Preview: Juniper can savour British Cycling Women's Road Series win at Ryedale  Grand Prix

Preview: Juniper can savour British Cycling Women's Road Series win at Ryedale Grand Prix

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Nicola Juniper will start the Ryedale Women's Grand Prix on Sunday 20 July with the knowledge that the 2014 British Cycling Women's Road Series title will be hers.

The 32-year-old has shown excellent consistency throughout the campaign, beginning with victory at the opening Tour of the Reservoir race on 12 April.

Since then, the Team Echelon rider has picked up points in each of the following six races to maintain and, in the latter stages, increase her overall lead.

And after a third-place finish overall at last weekend’s Essex Giro Two-Day, won by Dame Sarah Storey, Juniper was unassailable at the top of the rankings with 244 points. 

Behind her, Gabriella Shaw has 140 points in second. Katie Archibald and Storey lie third and fourth respectively in the standings.

The Pearl Izumi-Sports Tours International trio’s absence in Yorkshire, with Archibald preparing for the Commonwealth Games, means Juniper can extend her advantage at the penultimate race of the series.

Ryedale Women's Grand Prix course map

Laura Massey is the only other top 10 rider listed to start in addition to Juniper at the time of writing.

The 32-year-old Epic Cycles-Scott rider is in good form with victory in stage three at Essex, handing her second place in the general classification behind Storey and lifting her into the top ten.

Having only contested two races from nine, Massey could yet salvage a top-five spot if she can continue to deliver results.

Fusion RT Gearclub Bike Science will have the benefit of numbers with a six-strong squad featuring junior team pursuit world champion Amy Hill.

Last year’s race was won by Hannah Barnes, who would go on to take the 2013 British Cycling Women’s Road Series title.

The 39-mile course starts and finishes at the Ampleforth Abbey, taking in two laps of a large circuit totalling 29 miles.

The race then moves on to a 10-mile finishing circuit.

The event also incorporates the British Cycling National Junior Women’s Road Race. Racing starts at 9.30am.