NFTO Pro Cycling’s Adam Blythe and Starley Primal Pro Cycling’s Eileen Roe won the men's and women's titles respectively at the 2014 British Cycling National Circuit Race Championships in Hull on Wednesday evening.
Twenty-four-year-old Blythe took the men’s crown after a two-man sprint for the line against Rapha Condor JTL's Chris Opie.
Blythe rounded Opie in the final metres after the duo had earlier broken away from the bunch. Rapha Condor JLT's Graham Briggs was third.
"I'm ecstatic," said Blythe after the race. "I knew I could do well and it was a case of getting everything right on the night. I'm absolutely thrilled with the result."
Scot Eileen Roe launched a late solo attack on a technical circuit in the women's race to earn a British champion's jersey.
Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling's Amy Roberts was second with Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International rider Charline Joiner third.
Roe, winner of the 2014 Matrix Fitness Grand Prix Series, said: “I'm over the moon. I really wanted this, I put so much pressure on myself. It feels amazing."
Men's race
NFTO Pro Cycling’s James McCallum had applied the early pressure, escaping the peloton with Rapha Condor JLT’s Kristian House and Team Raleigh’s Ian Wilkinson.
Madison Genesis responded by driving on the front of the bunch and the trio were soon brought back before House instantly countered from his own attack with a solo effort.
But the 2009 British road champion was soon caught as a frantic pace saw over half of the 63-rider field dropped.
With 10 laps to go, the decisive move came with Blythe, Opie and Wheelbase Altura’s Adam Duggleby creating an eight-second gap.
Duggleby then fell back from the three-man breakaway and with the peloton unable to close the gap the jersey would be decided in a showdown between Opie and Blythe.
Opie opted to lead the sprint out but Blythe was able to round the 26-year-old to win.
"I knew if it was a sprint it would work for me," Blythe said.
"Once it got to three laps to go I knew we could stay away then and it was just a case of doing as little as possible but as much as possible to try and save something for the sprint.
"I’d of been happy with a bunch sprint but as it played out like that it was quite tight, it might have been quite difficult for a bunch sprint."
Women's race
Matrix Fitness-Vulpine’s Jessie Walker was active throughout in the early exchanges and the 19-year-old eventually escaped the bunch midway through the race.
Walker built up a sizable gap and led solo for three laps before being reined in with over 10 laps of the 1.1-kilometre course remaining.
Teammate Jo Tindley and Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International rider Charline Joiner then attacked with six laps to go but it was short-lived.
Roe, second behind Hannah Barnes in 2013, then broke away from the peloton with over a lap remaining, the 24-year-old timing her effort perfectly.
Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Amy Roberts attempted to bridge the gap but was unable to make the catch on Roe, who will compete for Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games.
Roberts eventually settled for second place with Joiner third.
"The field was wide open, my legs felt a bit tough at the start of the race but as soon as I got into it my legs started to warm up," Roe said.
“I didn’t want it to come down to a bunch sprint.”
Results
