19-year-old Alice Towers (Le Col-Wahoo) took her first elite road race victory in stunning style as she soloed to a comprehensive victory to become the women’s 2022 national road race champion.

In the men’s race, Mark Cavendish (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) stormed to a remarkable victory as he out-sprinted Sam Watson (Groupama-FDJ) and Le Col’s Alex Richardson to take his second national road race title.

Reports

Women’s race

Strong, gusting, winds and driving rain greeted the riders as the peloton took to the lanes and roads of Dumfries and Galloway decked out in varying levels of warmers and rain jackets.

The action was enough to warm up most of the riders – and the few hardy spectators camped out around the course – as moves and attacks started right from the word go.

First to really put themselves out there was Saint Piran’s Christina Wiejak, who made a move off the front early into the 128km race.

Quickly building up an advantage of 2m18 to the peloton, and about 90sec to Monica Greenwood (Team Boompods) who had struck out in a vain effort to join the leader, Wiejak was sitting in a relatively solid position.

However, as the field completed the second of the two 22.9km long loops and began the first of six 13.7km shorter circuits, Wiejak’s advantage started to be eaten up – thanks in no part to Dame Sarah Storey (Storey Racing) starting to up the pace at the front of the peloton.

On the second of the small laps, Wiejak was finally caught with Towers moving herself to the front of what was becoming an increasingly strung-out peloton.

Indeed, such was the pace at the front that a group of about half-a-dozen riders – including Towers, her Le Col-Wahoo team-mate Lizzie Holden, Anna Henderson (Team Jumbo-Visma), reigning champion Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM), Trek-Segafredo’s Elynor Backstedt  and Alice Barnes (Canyon-SRAM) motored off the front.

Joined in time by all five of the Le Col-Wahoo squad, and Uno-X’s Elinor Barker, Towers used the strength of her team to launch her move off the front.

Building up a handy advantage pretty quickly on the undulating Scottish roads, the 19-year-old’s move looked dangerous from the beginning. Two-time Tour Series round winner Sammie Stuart (CAMS-Basso) gave some chase but couldn’t make a dent on Towers’ advantage.

Stuart was caught by the small group of Georgi, Holden, Henderson and Backstedt on the final lap, by which point Towers had roughly 90 seconds on the quintet.

Georgi and Henderson in particular tried to in vein to claw back the Towers’ advantage. But Towers was clear. 

Crossing the line with arms aloft, Towers claimed her first elite road race victory in fine style, becoming the elite and under-23 national road race champion in the process. A real coming-of-age moment for the talented Towers. 

Behind, a sprint for second between Henderson and Georgi went the way of the Team DSM rider, Georgi able to out-drag Henderson – the first non under-23 rider – on the slight climb up to the finish.

Holden took fourth, with Backstedt pipping Stuart for fifth.

Men’s race

The rain that soaked the women’s race gradually gave way to sunshine for the men’s race but the wind was still as furious as the racing that ensued.

Like a Surrey league road race, the action was frantic throughout, no let-up for the entirety of the 201 km course.

On the very first of the long 22.9km laps, Cavendish broke clear of the peloton alongside Nick Cooper (Sweden Cycling Academy) and Damien Clayton (WiV SunGod) – eventually being joined by a larger group including Le Col’s Alexander Richardson, newly-crowned National Circuit Champion Matt Bostock (WiV SunGod), Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) and Ethan Hayter (Ineos Grenadiers) among others.

With the pace remaining high throughout, the composition of the lead group changed regularly, as riders dropped off the back and others made burning charges up to the front.

What remained constant, however,  was the presence of Cavendish, Hayter, Richardson and Ben Turner (Ineos Grenadiers) within the group.

An early move to try and shake up the race happened with just over 100km still remaining, as Cavendish, Sam Culverwell (TRINITY Road Racing), Turner and Askey launched off the front.

They didn’t last out front too long, as the chasing pack reeled them back in, but it jettisoned off some of the potential chasers. It made Hayter’s attack with five short laps to go look more threatening. The 23-year-old national time trial champion stayed out front for a good 20 minutes before being reeled back.

However, that attack was perhaps his undoing. There was half-a-lap of what passed as a truce when Hayter was pulled back into the fold, before Bostock, Cavendish, Turner and Sam Watson (Groupama-FDJ Continental) launched a lightning break off the front that Hayter was unable to join.

The leading quintet became a quartet on the penultimate lap as Bostock just overlapped his wheel with Turner’s enough to unsettle his bike and sent him tumbling to the floor. He got up and continued in the second group, but his chance of a double-victory was over.

On the final lap, another rider was cut adrift. Turner launched a solo break for victory but his companions at the front all had enough energy in reserve to shut the move down and launch a counter of their own that the Ineos Grenadier couldn’t respond to.

Coming into Castle Douglas for the final time, Watson, Cavendish and Richardson all pretty much came to a standstill, not wanting to be the first one to make a move.

