Great Britain Cycling Team’s Gabriel Cullaigh just missed out on the podium in the under-23 men’s road race at the UEC European Road Championships in Plumelac, France.

Cullaigh was beaten in a sprint finish after 11 laps of the circuit in Brittany following strong work from the British team to reduce the gap on the leaders over the final stages.

Solo attack

Early on in proceedings, Great Britain Cycling Team’s Jonathan Dibben caused problems for the rest of the field with a solo charge with five laps to go.

Dibben, already an under-23 European champion this season on the track, looked in good form as he charged away on his own, building up a lead of around 24 seconds as he held off the peloton for 20km.

Dibben was reeled in with 40km to go, a move that was immediately followed by a number of dangerous attacks.

Great Britain Cycling Team’s Mark Stewart lead the comeback, but Italy’s Vicenzo Albanese, Russia Atem Nych and David Gaudu of France pulled away and held a gap above 30 seconds for much of the final two laps.

As the leading trio of the final climb of the Côte de Cadoudal approached, it looked as if they would provide the winner – but they hadn’t counted on the form of the Great Britain Cycling Team.

Dibben and Ollie Wood dragged the peloton up the hill, clawing into the gap of the leaders and bringing the field back together for a sprint finish.

Cullaigh went on a charge, but Alexandr Riabushenko of Belarus pipped Belgium’s Bjorg Lambrecht on the line to become European champion, with Italy’s Andrea Vendrame taking bronze.

Behind Cullaigh, team mate Tao Geoghegan Hart finished 51st, 37 seconds behind the race winner, with Ollie Wood 62nd, Jon Dibben 70th and Mark Stewart 86th, with James Shaw not starting.

Women

A young Great Britain Cycling Team was selected for the elite women's race, with all six riders eligible to win both elite and under-23 honours in France.

The majority of the race was a stalemate, with no-one willing to take up a lead. The breaks that formed, failed to stick, leaving the majority of the field close together.

As the final climb approached, a group of around 60 riders were in the mix - but the grueling ascent split the pack dramatically.

Five riders entered the home straight together, with Olympic champion Anna van der Breggen of the Netherlands just edging out Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland and Italy's Elisa Longo Borghini to get the win.

Second place for Niewiadoma meant that she took the under-23 title, with Cecilia Uttrup Ludwig of Denmark taking silver in that category thanks to her ninth place finish in the elite standings. Tenth in the elite race for France's Severina Eraud earned her under-23 bronze.

For the British riders, Abbey-Mae Parkinson was the highest finisher in 38th (13th in under-23), 43 seconds behind the race winner. Annasley Park was 18 seconds further behind in 48th (17th in under-23).

Grace Garner, Hayley Jones, Manon Lloyd and Alice Barnes did not finish the race, with any hopes of a podium finish for Barnes ended by a crash within the peloton with 40km remaining.

Results

Under-23 men

Elite women

Under-23 women