Delight for Armitstead after she seals World Cup title

The 25-year-old Commonwealth champion – who also won an Olympic silver medal at London 2012 –finished eighth in Sweden’s Open de Suede Vargarda, two places ahead of her nearest overall rival Emma Johnson.

The last race in the event is held this Saturday, but Armitstead was understandably pleased to have the title sewn up before that.

“I am relieved and happy,” she said last night.

“I didn’t expect to win the overall World Cup here today.”

Chantal Blaak of the Netherlands won the 132km race in cold and damp conditions in Vargarda, western Sweden.

Elena Cecchini took the leader’s jersey for best young rider this year. The Italian champion came in 11th, which was enough to secure the overall win.

In-form James Gullen, from Kippax, outsprinted his two remaining rivals to win yesterday’s 82-mile Out of The Saddle Road Race over 13 laps of a 10-km circuit based on Braithwell, in South Yorkshire.

The 24-year-old, who had finished second to his Velosure-Giordana RT team-mate Tom Bustard in the Mike Binks Memorial race a week earlier, edged out Jonathan Dibben (100% ME) and Joshua Hunt (NFTO) after the three had broken clear from an 11-strong front group on the seventh lap.

The leaders had an advantage of 40 seconds at the bell, and Gullen jumped clear out of the last bend to take the win, with Bustard taking fourth and Hull’s Dave Shackleton (Wilsons Wheels) sixth.

In time trialling, Andy Jackson (Team Swift) continued an outstanding run of results with victory by over five minutes in the Yorkshire Cycling Federation’s 30-mile event at Boroughbridge.

Jackson clocked 1.02.12 to finish well clear of nearest rival Carl Saint (Yorkshire RC), 1.07.29.

Joel Wainman, from Hull, chalked up another win for the Yorkshire-based Team Swift squad, beating his previous best time for 50 miles by just over half a minute as he recorded 1.39.30 for a clear victory in the Ferryhill Wheelers event between Kirklevington and Dishforth.