Alice Towers stuns field to win British National Road Championships in Scotland

The Le-Col Wahoo rider in her first year as a senior, shocked a peloton full of World Tour riders with a daring attack from 40km out in pouring rain in Dumfries and Galloway.

Lizzie Deignan, who won the prestigious title for a fourth time in 2017, remains the last Yorkshirewoman to claim the crown.

She admitted that her push to the front was unplanned but felt it was the best move under the wet conditions in Scotland.

“It was very spontaneous, I didn’t plan it,” said an almost-speechless Towers.

“It was probably the best thing to do at the time in the conditions, it was better to be out front than in the bunch.

“I didn’t think it was possible until the kilometres kept coming down and all I could do was just keep plugging at it.

“I can’t really believe that it happened. I didn’t ever think I would win in that way or that was how the race was going to go.

“You just can’t expect stuff like that. It is the first time I ever won a road race, to win the national championships is pretty special.

“I am very happy. It is nice to race in the UK in a slightly different field, I really, really enjoyed the race.”