Nicola Juniper will ride the final round of the 2014 British Cycling Women’s Road Series in Stafford as a victory lap, the Team Echelon-Rotor rider having wrapped-up the series title at round seven in Essex.
Juniper has led the series since round one and was untouchable after winning both stages of the Essex Giro 2-Day. The rider went on to take a fine solo win at round eight in Ryedale, cementing her place as series champion.
Juniper now has 274 points, a country mile ahead of second placed Gabriella Shaw of Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International on 140.
Shaw leads a trio of Pearl Izumi riders, with Katie Archibald third on 135 points and Dame Sarah Storey fourth on 110.
But with Archibald along with fifth-placed Laura Trott at the Commonwealth Games and Storey among a number of key absentees, the door is open for Matrix Fitness Vulpine’s Bethany Hayward to move up the series standings. Hayward was third in Ryedale so has the form to finish the 2014 series on a high.
The two-day event begins at 6:45pm on Friday with the Stafford GP, with 40 minutes plus five laps on the town centre circuit.
Action moves onto the larger kermesse circuit on Saturday, for 75-kilometres of racing beginning at 5:45pm in the grounds of historic Shugborough Hall.
