Ben Swift wins national road race title in Norwich

Ben Swift has won his first ever national road race title with fellow Team Ineos rider Ian Stannard coming second in Norwich and John Archibald of Ribble Pro Cycling completing the podium in third place.

With just under 25 kilometres remaining, a chasing group including Alex Dowsett of Katusha – winner of the time trial on Thursday and former national road champion Adam Blythe of Lotto-Soudal – bridged across to the six men at the front of the race, including the Team Ineos pair of Swift and Stannard.

The front group temporarily swelled to 20 riders but almost immediately the attacks began, splitting the group apart, with Dowsett having to work hard to help chase down a move from Archibald, runner-up in the time trial.

Stannard, temporarily dropped, battled back and launched an attack, Archibald going with him with the pair subsequently joined by Dowsett and Swift.

Into the last 10 kilometres or so and yet another attack from Stannard finally saw the Katusha man crack, leaving Archibald alone with the two Team Ineos riders. Outnumbered, the Scot had no option but to attack but was unable to dislodge his rivals.

Once again Stannard went, and this time Archibald cracked, Swift sitting on his wheel as his team mate, a past winner of the title in 2012, rode away.

Stannard appeared to be heading to victory but with less than two kilometres left Swift shot past him to succeed his cousin Connor Swift in the national jersey.

The under-23 title went to Ethan Hayter, who finished fifth.

Afterwards, Swift, who sustained a ruptured spleen in a training crash earlier this year, said: “It feels really good. I’ve been chasing this title for a number of years; I’ve been second, fifth, fourth, near enough all of the places in the top five and top ten, so to eventually get this jersey in the way that we rode today - I’m really happy.

“I’ve come off the back of a really good but difficult season - obviously with the crashes and stuff like that - but I’ve just had a new lease of life this year and really been happy.

“It’s nice to keep it in the family, but I had to show my little cousin (Connor) how it’s done again.”