Kittel out of the tour. Must be a help for cav to win a few more stages.

The short, steep and narrow cobbled Michaelgate climb that will be ridden on the final circuit of the British Nationals road races on Sunday: https://youtu.be/xTNI0nJHlGo?t=4m2s

Just seen the highlights of the time trials - Dowsett should have been DQFed, completely cut off one bend and rode across the grass!

Well, no-one was getting anywhere near him, but his Superbike friends will be ribbing him for a long time!

For the first time in almost 4 years, Tony Martin had to wear a standard trade-team skinsuit in an ITT yesterday...he won, obviously. Vasil Kiryienka won the Belarussian ITT (his first in almost a decade, apparently) and Peter Sagan underlined his improved form with a maiden title in the Slovak ITT.

Reminder........the men's British road race championship race is live on Eurosport on Sunday

Programme starts 11.30 AM and scheduled for about 5 hours coverage

Women's and men's road races happening at the same time!

The camera bikes are going to have to rush off into the countryside to try to find the blokes once the women's race finishes in about 10 minutes.

Looks very easy for Lizzie Armistead at the moment, she rides dozens of these kinds of finishes a year.

As expected, she's dropped the field on the penultimate ascent of Michaelgate and is going solo on the bell lap.

Trott held her wheel better than anyone else initially (which was pretty impressive), but she's back in the chasing group.

Watching on ES I'm getting a bit confused as I'd been led to believe that the last climb in Lincoln when Lizzie went clear was the end of the race.......the finish line

But they're still riding on !

Did the commentators have their lap count wrong ?

No, they mentioned the bell a minute before Lizzie attacked. The graphics might have been wrong, though.

She looks great on a bike, doesn't she? Her jersey looks good as well.

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And she's done it. Hard to believe she had a big crash less than two weeks ago.

Now for the men's RR - Sky, Cav & Blythe in the leading group, both Yates twins in the chasing group about 40 seconds behind!

About 92km to go (about 2 and a half hours left).

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Group of 6 now leading - Rowe, Stannard, Thwaites, Blythe and the Manx pair.

Simon Yates about a minute behind. I think the race will be won by one of the leading 6.

77km to go - Stannard attacked and Kennuagh has joined him. Others are 10 seconds or so behind.

A spectator learns the hard way (from Kristian House) why watching a road race through a camera lens is not a good idea.

I find these National races a little unfair. You can have teams of 7 or 8 rider from one and only one or two in another. The Yates', Cav, Cummings have their work cut out, when even the domestic teams have half a dozen riders, riding for one.

Same in the Italian one yesterday, Nibali had 5 Astana team mates riding for him. You've had it if you're a top Italian riding for Sky, Lotto or FDJ.

Hopefully the two Skyriders will race each other, like last year, if alone at the end.

Both Manxmen seem to like* Michaelgate - Kennaugh drops Stannard on every climb, and now Cav is chasing with Rowe on his wheel.

[* Compared to everyone else, anyway]

Rowe now trying to make his move - tried to drop Cav on the climb, didn't quite succeed.

Assuming they join, I reckon it'll be Kennaugh v Rowe for the jersey.

And they have.

Cav the first to start the final lap, but he looks shattered. Sky still with a 3 to 1 advantage - Stannard attacks on the flat! (And he's caught.)

Cav now leading with Kennaugh! Could it be a Manx 1-2?!

I have never seen Cav ride such an aggressive race, even in the 2013 Nationals.

Kennaugh takes it! Cav second, Stannard third.

Owain Doull finished in 7th (and wins U23 race). Brad will like that.

Nacer Bouhanni had a crash today. Hope he will be o for TdF. he was famously left out of the team last year.

He must really dislike his former team now, seeing as one of their riders (Anthony Roux) caused him to crash! Said rider has been disqualified.

A reminder - list of national champions crowned this season; also the full results of the British road races (Men / Women)

He's tweeted that he's definitely out of the Tour

Never heard of the guy that won the French race - Steven Tronet

Sprinters are falling like flies........looking good for Cav !

Team Sky named for the TdF. Lots of Brits. They haven't gone for the big Eastern European muzhiks this time.

Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas, Ian Stannard, Peter Kennaugh, Luke Rowe, Nicholas Roche, Richie Porte, Leopold Konig, Walter Poels.

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/201...france-line-up

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/33310612

The Brits in other teams will be Cavendish, Adam + Simon Yates at Orica, Steve Cummings at MTM Qubeka, and Alex Dowsett at Movistar. Is ten the most ever?

It may well be, if indeed both Yates twins are picked (Adam DNF the national RR yesterday). Don't think there's been 5 Brits in a single squad (before today) either.

Glad to see Dowsett did get selected in the end, what with him not being a provisional selection just 2 weeks ago. Interestingly, both of Movistar's other national ITT champions (Malori & Castroviejo) have made the squad as well.

I thought he said he still had hopes of making the squad - as it turns out, he has made the squad.

The only team yet to announce their squad is Orica GreenEdge, and they will do so tomorrow.

Looks like 10 British Riders will start the TDF on Saturday. The most since 1955!

Kirby and Kelly commentating on the Tour for ES.

As usual, Liggett and Sherwin for ITV with support from Imlach, Boulting, Boardman and Rendell. (no Millar?)

I was surprised to see both Konig and Porte are riding the Tour. I expected one to be preferred as team leader in the Vuelta.