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Steve Cummings claims first British national time trial title; Claire Rose is women’s champion

Cummings proves form to set up possible Tour de France start in British champion's skinsuit

Steve Cummings (Dimension Data) won his first national time trial title, and could now start the Tour de France in the blue, red and white stripes after beating defending champion Alex Dowsett (Movistar) on the Isle of Man.

Cummings, if selected for his third consecutive Tour, will race as British time trial champion on the opening stage in Dusseldorf after posting a time of 57.18 on the 44.4km course.

He is the first person other than Dowsett or Sir Bradley Wiggins to win the men’s national time trial title since Michael Hutchinson in 2008, with Dowsett missing out on a record-equalling sixth consecutive win by just eight seconds.

Steve Cummings is the new British time trial champion (pic – Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)

Cummings, in his first race back after crashing of the Tour of the Basque Country in April, set an average speed of 46.492km/h as he set the mark for Dowsett to beat if the Movistar man was to keep his national title.

But Dowsett – who will also hope to be on the Tour de France startline for the Dusseldorf time trial – posted 57.26, finishing second.

Alex Dowsett missed out on a record-equalling sixth win by just eight second (pic – Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Dowsett was actually fastest through the first time check, but on a hilly, technical course the Movistar man lost time on the second part of the course.

James Gullen (JLT-Condor), in form after winning the An Post Ras and placing second at the Beaumont Trophy, finishing third in 58.08.

Cummings was racing for the first time since crashing out of the Tour of the Basque Country (pic – Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Cummings and Dowsett were two of five WorldTour riders on the startlist for the race, but the Team Sky trio of Tao Geoghegan Hart, Jon Dibben and Owain Doull missed out – the latter having to curtail his effort after suffering a puncture.

Geoghegan Hart finished fourth – 1’27” slower than Cummings – while Dibben was tenth at 3’18”.

There was also a new winner in the women’s event, with Claire Rose (Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling) claiming victory with a time of 32.11 on the 22.2km course.

Hannah Barnes, who will defend her national road race title on Sunday, had set the previous mark of 32.30, but Rose – last year’s runner-up – went 19 seconds quicker.

Last year’s runner-up Claire Rose won the women’s event (pic – Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)

Katie Archibald (Team WNT) finished third, with defending champion Hayley Simmonds unable to replicate the form she showed in 2015 and 2016 as she finished fourth – 28 seconds slower than Rose.

Archibald’s fellow Olympic team pursuit champion Elinor Barker, who is targeting a place at the World Time Trial in Norway, finished fifth at 1’18” after suffering a puncture taking one of the bends – the Welsh rider finishing her effort on a road bike.

Elinor Barker, who wants to ride at the World Championships, suffered a puncture and had to finish on a road bike as she came in fifth (pic – Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com)

Finally, the men’s under-23 title once again went to Welsh rider Scott Davies (Team Wiggins) – still only 21, Davies has now won the event in four consecutive years, continuing the form he showed at the junior Giro d’Italia, where he was second in the time trial and fourth overall.

Davies’ time of 28.20 was 49 seconds faster than second-placed Tom Baylis (ONE Pro Cycling), with Charlie Tanfield a further second slower in third place.

Scott Davies won his fourth consecutive British time trial title at under-23 level (pic – Simon Wilkinson/SWpix.com)

British National Time Trial Championships – results

Elite men
1) Steve Cummings – Dimension Data – 57.18
2) Alex Dowsett – Movistar +8”
3) James Gullen – JLT-Condor +50”
4) Tao Geoghegan Hart – Team Sky +1.27
5) Harry Tanfield – Bike Channel-Canyon +1.33

Elite women
1) Claire Rose – Visit Dallas DNA Pro Cycling – 32.11
2) Hannah Barnes – Canyon-SRAM +19”
3) Katie Archibald – Team WNT +25”
4) Hayley Simmonds – Team WNT +28”
5) Elinor Barker – Matrix Fitness +1.19

Under-23 men
1) Scott Davies – Team Wiggins – 28.20
2) Tom Baylis – ONE Pro Cycling +49”
3) Charlie Tanfield – Brother NRG Cycling +50”
4) Chris Lawless – Axeon Hagens Berman +1.00
5) Ben Hetherington – Memil Pro Cycling +1.17

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