Report: Lucy Garner is British Junior RR Champion

Junior Women’s World Road Race Champion Lucy Garner adds British title to collection in Wales.

Wearing the rainbow jersey, Node 4 rider Lucy Garner has won the Junior Road Race Championship in Wales. Starting and finishing in Brynmawr, the race was over 47 miles with the last four or so miles uphill. With the juniors racing with a group of senior women as they did last year and in previous to that, it was a very aggressive race but none of the moves really stuck until the final climb towards Brynmawr.

World and now British Junior Women’s Champion for the Road Race.

Kimberley Ashton, Abergavenny RC, a senior rider, won the race in South Wales, leading up the 4km climb towards the finish. We have requested the results but unfortunately have not received them at the time of writing so are unable to provide the result of what happened. What we do know though is that last year’s British Junior RR Championship Silver medallist Lucy Garner was first junior and therefore won the Junior Road race title for Women.

She admits she was really pleased to have won and not just because it was a British title. “Recently I haven’t been too happy with how things have been going so it was nice to a home race, and being the nationals, that was really good.”

Lucy explained how it had been a good race and an equally good course as well. “The final six k was pretty hard going” she explained. “Two women got away but because the juniors didn’t need to chase them, they got away and then Elinor Barker started attacking and that saw the pace rise a lot up the climb”.

“Rebecca Hunt was up the road as well and because she was a junior and had a gap coming into the last K, I thought I really have to bridge that otherwise it will be too late.”

“That really split the group up and it never came back together after that and I think there were only six riders left in the group I was in.” In the final sprint to decide the title with most of the favourites all there, Lucy said that the finish came upon them really quick.

“It was a bit of a weird finish with corners and quite a lot of parked cars so I had to be a bit wary of them. Elinor lead Amy Roberts out and I had Amy’s wheel. I think Amy went a bit early with 300 metres to go which ended up being a lead out for me before I launched my sprint with 200 to go.”

Asked if it was tougher than last year to win the race, Lucy replied “It was definitely a lot harder because of the course and it was only that last part of the course that hurt the legs. I think it’s good to have different courses like this and challenge everyone.”

Lucy and Elinor Barker, two of the favourites, are teammates in the GB ODP squad and Lucy was well aware of Elinors’s fantastic ability in the time trial and as well as her having always been a good climber. “When we’re on training camps, she is always up there with the guys, and because we have raced together for years, we both know how each other rides.”

“I knew she was going to try and attack because that is what she has being do previously in other races so I tried to go with her and if we got away, I’d try and work with her, but for me really, it was about marking the riders and try and get to the finish line with the leaders”.

Lucy admitted that she puts a lot of pressure on herself which she feels is normal for a rider and that it was nice to be wearing the stripes. The World Champion has the Tour Series coming up before preparing for the European and World Road Championships.

Race Result

1 Kimberley Ashton Abergavenny RC/Gateway Cycles/Nick Lane C 2 2:09:35
2 Tracy Best Squadra Donne-Shutt VR/Bike Food 2:09:45
3 Lucy Garner Node 4 Giordana J1 2:09:57
4 Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic Cycles J1Wa 2:09:58
5 Amy Roberts Scott Contessa Epic Cycles J1Wa 2:09:58
6 Karla Boddy High Wycombe CC RT 2 2:10:03
7 Claire Galloway For Viored 0 2:10:05
8 Molly Weaver Scott Contessa Epic Cycles J2 2:10:06
9 Sky Draper Private Member J4 2:10:07
10 Ellie Gilham VC St. Raphael J3 2:10:08
11 Rebecca Hunt Scott Contessa Epic Cycles J2Wa 2:10:11
12 Tamina Oliver Abergavenny RC/Gateway Cycles/Nick Lane C 2 2:10:13
13 Anna Christian Scott Contessa Epic Cycles J3 2:10:20
14 Lowri Bunn Abergavenny RC/Gateway Cycles/Nick Lane C 1 2:10:35
15 Jessie Walker Matrix Fitness-Prendas J2 2:10:40
16 Eve Dixon Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos J2 2:10:45
17 Hannah Walker Matrix Fitness-Prendas 1 2:10:52
18 Jo Tindley VC St. Raphael 2 2:10:56
19 Victoria Grimmer Paramount RCT 0 2:10:57
20 Amy Hill Abergavenny RC/Gateway Cycles/Nick Lane C J2Wa 2:10:57
21 Maryka Sennema Kingston Wheelers 2 2:11:02
22 Sarah King Node 4 Giordana 2 2:11:09
23 Gillian Taylor Strada Cycles 3 2:11:17
24 Alexis Barnes Cardiff Ajax 0 2:11:21
25 Sarah Byrne Private Member 1 2:11:26
26 Emily Kay Scott Contessa Epic Cycles J2 2:11:36
27 Frances White Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 3 2:11:44
28 Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC J3 2:11:44
29 Stephanie May Team Quest – The Bike Shop J2 2:11:45
30 Nicola Soden Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 3 2:11:59
31 Zoe Armstrong Scott Contessa Epic Cycles J3 2:12:09
32 Emily Barnes Condor Cycles J2 2:12:26
33 Nicola Juniper Eagle CC 2 2:12:26
34 Adele Martin GBCycles.co.uk J3 2:13:51
35 Lauren Brown Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 3 2:14:25
36 Saskia Hook Squadra Donne-Shutt VR/Bike Food J3 2:17:37

JUNIOR WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIPS
1. Lucy Garner Node 4 Giordana 1
2. Elinor Barker Scott Contessa Epic Cycles 1
3. Amy Roberts Scott Contessa Epic Cycles 1
4. Molly Weaver Scott Contessa Epic Cycles 2
5. Sky Draper Private Member 4
6. Ellie Gilham VC St. Raphael 3
7. Rebecca Hunt Scott Contessa Epic Cycles 2
8. Anna Christian Scott Contessa Epic Cycles 3
9. Jessie Walker Matrix Fitness-Prendas 2
10. Eve Dixon Champion System/Maxgear/Kyklos 2
11. Amy Hill Abergavenny RC/Gateway Cycles/Nick Lane Construction/ 2
12. Emily Kay Scott Contessa Epic Cycles 2
13. Louise Borthwick Edinburgh RC 3
14. Stephanie May Team Quest – The Bike Shop 2
15. Zoe Armstrong Scott Contessa Epic Cycles 3
16. Emily Barnes Condor Cycles 2
17. Adele Martin GBCycles.co.uk 3
18. Saskia Hook Squadra Donne-Shutt VR/Bike Food 3

Welsh Junior Championship

1. Elinor Barker, (Scott Contessa Epic 2:09:58
2. Amy Roberts, (Scott Contessa Epic @ same time
3. Rebecca Hunt, (Scott Contessa Epic @ 13sec