Hayley Simmonds made it four in a row after claiming victory at the National 10-Mile Championships in Cumbria.

The blustery conditions from the junior race earlier in the day did not subside, but the Team WNT Pro rider was not to be denied yet another national title on Sunday.

The 29-year-old from Bar Hill, Cambridgeshire, blitzed the course near Cockermouth and stopped the clock in 20.57.

“I am really, really happy with that,” Simmonds said after her victory. “There have been a lot of fast 10-mile times by the other women this year, some under 20 minutes.

“You can never take it for granted that you are just going to turn up and win, you have got to be on your A-game.”

Simmonds certainly was on her A-game too, the winning margin of 43 seconds the largest of her four consecutive titles.

“I was not too focused on the winning time. If you win by a second it is still a victory, I was more focused on form.

“I have had a hard few weeks racing on the road in Norway and then Brittany, the first couple of days this week I felt really tired.

“It has all been about finding a balance between maintaining my form and getting adequate rest,” she said.

The WNT Pro rider has made it a double in 2017, adding the 10-mile crown to the 25-mile title she claimed last month.

Simmonds has now tied with the great Beryl Burton on four successive titles, only surpassed by Julia Shaw’s record of seven, a target that may be on the champion’s radar.

“That would be great, I am back on the road a lot next year but as long as there are no calendar clashes with my UCI scheduling, I will certainly be back to defend the title,” Simmonds added.

Second place went to Alice Lethbridge, the 32-year old stopping the clock in 21.40.

Lethbridge (Drag2Zero) has been in sensational form over the longer distances, claiming the 100-mile championship and new competition record in the 12-hour Championship.

The Surrey rider finished 10th last year, but this improvement saw her claim second place ahead of Drag2Zero teammate and 50-mile champion Kate Allan, whose time of 22 minutes flat saw her complete the podium.

Storey Racing took the team prize, Chanel Mason, Elizabeth Banks and Monica Dew the winning trio.

All three riders placed inside the top 20, combining for a winning time of 1:10.06.

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