2017 National Championships Road Race Review

Jun 28
cyclical

From the sublime to the ridiculous …

It was a weekend of winning streaks and multiple titles, and of baffling decision-making and one-sided non-events.

The sublime …

UK

Lizzie Deignan took her fourth British title after a great race on the Isle of Man, ahead of Katie Archibald and 2016 champ Hannah Barnes. But the star of the day was Archibald’s Olympic track pursuit team-mate Elinor Barker with a storming ride which gave her a real shot at the win.

Getting away early in the race, Barker held on solo until Deignan ignited a chase group, jumping away with just two kilometers to go when Barker was caught.

Belgium

Jolien d’Hoore swept to a fourth Belgian championship after holding firm in her belief that a sprint finish would ensue. She edged Lotte Kopecky and Kelly Druyts in a large bunch finish, after a tiht, twist, 102-kilometer course with two pavé sections.

D’Hoore was actually in a break on the first lap, but then things settled as Demmy Druyts and Isabelle Beckers had a longer spell out front. The race cam back together, and despite a sequence of late attacks, with defending champion Kaat Hannes having a dig, it ended in a dash for the line.

USA

Amber Neben did the road and TT double, with a brilliantly staged attack on lap six of eight sparking panic behind her. The peloton exploded attempting to chase Neben down, as she herself went after long-time leader Emily Newsome.

But Neben was gone, and the pursuit only closed to eleven seconds. A shattered Coryn Rivera took a third consecutive silver medal, with Ruth Winder in third.

Italy

Elisa Longo Borghini lived up to her favorite’s tag with a storming win in the Italian nationals, taking almost two minutes out of the field. Elisa L-B made her move with 20 kilometers to go, on the last big climb out of Ivrea, and simply motored clear, leaving Giorgia Bronzini and Soroya Paladin to take the podium places.

Netherlands

Chantal Blaak managed to snare the Dutch national jersey for Boels-Dolmans, the first time the team will ride with their country’s colours. Blaak was in the main escape of the day on a hard and hilly 132-kilometer course through Monteferland, and had the nous to get away from Anouska Koster and Floortje Mackaij in the closing kilometers, with other big names Van Vleuten and Van Dijk trapped in the chase behind.

https://twitter.com/ChantalBlaak/status/878706644523397121

There was a huge ride from the mother-of-two Minke Slingerland, not a full-time professional, who hung with the leaders almost to the line, eventually finishing 32nd.

Spain

Sheyla Gutierrez further enhanced her growing reputation with a hard-fought win over defending champion Mavi Garcia. The first section of the race was not the most enthralling, with everyone looking at Bizkaia-Durango to either control it or initiate it.

Lourdes Oyarbide sparked the race, but her effort was closed down with five to go, leaving Gutierrez and Garcia to go clear and bring it to the line with the younger rider edging the downhill sprint.

Germany

Lisa Klein took advantage of Cervelo-Bigla’s strength in numbers to edge Lisa Brennauer in a sprint for the German title, with Charlotte Becker in third.

Klein got the news on race radio that her team-mate Nicole Hanselman had won the Swiss title, and used Pohl’s lead-out to perfection.

The ridiculous …?

In Hungary, Monika Kiraly came home 19 minutes clear of the rest of a small field; Mia Radotic took the Croatian road title after lapping the field, which saw the race halted.

And more mind-melting still, the elite women’s Irish championship was interrupted and the competitors forced to the side of the road so that the men’s Masters event could pass … with less than ten kilometers remaining.

What sort of a message is that sending out?