Casp Racing’s Kimberley Ashton took a convincing win to open her account in the British Cycling Women’s Road Series, crossing the line well ahead of Team Ford Ecoboost’s Nicola Juniper.
The race began with two Starley Racing riders bursting away from the line and opening up a gap of 15 seconds.
But this was quickly cut to just six seconds and by the time the riders reached the first Queen of the Mountains, Starley’s Gabriella Leveridge took the lead.
The group came back together although a few riders started to drop off the back but Emily Birchall of CI Women's Commission Development Team and Claire Swoboda of Starley Racing went on to open a 23-second with Charline Joiner of Team Ford Ecoboost chasing.
A leading group of four was formed from the break, gaining 1.34 on the peloton. Joiner won the first sprint before the field completely split after the Queen of the Mountains.
Gallery
Starley Racing's Claire Swoboda won the first Queen of the Mountains and took control at the head of the contest.
She soon built her lead up with Team Ford Ecoboost’s Nicola Juniper and Charline Joiner, working hard to close the gap as they headed into the second lap.
This break was bridged by a few other riders, with eight getting away to form a gap of 2.25 in front of the pack.
The second Queen of the Mountains was won by Ashton led with four riders behind her at 1.15.
Weller’s charge didn’t last long though as Ashton, Chanel Mason (Army CU), Fiona Hunter Johnston (Fusion RT Fierlan), Nicola Juniper (Team Ford Ecoboost), Elizabeth Stedman (Fusion RT Fierlan), Elizabeth Holden (Team Ford Ecoboost), Claire Swoboda (Starley Racing), Charline Joiner (Team Ford Ecoboost), Angela Hibbs (Fusion RT Fierlan), Julie Erskine (Team Ford Ecoboost) and Jennifer Hudson (Fusion RT Fierlan) caught her to make up the lead group.
Joiner went on to win the second sprint but it was at this point that Kimberley Ashton jumped to the front to lead the group of 11 up the hill and win the final Queen of the Mountains.
This put the wind in Ashton's sails and she continued to pull away with 10km left.
Although Juniper, Mason (Army CU), Hunter Johnston and Stedman chased hard, Ashton, a former double South Region road race champion, managed to build her lead steadily to 1.30.
She went on to extend the gap by another ten seconds before crossing the line to take a comfortable first place. Juniper won the battle for second place and Elizabeth Stedman was third.
Results
1 Kimberley Ashton (Casp Racing)
2 Nicola Juniper (Team Ford Ecoboost)
3 Elizabeth Stedman (Fusion RT Fierlan)
