Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) reclaimed her national champions’ stripes in fine fashion as she attacked on the final climb up Saltburn bank to finish clear of Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland) in a hot and sunny national road race.
In the afternoon, Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) took an emotional victory, pointing to the sky as he crossed the line in honour of his late teammate, Gino Mäder, as he took his first victory as a professional.
Featured Photo: SWPix
Women’s race
If the thought of tackling a hilly course didn’t put the fear of God into the peloton, then the sunshine and rapidly rising temperatures were enough to make the women’s road race a prospect for only the boldest of riders.
It was a race from the back in the early laps as the pressure applied at the front of the bunch by riders including Frankie Hall (Loughborough Lightning) quickly began to stretch things out, riders jettisoned from the back.
It was Claire Steels’ (Israel Premier Tech Roland) accelerations that were particular transformational. Her pace up the long climb to Skelton on lap two blew apart creating an initial split of 30-40 riders with Alice and Hannah Barnes (Human Powered Health & Uno X respectively) among those caught out.
2023 British National Road Championships – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England – Women’s Road Race – The Breakaway climbing Saltburn Bank. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
That split didn’t last long but it set the pattern of the race; accelerations on the climbs serving to slowly whittle the field down.
It was at 50km to go that the defining move of the race occurred, seven riders forging clear. Steels, Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM), Elinor Barker (Uno X), Anna Henderson (Team Jumbo Visma), Alex Morrice (Canyon-SRAM) and Anna Shackley (Team SD Worx) put minutes on what was left of an increasingly fractured chasing pack, Flora Perkins (Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team) chasing alone in vein.
2023 British National Road Championships – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England – Women’s Road Race – Anna Henderson of Team Jumbo-Visma. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Steels and Georgi frequently tested their fellow leaders with accelerations force but they couldn’t shake the rest of the group initially; even Morrice, who had to recover from a minor fall, was still on the wheel of the leaders.
It proved to be the final ascent of Saltburn Bank – with gradients of up to 25% and nasty hairpins to boot – that was decisive. Shackley and Barker were dropped off the back and none could catch Georgi as she smashed her way up the final climb to take her second title in three years by five seconds over Steels.
2023 British National Road Championships – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England – Women’s Road Race – Pfeiffer Georgi of Team DSM wins. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Henderson took third, with Barker fourth and Shackley claiming the under-23 title in fifth.
Results
Pos
BIB
Name
Team
Category
Time
1
103
Pfeiffer Georgi
Team DSM
3:56:45
2
52
Claire Steels
Israel Premier Tech Roland
+0.05
3
106
Anna Henderson
Team Jumbo-Visma
+0.13
4
118
Elinor Barker MBE
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
+0.16
5
108
Anna Shackley
Team SD Worx
U23
+0.23
6
90
Natalie Grinczer
Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime
+0.31
7
2
Alex Morrice
CANYON – SRAM RACING
+0.49
8
114
Elizabeth Holden
UAE Team ADQ
+7.19
9
35
Flora Perkins
Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team
U23
ST
10
113
Elynor Backstedt
TREK – SEGAFREDO
U23
+7.30
11
34
Sophie Wright
Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team
+7.31
12
15
Hayley Simmonds
AWOL- O’Shea
+7.51
13
21
Monica Greenwood
DAS – Handsling Bikes
+9.12
14
121
Lizi Brooke
Wahoo – Le Col
+9.34
15
11
Jessica Finney
AWOL- O’Shea
+10.17
16
32
Abi Smith
EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
U23
+11.13
17
124
Frances Owen
Wahoo – Le Col
+12.20
18
33
Millie Couzens
Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team
ST
19
47
Tamsin Miller
Hutchinson-Brother UK
ST
20
77
Corinne Side
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
+12.23
21
104
Neah Evans
Team HUUB
+12.25
22
36
Maddie Heywood
FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
+12.28
23
73
Bexy Dew
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
+12.30
24
67
Francesca Hall
Loughborough Lightning
+12.37
25
75
Amy Gornall
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
+12.40
26
9
Amelia Tyler
Alba Development Road Team
+12.42
27
79
Jo Tindley
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
ST
28
62
Madelaine Leech
Lifeplus Wahoo
