Towers solos 40km through wind and rain for shock road race title at British National Road Championships
19-year-old takes elite title with first road race victory
Alice Towers (Le Col-Wahoo) held off the elements and a host of more experienced rivals to claim a stunning victory in the elite women's road race at the British championships.
The 19-year-old was short on experience but high on strength and courage, going clear from all of 40km out and soloing through the driving rain.
Towers finished more than a minute clear of the rest, with Pfeiffer Georgi (DSM) winning the dash for second place ahead of Anna Henderson (Jumbo-Visma).
The Scotland route totalled 128km with two laps of a 23km loop followed by six laps of the 13.5km finishing circuit. There were no major climbs but the roads were typically rolling and grippy.
The conditions were typically British, too, with strong winds and strong rain. There was just one breakaway rider but things came back together with 60km to go.
Henderson then created the first real selection, but Le Col-Wahoo had significant numbers and sent Towers on the attack with three laps to go. It turned out to be the winning move, as the chase group drifted back to the peloton and the gap went up above two minutes.
The spirit of the chase ebbed and flowed but Towers never faltered and finished off a remarkable first elite title. She also claimed the U23 title in the process, with Georgi also taking silver there, while Elynor Backstedt took bronze.
"I can't really believe it happened," Towers said. "It's actually the first time I've ever won a road race, so to win the national championships is really special.
"It was very spontaneous," she said of her attack. "It probably was the best thing to do at the time with the conditions, being out front was better than being in the bunch. The time get going out and kilometres kept coming down. All I could do was keep plugging away."
Results powered by FirstCycling

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Patrick is an NCTJ-trained journalist, and former deputy editor of Cyclingnews, who has seven years’ experience covering professional cycling. He has a modern languages degree from Durham University and has been able to put it to some use in what is a multi-lingual sport, with a particular focus on French and Spanish-speaking riders. Away from cycling, Patrick spends most of his time playing or watching other forms of sport - football, tennis, trail running, darts, to name a few, but he draws the line at rugby.
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
The road to Il Lombardia – A complete guide to the Italian Autumn Classics
All you need to know about the racing from the Coppa Agostoni to Tre Valli Varesine and the Veneto Classic -
CRO Race: Iuri Leitao surprises sprint field to win stage 2
Viviani second and Kristoff third as track World Champion times sprint to perfection -
Best winter cycling gloves 2023 - Just the right warmth for the full range of winter weather
The best winter cycling gloves will keep your hands warm and dry no matter what the weather brings -
2024 Giro d'Italia set for stage 2 summit finish at Oropa
Italian Grand tour set for second start in four years in Turin before early mountain test