British Road Championships 2012: Elite/U23 Women Results

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Sharon Laws (AA Drink leontien.nl) celebrates as she crosses the line to win the championships (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Sharon Laws (AA Drink) leads the front of race after the climbs (Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)

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The winner's podium for AA Drink leontien.nl teammates Emma Pooley, Sharon Laws and Lizzie Armitstead (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Celebration time as AA Drink leontien.nl teammates Emma Pooley, Sharon Laws and Lizzie Armitstead spray the champagne (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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A bit of fun as Emma Pooley spots that Sharon Laws has been given a U23 winner's jersey (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Katie Colclough (Specialized-lululemon) in the women's under 23 champion's jersey (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Emma Trott (Dolmans Boels) in the chase group (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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The leaders still together with three laps to go (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Emma Pooley (AA Drink leontien.nl) leads teammates Lizzie Armitstead and Sharon Laws with Nikki Harris (Telenet Fidea) on the third lap (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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The bunch rolls out for the start at Ampleforth Abbey and College in North Yorkshire (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Emma Pooley (AA Drink leontien.nl) drives the break (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Lizzie Armitstead (AA Drink leontien.nl) leads the breakaway quartet (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Sarah Storey (Escentual For VioRed) is the lone chaser behind the lead group (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Nicole Cooke (Team Faren - Honda) and Sarah Byrne (Cycle Premier - Kovert) head the main chase group in pursuit of the four leaders (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Nicole Cooke (Team Faren Honda) heads the chasers in pursuit of the four leaders (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Sharon Laws climbs the hill at the finish for the final time to win the gold medal - (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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Lizzie Armitstead (AA Drink leontien.nl) outsprints teammate Emma Pooley to win the silver medal (Image credit: Gerry McManus)

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.

Full Results
1	Sharon Laws (AA Drink leontien.nl)	3:11:50
2	Elizabeth Armitstead (AA Drink leontien.nl)	0:01:36
3	Emma Pooley (AA Drink leontien.nl)	0:01:41
4	Nikki Harris (Young Telenet Fidea Cycling Team)	0:02:43
5	Sarah Storey (For Viored)	0:03:52
6	Nicole Cooke (Team Faren - Honda)	0:09:02
7	Catherine Williamson (Team Bizhub-SCF)	0:09:04
8	Katie Colclough (Specialized-lululemon)
9	Emma Trott (Dolmans Boels)	0:09:44
10	Natalie Creswick (Mulebar Girl)	0:09:51
11	Sarah Byrne (For Viored)	0:10:08
12	Claire Galloway (For Viored)	0:16:34
13	Penny Rowson (Matrix Fitness - Prendas)
14	Annabel Simpson (Matrix Fitness - Prendas)	0:16:36
15	Gemma Neill (Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows)	0:16:40
16	Rebecca Heath (VC St Raphael)	0:16:48
17	Corrine Hall (Node 4 Giordana Womens Team)	0:18:03
18	Eileen Roe (Team Ibis Cycles)
19	Laura Massey (Vivelo-Bikes/Inverse Cyclaim RT)
20	Hannah Barnes (Team Ibis Cycles)	0:18:09
21	Lowri Bunn (Abergavenny Road Club)	0:18:13
22	Delia Beddis (Vivelo-Bikes/Inverse Cyclaim RT)	0:18:14
23	Nicola Juniper (Corvida Allpress)	0:18:22
24	Kayleigh Brogan (City of Edinburgh RC)	0:18:28
25	Karla Boddy (High Wycombe Cycling Club)	0:19:10