+12.48
29
48
Ruth Shier
Hutchinson-Brother UK
ST
30
55
Abi Plowman
Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
+12.51
31
64
April Tacey
Lifeplus Wahoo
ST
32
125
Katie Phipkin
Wahoo – Le Col
ST
33
101
Josie Nelson
Team Coop-Hitec Products
U23
+13.42
DNF
60
Emily Proud
Le Col Race Team
DNF
89
Lucy Gadd
Stade Rochelais Charente-Maritime
U23
DNF
93
Dame Sarah Storey
Storey Racing
DNF
91
Olivia French
StolenGoat Race Team
DNF
14
Francesca Morgans-Slader
AWOL- O’Shea
DNF
58
Caitlin Dimbleby
Le Col Race Team
DNF
70
Tess Lawson
Martigny VC Excelsior
DNF
43
Alice Barnes
Human Powered Health
DNF
5
Sophie Enever
Alba Development Road Team
DNF
1
Alice Towers
CANYON – SRAM RACING
U23
DNF
76
Zoe Langham
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
DNF
99
Lauren Robinson
Team Boompods
DNF
12
Lucy Harris
AWOL- O’Shea
DNF
28
Danni Shrosbree
DAS – Handsling Bikes
DNF
105
Megan Barker
Team Inspired (UCI Track Team)
DNF
87
Freya Rawlins
Soltec Team
DNF
6
Arianne Holland
Alba Development Road Team
DNF
126
Ellie Parry
Watersley R&D Cycling Team
U23
DNF
96
Charlotte Hodgkins-Byrne
Team Boompods
DNF
115
Grace Castle
Unattached
U23
DNF
66
Philippa Draper
Loughborough Lightning
U23
DNF
110
Isabel Darvill
Team Spectra Cannondale
DNF
102
Jessica Roberts
Team Coop-Hitec Products
DNF
41
Rosie Wayland
FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
DNF
23
Lucy Lee
DAS – Handsling Bikes
DNF
51
Sannah Zaman
Hutchinson-Brother UK
DNF
119
Hannah Barnes
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
DNF
13
Connie Hayes
AWOL- O’Shea
DNF
94
Hannah Farran
Team Boompods
DNF
86
Dannielle Khan
Saint Piran WRT
DNF
24
Sophie Lewis
DAS – Handsling Bikes
U23
DNF
111
Josie Knight
Team Spectra Cannondale
DNF
68
Amber Harding
Loughborough Lightning
DNF
97
Sian Marsh
Team Boompods
Pos
BIB
Name
Team
Category
Time
DNF
123
Lauren Langham
Wahoo – Le Col
DNF
49
Dannielle Watkinson
Hutchinson-Brother UK
DNF
98
Gemma Mitchell
Team Boompods
DNF
10
Georgia Bullard
AWOL- O’Shea
DNF
44
Sian Botteley
Hutchinson-Brother UK
DNF
88
Rosie Simmons
Southampton University Road Club
DNF
45
Jessie Carridge
Hutchinson-Brother UK
DNF
95
Jayati Hine
Team Boompods
DNF
109
Xan Crees
Team Spectra Cannondale
DNF
7
Beth Maciver
Alba Development Road Team
DNF
4
Daisy Barnes
Alba Development Road Team
DNF
71
Cecilia Hime
Paradigm Cycles
DNF
57
Lucy Neatham
LDN-Academy
U23
DNF
82
Annabel Ramsay
RFDA
DNF
38
Elizabeth Sanders
FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
DNF
69
Anya Tamplin
Loughborough Lightning
DNF
54
Miriam Jessett
Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
DNF
50
Lydia Watts
Hutchinson-Brother UK
DNF
53
Beth Harley-Jepson
Jadan Vive le Velo Glasdon
DNF
18
Harriet Graham
Brother UK-Orientation Marketing
DNF
81
Nicola Greenwood
RFDA
DNF
107
Joanne Rea
Team Kirkley Cycles
DNF
80
Megan Walker
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
DNF
117
Georgina Oakley
Unattached
DNF
30
Sophie Thackray
DAS – Handsling Bikes
DNF
78
Millie Skinner
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
DNF
84
Hannah Bayes
Saint Piran WRT
DNF
42
Alice McWilliam
HESS CYCLING TEAM
DNF
92
Erin Avill
Storey Racing
DNF
59
Suzetta Guerrini
Le Col Race Team
DNF
8
Victoria Smith
Alba Development Road Team
DNF
65
Eva Callinan
Loughborough Lightning
DNF
40
Vivienne Tomlin
FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
DNF
22
Emma Jeffers
DAS – Handsling Bikes
U23
DNS
3
Anna Kay
Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team
DNS
16
Libby Smithson
AWOL- O’Shea
DNS
17
Harriet Evans
Brother UK-Orientation Marketing
DNS
19
Ellen Inglis
Brother UK-Orientation Marketing
U23
DNS
20
Katie Archibald
Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team
DNS
25
Grace Lister
DAS – Handsling Bikes
U23
DNS
26
Emma Matthews
DAS – Handsling Bikes
DNS
27
Katie Scott
DAS – Handsling Bikes
U23
DNS
29
Sammie Stuart
DAS – Handsling Bikes
DNS
31
Zoe Backstedt
EF Education-TIBCO-SVB
U23
DNS
37
Clare Parkin
FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
DNS
39
Floren Scrafton
FTP-Fulfil The Potential-Racing
DNS
46
Harriet Dodd
Hutchinson-Brother UK
DNS
56
Eleanor Bolton
LDN-Academy
U23
DNS
61
Eluned King
Lifeplus Wahoo
U23
DNS
63
Kate Richardson
Lifeplus Wahoo
U23
DNS
72
Robyn Clay
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
DNS
74
Lucy Ellmore
Pro-Noctis – Heidi Kjeldsen – 200 Degrees Coffee
U23
DNS
83
Ella Barnwell
Saint Piran WRT
U23
DNS
85
Sophie Holmes
Saint Piran WRT
DNS
100
Mary Wilkinson
Team Boompods
DNS
112
Morven Yeoman
Torelli
U23
DNS
116
Savannah Morgan
Unattached
DNS
120
Anastasia Bowler
Wahoo – Le Col
DNS
122
Laura Gray
Wahoo – Le Col
Men’s race
With heat and wind increasing as the forecast storms started to make their presence known on the horizon, a peloton of 142 riders set off onto the East Cleveland course ready for a grueling 189km of racing.
