Cycling: Peter Kennaugh takes road race for Sky

Peter Kennaugh on his way to victory in the mens road race on day four of the National Time Trial Championships. Picture: PA

The pair surged clear with two laps to go and Kennaugh timed his sprint finish to perfection, using Swift’s slipstream and then overhauling his team-mate at the death to take the victory by less than a bicycle wheel in south-east Wales.

Orica-GreenEdge rider Simon Yates, who had fought valiantly to remain in contention despite Team Sky’s numbers in the leading pack, came home third, one minute and eight seconds behind the leading pair.

Early breakaway rider Luke Rowe was 30 seconds further back in fourth, while Josh Edmondson was next home as Team Sky took four of the top-five places.

Kennaugh, who had to settle for second place in 2010 and 2008 and third in 2011 and 2009, was understandably delighted to finally secure his maiden British Championships victory.

He said: “[It’s] amazing. The last lap when I was with Swifty it’s hard to race against such a good mate and play those tactics [with him] sitting on me for the whole of the last lap.

“Once I tried my luck with the attacks and the climbs and he was still with me, I thought it was game over.

“But I knew the sprint from 2009 when Kristian House beat me, I took it up really early and I knew that maybe with the last 200m downhill I stood a bit of a chance so I remained positive, gave it my best shot and when I was coming round to the line I couldn’t believe it, it felt surreal.”

Earlier, Laura Trott won the women’s road race ahead of Dani King and defending champion Lizzie Armistead.

Armistead looked like she would defend her title as she enjoyed a ten- second lead with 5km of the 101km race to go, but double Olympic gold medallist Trott narrowed the gap and took gold after a thrilling sprint finish.

“It’s such an amazing feeling, it’s up there with winning a world championships for me,” Trott said.

“I was really disappointed [after Thursday’s time-trial], I felt I had a lot more form than what the time suggested and I know the course didn’t suit me with the hill at the finish but I don’t understand why my time wasn’t good enough.

“So to come here today, I was so, so up for it. I woke up this morning and I was like ‘don’t even speak to me’.”

She added: “It was really early, I was so in the zone, I just wanted to get out and get it done.”