Eventually, Richardson blinked first and started out his sprint, but Cavendish was pushing a huge gear and once he got the power through to the wheels there was no doubt about what was going to happen next – the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider took victory with a couple of lengths to spare, his second national road race title, nine years after his 2013 success. 

Behind, Watson secured the under-23 national title and second overall by a fraction of a wheel as he just out-lunged Richardson in a hotly-contested sprint.

Turner took fourth, just ahead of a recovering Bostock, with Askey sixth – second in the under-23 competition – and 2018 national champ Connor Swift (Team Arkea-Samsic) in seventh. 

Results

Women’s Race

Position	#	Name	Team	Category	Time
1	54	Alice Towers	Le Col – Wahoo	U23	3:28:02
2	1	Pfeiffer Georgi	Team DSM	U23	+1:13
3	109	Anna Henderson	Team Jumbo-Visma		ST
4	50	Elizabeth Holden	Le Col – Wahoo		+1:16
5	121	Elynor Backstedt	TREK – SEGAFREDO	U23	+1:21
6	40	Sammie Stuart	CAMS-Basso		+1:25
7	41	Alice Barnes	CANYON – SRAM RACING		+2:45
8	51	Eluned King	Le Col – Wahoo	U23	+2:46
9	45	Abi Smith	EF Education-TIBCO-SVB	U23	ST
10	83	Dannielle Khan	Solihull CC		ST
11	53	April Tacey	Le Col – Wahoo	U23	ST
12	48	Beth Harley-Jepson	Jadan – Vive le Velo		ST
13	7	Kate Richardson	Alba Development Road Team	U23	ST
14	84	Claire Steels	Sopela Women’s Team		ST
15	65	Millie Couzens	Plantur-Pura	U23	ST
16	52	Flora Perkins	Le Col – Wahoo	U23	ST
17	36	Beth Morrow	CAMS-Basso	U23	ST
18	103	Monica Greenwood	Team Boompods		ST
19	64	Robyn Clay	Otley CC	U23	ST
20	25	Alice McWilliam	BIANCHI HUNT MORVELO		ST
21	33	Jessica Finney	CAMS-Basso		ST
22	88	Amira Mellor	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus		ST
23	116	Anna Shackley	Team SD Worx	U23	+ 2:52
24	26	Tamsin Miller	BIANCHI HUNT MORVELO		ST
25	30	Jessie Carridge	Brother UK-Orientation Marketing		ST
26	68	Bexy Dew	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen		ST
27	38	Danielle Shrosbree	CAMS-Basso		ST
28	2	Sophie Enever	Alba Development Road Team		ST
29	74	Jo Tindley	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen		+ 2:54
30	69	Lucy Ellmore	Pro-Noctis – Rotor – Redchilli Bikes p/b Heidi Kjeldsen	U23	ST
31	91	Natalie Grinczer	Stade Rochelias Charente-Maritime		ST
32	16	Emily Meakin	AWOL- O’Shea		+ 2:57
33	122	Savannah Morgan			ST
34	97	Lucy Gadd	Storey Racing	U23	+ 3:00
35	4	Sophie Lankford	Alba Development Road Team		+ 7:55
36	21	Lydia Watts	AWOL Worx Galliard	U23	ST
37	110	Sian Botteley	Team LDN – Brother UK		ST
38	9	Olivia Bent	AWOL- O’Shea	U23	+ 7:57
39	107	Mary Wilkinson	Team Boompods		ST
40	20	Libby Smithson	AWOL Worx Galliard	U23	ST
41	89	Madeleine Nutt	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus		ST
42	87	Samantha Fawcett	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus		ST
43	94	Miriam Jessett	StolenGoat Race Team		ST
44	105	Louise Hart	Team Boompods		ST
45	86	Xan Crees	Spectra Wiggle p/b Vitus	U23	ST
46	123	Rebecca Saunderson	Studio Velo	U23	ST
47	99	Dame Sarah Storey	Storey Racing		ST
48	79	Gwenno Hughes	Saint Piran WRT		ST
49	95	Erin Avill	Storey Racing		ST
50	66	Emma Matthews	CAMS-Basso		ST
51	10	Charlotte Broughton	AWOL- O’Shea		ST
52	17	Francesca Morgans-Slader	AWOL- O’Shea		ST
53	117	Jenny Holl	TEKKERZ CC		ST

