Laura Trott wins British Road Race Championships in Abergavenny

Laura Trott, double Olympic track champion and women's Under-23 champion last year, won the women's senior title in Abergavenny ahead of her Wiggle-Honda team mate Dani King with defending champion Lizzie Armitstead of Boels-Dolmans in third.

On a demanding course on the undulations on the Monmouth-Hereford border, a lead group of 13 broke clear after around 30 miles, splitting still further as the distance wore on and attacks whittled down the lead group.

In the end, by the time the race reached the four laps of the eight kilometre finishing circuit around Abergavenny,  there was a lead group comprising Trott, King, Armitstead with Emma Pooley (VC Norwich), Kate Archibald, Sarah Storey (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International), Sharon Laws (UnitedHealthcare) and Elinor Barker (Wiggle-Honda), which put the Wiggle team in the driving seat.

Not willing to risk a sprint, Armitstead attacked on the short, steep climb on the circuit, shedding Storey and quickly gaining a 10-second gap. At this point it looked as though Wiggle's numerical superiority would come to nothing and the cap increased to 17 seconds with two laps to go. For reasons best known to Pooley, she put herself on the front and made sure that her former team-mate didn't go disappear up the road.

An attack by King on the final climb on the final lap saw her drag Pooley and Trott up to Armitstead; the four riders stayed clear to set up a sprint which Trott won by a clear length from King with the defending champion a further length back.

"It’s such an amazing feeling. It’s up there with winning a world championships for me," said Trott, who took both the elite and under-23 titles.

"I was really disappointed (after the time-trial), I felt I had a lot more form than what the time suggested and I know the course didn’t suit me with the hill at the finish but I don’t understand why my time wasn’t good enough.

"So to come here today, I was so, so up for it. I woke up this morning and I was like ‘don’t even speak to me’. It was really early, I was so in the zone, I just wanted to get out and get it done."

Results

British Road Race Championships 2014, women's race, Abergavenny

1. Laura Trott (Wiggle-Honda) 105.4km in 2-44-56

2. Danielle King (Wiggle-Honda)

3. Elizabeth Armitstead (Boels-Dolmans) both at st.

4. Emma Pooley (VC Norwich) at 0-04

5. Sharon Laws (UnitedHealthcare) at 0-06

6. Katie Archibald (Pearl Izumi Sports Tour International) at 1-12

7. Sarah Storey (Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International) at 1-35

8. Elinor Barker (Wiggle-Honda) at 1-37

9. Hannah Barnes (UnitedHealthcare) at 5-35

10. Nicola Juniper (Echelon-Rotor) at st.

Laura Trott

Emma Pooley leads around the Abergavenny circuit

Sarah Storey in the lead group

Trott celebrates as King claims second