Alice Barnes wins British road race to complete the double

Image 1 of 9

Alice Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) backed up her mid-week time trial title with victory in the road race at the British national championships on Sunday, winning commandingly from a breakaway of four riders. 

The 23-year-old, whose only teammate was her sister Hannah, the 2017 champion, is the first woman to do the road race-time trial double since Emma Pooley in 2010. 

Barnes put herself into a winning position with around 40km of the rolling 130km Norfolk course left to ride. A four-rider breakaway had just been caught, and two more riders went up the road: Lizzie Holden (Drops) and Anna Henderson (Brother UK-Tifosi). A few kilometres later, Barnes set off in pursuit along with Abby-Mae Parkinson (Drops), and made the bridge to form the decisive selection. 

Barnes, herself, only 23, found herself as the most experienced rider in the group, and ensured they collaborated well to keep the reduced peloton at bay. The gap hovered between 30 and 40 seconds but there wasn't enough horsepower or coordination behind. 

Heading into the final kilometre, the win was assured for one of the four, and Barnes seized her moment. With the road rising and twisting to the line, she went from distance, leaving her companions behind in emphatic fashion to win by a handsome margin. 

Henderson finished second, collecting the U23 title in the process, with the final podium spot going to Holden.

"I'm in shock," said Barnes. "It was a really hard race, and there were a few times I thought it was over when there were big teams up the road. Then there were two girls away and I went across with Abby-Mae. We worked really well together until about 1km to go, then I didn't want to leave it to a sprint so I attacked with a couple of corners to go and just trusted my tyres. 

"I knew they must all be going pretty hard to catch me, so I knew no one would have anything left. I just saw the line and went for it, and no one else was behind me."

Results