Location: Sheffield, South Yorkshire
Event: 24 July 2013

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The 2013 National Women's Road Series nears its conclusion with the Browns Sheffield Grand Prix on Wednesday.

Series leader Anne Ewing (Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team) could have moved closer to the overall title in the city centre criterium but her absence gives the nearest chasers a valuable chance to close the gap ahead of Sunday’s Ryedale Grand Prix before the series dénouement in Stafford.

Recently crowned national criterium champion Hannah Barnes (MG-Maxifuel Pro Cycling) lies second, 57 points adrift of Ewing and will relish the timing of her speciality in the calendar.

Current standings

1. Anne Ewing 238
Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team

2. Hannah Barnes 181
MG-Maxifuel Pro Cycling

3. Eileen Roe 157
Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team

Johnson Health Tech Series winner Barnes had a low key two days at the Essex Giro, won by Bethany Hayward (Scott Contessa Epic), but it proved a mere blip as the 20-year-old went on to regain the national criterium title she held in 2011 with a sprint victory in Yorkshire.

A repeat performance would put her within touching distance of Ewing though the Scotswoman is still well placed to follow in the footsteps of teammate Sarah Storey to clinch overall series success.

With third place Eileen Roe (Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team) over eighty points behind her colleague Ewing, Barnes is realistically the only challenger remaining.

Essex Giro 2-day winner Hayward will miss the midweek race but teammates Amy Gornall, Laura Wasley and Alice Barnes – who won the national junior women title at the weekend’s mountain bike cross-country championships – can continue Scott Contessa Epic’s fine form.

Another British mountain bike champion, under 23 women’s victor Bethany Crumpton (Hargroves Cycles), swaps the trails of Cathkin Braes for the streets of Sheffield having won in Scotland on Sunday.

There is a also an appearance for Wiggle Honda Pro Cycling’s Joanna Rowsell and although she will have no teammates the team pursuit Olympic gold medallist is more than capable of challenging for honours. Wiggle and Great Britain teammates Amy Roberts and Elinor Barker have already collected wins, at the CDNW Surf n Turf and the Otley Grand Prix respectively.

The women’s race begins at 7pm with riders competing around the circuit for approximately an hour, with each lap just over 1.4-kilometre and the start and finish on Pinstone Street.

Start list