After successfully defending her National Criterium Championship title last weekend, Otley cyclist Lizzie Armitstead will be aiming to carry her form into the National Road Race Championship at Beverley, East Yorkshire on Saturday.

The 18-year-old, who rides for the Global Racing Team, took the win ahead of three of her team-mates at the end of a 25-mile event at Horwich, Lancashire, on Sunday.

She completed the distance in 1hr 1min 13sec and sprinted to a comfortable win ahead of Joanna Rowsell, while colleagues Katie Curtis and Nikki Harris took third and fourth.

With Pinarello Racing Team's Alexander Greenfield taking fifth, the top five riders were all members of the Great Britain Olympic Academy.

The leading group had attacked early in the event, and nearly lapped the whole field, only holding back to avoid confusion in recording the result.

Armitstead said: "It started quite fast with some attacks going in the first two laps. Joanna got away and then Sarah Bailey went after her, and I thought I'd better get after them.

"We managed to keep the gap but Sarah dropped back. Jo and I then just worked hard together to stay away and we got right up to the back of the bunch.

"On the last lap Jo and I didn't discuss the finish but we both knew it was going to be a sprint. I got behind her on the other side of the circuit and we both sprinted from the last corner, with me getting it on the line."

Although Welsh wonder Nicole Cooke will start as favourite for the National Road Race Championships, few would bet against in-form Armitstead giving her a real run for her money when the event starts at noon.

The course takes the 61-strong field to North Newbald before completing seven laps of an 8.6-mile circuit.

The men's race takes place on Sunday and will include Keighley's Tom Barras, the 29-year-old leader of the Merlin Racing Team.