British Road National Championships

Steve Cummings wins the road race at the British National Championships

When: Thursday June 28 (TT) and Sunday July 1 2018 (road)
Where: Stamfordham, Nothumberland

This year the British National Road Race Championships return to Stamfordham, Nothumberland – where in 2011 Lizzie Deignan (then Armitstead) and Bradley Wiggins won, both via late attacks.

The 2018 British National Road Race route isn’t notably hilly this year, instead being characterised by narrow, technical roads. There is one pivotal ascent – Ryals – which the men will ascend for the last time with 30km to go, whilst the women will attack it with 10km left.

The men will complete six laps in total – four large laps and two small 22km loops on laps one and six, coming to a total distance of 185.6km.

The women will complete three loops of the long 34.5km lap, for a total of 106.2km.

Event organiser Peter Harrison comment on the course, saying: “The narrow roads that typify the run in to the famous Ryals climb force the riders to race hard for position: the climb of the Ryals then gives stronger riders the chance to pressurise an already strung-out field.

“The eventual winners and national champions will have to be tactically sharp and prepared to go with the inevitable attacks up the Ryals. Then, we anticipate a game of cat and mouse between smaller groups of riders down to the finish.”

The 2018 British National Road Race will be broadcast on ITV this year, with the women’s race footage in a highlight form and the end of the men’s race shown live from 3pm.

The men will be racing to take the National title from Steve Cummings, who won last year, and the women’s winner will relieve Lizzie Deignan of her National Champion’s jersey gained in 2017.

Thursday’s time trial is an out and back route, with men riding three laps to a total of 39.7km and women two laps for 28.6km.

Once again, the men seek to topple Steve Cummings, whilst the women will aim to take the title from Claire Rose.