From the end of the neutralised start, riders were flying off the front, with EF Education – EasyPost’s Simon Carr and Owain Doull part of a group deciding that attack was the best form of defence, putting the hammer down to shatter the peloton’s will early on.
Such was the intensity of the early phases that the peloton was quickly reduced to just 40 riders, small groups scattered all over the road behind.
2023 British National Road Championships – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England – Men’s Road Race – Stephen Williams of Israel – Premier Tech with Sean Flynn of Team DSM climbing Saltburn Bank. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) attacked not long after, taking Sean Flynn (Team DSM) with him. They built a steady gap. All the while, riders were losing touch with what remained of the peloton, elite time trial champion Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) one of many casualties.
The Donovan and Flynn show didn’t last, however, swallowed up by the high-quality but slender bunch. Donovan was nothing if not persistent though. He worked his way into the next major move, a six-man break that also featured Max Walker and Oliver Rees (both Trinity Racing), Conor McGoldrick (Richardsons Trek DAS), Harrison Wood (Cofidis), and Joshua Golliker (Groupama-FDJ Conti).
Working well together, they extended their advantage to over a minute from a pack of a dozen behind whose chase was led by a determined Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers).
2023 British National Road Championships – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England – Men’s Road Race – Harrison Wood of Team Cofidis with Conor McGoldrick of Richardsons Trek DAS and Oliver Rees of Trinity Racing climbing Saltburn Bank. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Swift’s efforts pulled the break back, but Donovan wasn’t done yet. He broke clear just before his companions were caught, building a lead of well over a minute. Behind, James Knox (Soudal Quick-step), Sam Watson (GROUPAMA – FDJ), Owain Doull (EF Education – EasyPost), Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious), Stevie Williams (Bahrain-Victorious) and Swift were the group of ten chasers.
Donovan’s luck eventually ran out, caught with 45km to go. Now it was the turn of Wright, Doull, Watson, Swift, Williams and Knox to take the initiative, dropping their lead group companions. An acceleration from Knox saw Swift go backward and now there were five.
Swift somehow clawed his way back and then, remarkably attacked on what by now were rain-soaked roads. As the riders hit Saltburn Bank with one lap to go, however, Knox attacked, leaving only Williams and Wright with him.
The trio took turns attacking each other on their final tour of the circuit but no move would stick until Wright tried another attack as they travelled through Brotton.
Fully committed, Wright was a man possessed, he flew up the final ascent of Saltburn Bank, belying the exertion he had already put in to get to this point. Knox and Williams had no reply.
2023 British National Road Championships – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England – Men’s Road Race – Fred Wright of Bahrain-Victorious wins and dedicates it to teammate and friend Gino Mäder. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Wright pointed to the sky as he crossed the line, a beautifully poignant gesture in honour of his late teammate Gino Mäder. It was a remarkable way to take his first win as a professional, the emotion unsurprisingly flooding out of the 24-year-old south Londoner.
Making his own attack on the climb, Knox secured the silver medal with Williams rounding out the podium.
Watson took the under-23 title for the second year in a row, with Groupama-FDJ Conti teammate Joshua Golliker second and Walker third.
2023 British National Road Championships – Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire, England – Men’s Road Race – Fred Wright of Bahrain-Victorious emotional after his victory dedicated to Gino Mader RIP. Image: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com
Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM) reclaimed her national champions’ stripes in fine fashion as she attacked on the final climb up Saltburn bank to finish clear of Claire Steels (Israel Premier Tech Roland) in a hot and sunny national road race.
