Katie Archibald was the best of the British finishers at the Prudential RideLondon Grand Prix women’s race on Saturday 1 August.
The race, part of the weekend-long Prudential RideLondon cycling festival, saw the cream of the elite women’s peloton contest 15 laps of a 1.3-mile criterium circuit around London’s St James’ Park, in the shadow of Buckingham Palace.
Archibald, riding for Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, finished sixth in a bunch sprint, a second behind winner Barbara Guarischi of Velocio Sports.
Britain’s Laura Trott, winner in 2013, was eighth, after her lead-out train was taken out in a dramatic finish line straight crash just one lap before the finish.
“It was really too fast for me and I was too far back,” Trott said the BBC Sport. “Then there was that massive crash, which took out my lead-out girl, so that was it. I was left to fend for myself and I wasn't ready for such a fast sprint.”
There were a number of attacks earlier in the race, British time-trial silver medallist Molly Weaver attempting a solo move before Dani King and Lucy Martin tried to get away as part of a trio with the race reaching its climax. But with Guarischi and 2014 winner Giorgia Bronzini vying for the win, the bunch sprint was inevitable.
Eileen Roe followed her silver medal in the British Cycling National Circuit Race Championships with ninth place while Grace Garner was the first of a team of Great Britain Cycling Team Junior Academy riders, finishing 12th, one place ahead of teammate Eleanor Dickinson.
Fellow Great Britain rider Abby-Mae Parkinson just missed out on a top twenty finish, one place behind British circuit race champion and Women’s Road Series winner Nicola Juniper of Team Giordana Triton.
RideLondon continues on Sunday with the RideLondon 100 sportive and the RideLondon-Surrey Classic.
