Leicester-Shire & Rutland Go Gold Ambassador and Junior World Champion Lucy Garner crowned Junior Women's European Road Champion.

'Junior road world champion Lucy Garner sprinted to claim the junior women's European Road Championship title and complete a remarkable double for the British Cycling Olympic Development Programme rider.

The 17-year-old, who became world champion last September in Copenhagen, avoided a huge crash in the final turn of the race before out powering the bunch to add yet another title to her honours list on the 80km course in Zeeland in a time of 2:07:05. She beat Italian Anna Zita Maria Stricker and Kirsten Coppens from the Netherlands in the bunch sprint.

Fellow Great Britain rider Emily Kay, who had been impressive in her first major competition in the colours of GB, was less fortunate and was caught up in the crash which brought down a number of riders, fortunately Kay avoided any serious injury and was able to complete the race in 21st.

"My next goal is the World Championships in Valkenburg," Garner said after the win.

For Garner, the victory comes on the back of gold at the U23/Junior European Track Championships, where she was part of the winning women's team pursuit trio, added a second gold in the scratch race and claimed silver in the team sprint.

In the under 23 men's road race on a 172km course, Scott Thwaites, Erick Rowsell, Mark Christian, Simon Yates, Dan McLay, Joseph Kelly, Sam Harrison were in action for GB but there was to be no podium finish despite doing more than their fair share of work in the peleton a crash on the last lap left Erick Rowsell with a broken collarbone and wiped out a number of GB riders. Jan Tratnik the winner from a sprint finish with Andrz Flaksis second and Wouter Wippert third'

(Source: British Cycling; Photo Leicester Mercury)

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