The National Championships have taken place all over the world last weekend, with the British round held around the town of Beverly in East Yorkshire. The Hull Thursday Road Club promoted the weekend of racing, the Women’s race on Saturday and the Men’s on Sunday.
Women’s race – 101km
The consistently fast Nicole Cooke has won the previous six National Championships, and nobody could prevent her from a seventh consecutive win. A strong attack on the last lap with nobody with the legs to give chase, gave her enough of a lead to take the win. It was down to Lorna Webb and Joanna Rowsell to battle out for second, Webb just having the edge to take the second podium spot.
1. Nicole Cooke (Univega/ Raleigh) 2.51.29
2. Lorna Webb (KSV Deerlijk) 0.25
3. Joanna Rowsell (VC Londres)
Men’s race – 187km
The Belgian (based) Hamish Haynes stole victory in a final sprint of five riders, while Roger Hammond and Geraint Thomas occupied the lower steps of the podium. The circuit created some awesomely fast racing, there were attacks coming from many of the top riders right from the gun. The riders were hitting 40mph at times. There were some quality breaks but none stayed together until an attack by Duncan Urquhart and Haynes, which was soon joined by Geraint Thomas, Hammond and Dale Appleby. They kept the hammer down and stayed together till the end, with Haynes taking the sprint.
1. Hamish Haynes (Jartazi/7-Mobile) 4.51.08 (38.54 km/h)
2. Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel Pro RT)
3. Geraint Thomas (Recycling.co.uk -SIS)
Results from around the World
France
The French National Championships visited Vendee and was a 239.7mk stage, 17 laps around a 14.1km circuit. Florent Brard went alone in the last 5km to take the win, his second pro French title in his career.
1. Florent Brard (Caisse d’Epargne-Illes Balears) 5.52.52
2. Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) 0.21
3. Didier Rous (Bouygues Telecom)
Germany
1. Dirk Müller (VC Frankfurt 1883) 5.05.22 (40.57 km/h)
2. Mathias Kessler (T-Mobile Team) 1.09
3. Jens Voigt (Team CSC) 1.14
Belguim
1. Niko Eeckhout (Chocolade Jacques)
2. Philippe Gilbert (Francaise des Jeux)
3. Tom Boonen (Quick.Step)
Italy
1. Paolo Bettini (Quickstep Innergetic) 5.59.40 (38.936 km/h)
2. Mirko Celestino (Milram)
3. Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas)
