Laws storms to GB women's road race glory

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Sharon Laws was crowned Great Britain's Women’s National Road Race Champion after soloing to victory in the title race in North Yorkshire on Sunday.

The 37-year-old from Cheltenham, who was overlooked for the Team GB Olympic squad earlier this month, led a 1-2-3 for the AA Drink-Leontien.nl team, with Lizzie Armitstead taking second, just ahead of Emma Pooley at the end of the 107-kilometre event based around Ampleforth.

Laws escaped from the bunch with Armitstead and Pooley as well as Nikki Harris (Young Telenet) early in the race, and they quickly established a big lead over the chasing bunch who were struggling to maintain the same pace.

With four minutes’ lead, the group were being chased by Sarah Storey (Escentual For Viored), and although she never made contact with the leaders managed to maintain a gap of around a minute.

But with a lap and a half (around 15 miles) to go Laws attacked and ploughed up the road powerfully on a climb, quickly establishing a lead of around a minute. Armitstead and Pooley responded, but the injection of pace proved a little too much for Harris who was left behind.

By the line, Laws had a lead of more than a minute, while Armitstead took second from Pooley.