In the afternoon, Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) took an emotional victory, pointing to the sky as he crossed the line in honour of his late teammate, Gino Mäder, as he took his first victory as a professional.
Featured Photo: SWPix
Women’s race
If the thought of tackling a hilly course didn’t put the fear of God into the peloton, then the sunshine and rapidly rising temperatures were enough to make the women’s road race a prospect for only the boldest of riders.
It was a race from the back in the early laps as the pressure applied at the front of the bunch by riders including Frankie Hall (Loughborough Lightning) quickly began to stretch things out, riders jettisoned from the back.
It was Claire Steels’ (Israel Premier Tech Roland) accelerations that were particular transformational. Her pace up the long climb to Skelton on lap two blew apart creating an initial split of 30-40 riders with Alice and Hannah Barnes (Human Powered Health & Uno X respectively) among those caught out.
That split didn’t last long but it set the pattern of the race; accelerations on the climbs serving to slowly whittle the field down.
It was at 50km to go that the defining move of the race occurred, seven riders forging clear. Steels, Pfeiffer Georgi (Team DSM), Elinor Barker (Uno X), Anna Henderson (Team Jumbo Visma), Alex Morrice (Canyon-SRAM) and Anna Shackley (Team SD Worx) put minutes on what was left of an increasingly fractured chasing pack, Flora Perkins (Fenix-Deceuninck Development Team) chasing alone in vein.
Steels and Georgi frequently tested their fellow leaders with accelerations force but they couldn’t shake the rest of the group initially; even Morrice, who had to recover from a minor fall, was still on the wheel of the leaders.
It proved to be the final ascent of Saltburn Bank – with gradients of up to 25% and nasty hairpins to boot – that was decisive. Shackley and Barker were dropped off the back and none could catch Georgi as she smashed her way up the final climb to take her second title in three years by five seconds over Steels.
Henderson took third, with Barker fourth and Shackley claiming the under-23 title in fifth.
Results
Men’s race
With heat and wind increasing as the forecast storms started to make their presence known on the horizon, a peloton of 142 riders set off onto the East Cleveland course ready for a grueling 189km of racing.
From the end of the neutralised start, riders were flying off the front, with EF Education – EasyPost’s Simon Carr and Owain Doull part of a group deciding that attack was the best form of defence, putting the hammer down to shatter the peloton’s will early on.
Such was the intensity of the early phases that the peloton was quickly reduced to just 40 riders, small groups scattered all over the road behind.
Mark Donovan (Q36.5 Pro Cycling) attacked not long after, taking Sean Flynn (Team DSM) with him. They built a steady gap. All the while, riders were losing touch with what remained of the peloton, elite time trial champion Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers) one of many casualties.
The Donovan and Flynn show didn’t last, however, swallowed up by the high-quality but slender bunch. Donovan was nothing if not persistent though. He worked his way into the next major move, a six-man break that also featured Max Walker and Oliver Rees (both Trinity Racing), Conor McGoldrick (Richardsons Trek DAS), Harrison Wood (Cofidis), and Joshua Golliker (Groupama-FDJ Conti).
Working well together, they extended their advantage to over a minute from a pack of a dozen behind whose chase was led by a determined Connor Swift (Ineos Grenadiers).
Swift’s efforts pulled the break back, but Donovan wasn’t done yet. He broke clear just before his companions were caught, building a lead of well over a minute. Behind, James Knox (Soudal Quick-step), Sam Watson (GROUPAMA – FDJ), Owain Doull (EF Education – EasyPost), Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious), Stevie Williams (Bahrain-Victorious) and Swift were the group of ten chasers.
Donovan’s luck eventually ran out, caught with 45km to go. Now it was the turn of Wright, Doull, Watson, Swift, Williams and Knox to take the initiative, dropping their lead group companions. An acceleration from Knox saw Swift go backward and now there were five.
Swift somehow clawed his way back and then, remarkably attacked on what by now were rain-soaked roads. As the riders hit Saltburn Bank with one lap to go, however, Knox attacked, leaving only Williams and Wright with him.
The trio took turns attacking each other on their final tour of the circuit but no move would stick until Wright tried another attack as they travelled through Brotton.
Fully committed, Wright was a man possessed, he flew up the final ascent of Saltburn Bank, belying the exertion he had already put in to get to this point. Knox and Williams had no reply.
Wright pointed to the sky as he crossed the line, a beautifully poignant gesture in honour of his late teammate Gino Mäder. It was a remarkable way to take his first win as a professional, the emotion unsurprisingly flooding out of the 24-year-old south Londoner.
Making his own attack on the climb, Knox secured the silver medal with Williams rounding out the podium.
Watson took the under-23 title for the second year in a row, with Groupama-FDJ Conti teammate Joshua Golliker second and Walker third.
Results
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