British Championships

Trott and Kennaugh claim British road race titles

ESPN staff

June 29, 2014

Laura Trott said the victory is "up there with winning a world championships" © Getty Images

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Laura Trott saw off Dani King and Lizzie Armitstead in a sprint finish to win the British Cycling National Championships road race in Abergavenny, while Team Sky's Peter Kennaugh clinched a narrow victory in the men's race.

Armitstead, the defending champion, had led with 5km to go before Trott and Wiggle Honda team-mate King caught up on the final lap of the race.

Double Olympic gold medallist Trott said the victory is "up there with winning a world championships" following the disappointment of Thursday's time trial where she finished fifth.

"I felt I had a lot more form than what the time suggested [on Thursday] 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," Trott, a four-time world champion in the team pursuit, told the British Cycling website.

"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'. I was so in the zone - I just wanted to get out and get it done. It's such an amazing feeling."

In the men's race, Kennaugh fended off Team Sky team-mate Ben Swift in the final few metres to clinch victory.

Swift led into the home stretch but Kennaugh prevailed in the final few metres to pip his fellow rider to the line.

"On the last lap it was hard to race against such a good mate. He sat on for most of the last lap, and I thought it was game over," Kennaugh told British Cycling's official website.

"I knew the last 200 metres was downhill and I thought I had a chance. I couldn't believe I won it. I've done so many training sprints with Swifty and he leaves me behind every time, but today was my day."

The Abergavenny crowd were hopeful that Geraint Thomas could take advantage of Sir Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish's respective withdrawals through injury and illness.

Thomas began to close on the leading pack but eventually ran out of steam and finished eighth. With five laps of the circuit to go, team-mate Luke Rowe held a nine-second gap at the front but soon faded. He was beaten to the bronze by Orica GreenEdge rider Simon Yates.