Men’s Race

Position	#	Name	Team	Category	Time
1	60	Mark Cavendish MBE	QUICK-STEP  Alpha Vinyl		4:31:06
2	39	Samuel Watson	GROUPAMA – FDJ	U23	ST
3	48	Alexandar Richardson	Le Col		ST
4	4	Ben Turner	Ineos Grenadiers		+24
5	136	Matthew Bostock	WiV Sungod		+1:41
6	35	Lewis Askey	GROUPAMA – FDJ	U23	ST
7	98	Connor Swift	Team Arkea-Samsic		ST
8	26	Owain Doull MBE	EF Education – EasyPost		+1:44
9	2	Ethan Hayter	Ineos Grenadiers		ST
10	121	John Archibald	Private Member		+1:53
11	8	Scott Thwaites	Alpecin-Fenix		+2:56
12	137	Jim Brown	WiV Sungod	U23	+4:53
13	69	Oliver Peckover	Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling		ST
14	24	Joe Wilson	Dolan Ellesse Race Team	U23	ST
15	114	Sam Culverwell	TRINITY Road Racing	U23	+4:55
16	150	Matthew Kingston	Zappi Racing Team	U23	ST
17	36	Finlay Pickering	GROUPAMA – FDJ	U23	+5:03
18	138	Damien Clayton	WiV Sungod		+5:09
19	1	Ben Swift	Ineos Grenadiers		+5:12
20	142	Jacob Scott	WiV Sungod		ST
21	75	Conor McGoldrick	Richardsons Trek DAS		ST
22	149	Ben Granger	Zappi Racing Team	U23	ST
23	67	Zeb Kyffin	Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling		ST
24	29	Jamieson Blain	Embark – Bikestrong	U23	ST
25	23	Jack Crook	Dolan Ellesse Race Team		+5:16
26	155	Cai Davies	Embark – Bikestrong		ST
27	59	Dan Gardner	Project 51		+5:18
28	7	Henry Lawton	AG2R Citroen U23 Team	U23	+5:58
29	76	Steven Parsonage	Richardsons Trek DAS		+6:08
30	43	Thomas Day	Home Solution – Soenens U23 Development CT	U23	+7:52
31	42	Lucas Towers	Holohan Coaching Race Team	U23	+8:41
32	58	Jordan Giles	Primera-TeamJobs		+8:49
33	50	Jack Freeman	Meudon Pedal Heaven Le Col RT		+8:50
34	103	Josh Charlton	Team Inspired	U23	ST
35	129	Owain Roberts	Wales Racing Academy	U23	ST
36	33	Dylan Westley	Equipo Lizarte	U23	ST
37	166	Alexander MacRae	Private Member		ST
38	62	Ethan Vernon	QUICK-STEP  Alpha Vinyl	U23	ST
39	72	Charlie Tanfield	Ribble Weldtite Pro Cycling		ST
40	51	Matthew Houlberg	Meudon Pedal Heaven Le Col RT	U23	ST
41	84	Tom Mazzone	Saint Piran		ST
42	131	William Truelove	Wales Racing Academy	U23	+8:55
43	85	Leon Mazzone	Saint Piran		ST
44	46	Marcus Burnett	Kuwait Pro Cycling Team		ST
45	6	Max Rushby	Acrog-Tormans	U23	+9:04
46	31	David Hird	Embark – Bikestrong	U23	+9:31
47	74	Peter Cocker	Richardsons Trek DAS		+9:34
48	47	James Jobber	Kuwait Pro Cycling Team		+9:37
49	153	Nicholas Tyrie	Primera-TeamJobs		ST
50	38	Jake Stewart	GROUPAMA – FDJ		+10:52
51	143	Robert Scott	WiV Sungod		ST
52	78	William Bjergfelt	Saint Piran		ST
53	44	Matthew Gibson	Human Powered Health		ST
54	22	Max Poole	Development Team DSM		ST
55	104	Robert Donaldson	Team Inspired	U23	ST
56	119	Oliver Rees	TRINITY Road Racing		ST
57	105	Joshua Giddings	Team Inspired		ST
58	37	Joe Pidcock	GROUPAMA – FDJ	U23	ST
59	34	Rhys Britton	EvoPro Racing		ST
60	127	Joe Holt	Wales Racing Academy		ST
61	16	Tyler Hannay	CC Etupes		ST
62	107	Jack Rootkin-Gray	Team Inspired		ST
63	19	Oliver Stockwell	Cycling Team Friuli ASD		ST
64	21	Oscar Onley	Development Team DSM	U23	ST
65	40	Leo Hayter	Hagens Berman Axeon		ST
66	15	Calum Johnston	Caja Rural – Seguros RGA		ST
67	110	Jacques Coates	Team PB Performance		ST
68	157	Dean Watson	Embark – Bikestrong		ST
69	94	Joe Hill	Spirit BSS		ST
70	141	Thomas Mein	WiV Sungod		ST
71	5	Callum Macleod	ABLOC CT		ST
72	139	Gruffudd Lewis	WiV Sungod		ST
73	27	James Shaw	EF Education – EasyPost		ST
74	12	Mark Stewart	Bolton Equities Black Spoke Pro Cycling		ST
75	13	Matthew Walls	BORA – Hansgrohe		ST