Lizzie Armitstead got her national champion jersey back yesterday and celebrated with one hand on the bar rather than the ‘look mum no hands! pose’ which ended her Women’s Tour a week before.

Lizzie Armitstead Escapes Post Race Crash with Bruises

She showed her great sense of humour on Twitter with a tongue in cheek comment about the chosen pose…

Safety first ???? pic.twitter.com/BvHJNRdncH

— Lizzie Armitstead (@L_ArmiTstead) June 28, 2015

It was World Cup leader Armitstead’s third win in the National race, which was taken from her in 2014 by Laura Trott (Matrix Fitness). This year, Trott completed the podium behind Alice Barnes in second place.

The 107km course in Lincoln featured 4.5 laps of the city centre, with an ascent of Michaelgate, which everyone knew would suit Armitstead’s strong climbing legs.

Early breakaways were caught by a group of chasers, who eventually formed a nine-rider lead train. However, the lead group, which included Armitstead, Laura Trott, Hannah Barnes, Alice Barnes, and Molly Weaver, didn’t work together and were caught by the peloton during the penultimate gap.

How I lost 45kg and Went from Beginner to National Champion

 

Armitstead, not keen to carry the other riders to the finish line with fresh legs, attacked at the bottom of the penultimate climb up Mechaelgate. Trott remained behind, sticking to her wheel, but at the start of the final lap she was adrift and joined the peloton.

Untouchable, Armitstead drove on, taking a solo win, whilst behind her a battle for second place ensued. Alice Barnes, a cross country mountain biker on the Olympic Academy Programme, was second and took the first U23 title.

Armitstead told Cycling News: “It means a lot. A new kit for a start. It means I get to be proud of being British in every single race I do.”