeps hold of her under 23 national title. 

Just an hour away from the men's event now. You can find the full start list here. 

In news that is not a surprise to anyone, Peter Sagan has taken victory in the Slovakian national championships. 

Video replay shows that Barnes had to go the long way around to take that victory, coming from further back in the group on the final bend. Her sister Alice wound things up first but Hannah piped her on the line. 

Across the Irish sea Lydia Boylan has defended her Irish national road race title. 

The Barnes sisters pose for the photographers after taking first and second in the British women's road race. 

We now have full results from the women's races at the Belgian national championships and the German national championships.

We also have a report and brief results for the British women's road race here.

Hannah Barnes said this after taking victory.

That's it from the women's race. We'll be back in a few minutes with live coverage from the men's race and other national championships as they finish. 

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