News – Alex Dowsett signs up for British Road Champs

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Alex Dowsett has become the first star elite male to enter the British Road and Time Trial Championships in Wales

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News – Alex Dowsett signs up for British Road Champs

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REIGNING Time Trial champion Alex Dowsett has become the first big name elite male rider to officially enter the British Road and Time Trial Championships, which are taking place in Monmouthshire this June.

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Dowsett, 25, will defend the National Time Trial title, which he has won for the last three years, on Thursday June 26 and will be chasing a second red, white and blue jersey three days later on June 29 when he takes part in the Elite Men’s Road Race Championships.

And there is extra incentive for the Essex man to win for a fourth time as it will make him the joint greatest British Time Trialist of all time. Dowsett is the only British rider in the ProTour Moviestar team and has ambitions to take part in this year’s Tour de France, which departs from Yorkshire just over a week after he attempts to defend his National Time Trial title.

His three National Championship victories so far place him as the joint second best multiple winner alongside Northern Ireland’s Michael Hutchinson and he will join Stuart Dangerfield, from the West Midlands, on top of the all-time list if he wins on the challenging course around Monmouthshire in a little over two months.

But he could face serious challenges to the Time Trial crown should Sir Bradley Wiggins, the 2009 and 2010 champion, decides to enter as well. The race will take riders on two laps of the 19.47km circuit from the Celtic Manor Resort through Monmouthshire, past the village of Tredunnock, along Usk Road, past the Cwrt Bleddyn Hotel and back to the Celtic Manor where they will pass the 2010 Ryder Cup course and face a tortuous climb past the TwentyTen Clubhouse.

2013 Giro winner's podium Dowsett

Dowsett has a history of great time triallling already. He was the European Under-23 champion in 2010 and also took the silver medal that year for England at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

But Dowsett’s biggest victory to date has been taking Stage Eight of the 2013 Giro d’Italia, one of the big three Grand Tours on cycling’s annual calendar. That was an individual time trial over 34 miles (54.8km).

GB Head Coach Shane Sutton rates Dowsett’s chances of wearing the National jersey again especially over a route which has some serious climbs. Sutton said: ” Alex is a very good Time Trialist. He has been National champion a few times and he did well in winning a stage of the Giro last year given the nature of the beast that day in that it was not pan flat but was a pretty tough circuit”

Wales’ British Cycling board member Bill Owen said: “We are thrilled that Alex will defend his National Time Trial Championship crown again in Monmouthshire. He is a man who, I am sure, has a great future ahead of him in the ProTour.”

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Alex on his way to a medal in the British RR Champs at Ryedale a few years ago when racing for Sky.

“His Time Trial record speaks for itself. He won a stage of the Giro d’Italia – the Tour of Italy – last year and helped his Moviestar squad to take second place in the Team Time Trial stage. All this on his debut in a Grand Tour.

“It will be an astonishing feat if Alex was to win the title for a fourth consecutive time as no other elite men’s rider has ever done it in successive years before.”

Further announcements of major entries are expected within the coming weeks, and Owen added: “The build-up towards the Nationals will continue to grow now that the major professional riders are beginning to plan their summer campaigns.

“These Championships will be the last chance for riders aiming to compete in the Tour de France this year to have a serious race before the Grand Depart – and with the coveted National jersey on the line to the winner, I am sure they will be giving every ounce of energy to get one of the elite titles.”

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