ALEX Dowsett says claiming a record fifth National Time Trial Championship title was a special moment.
The 27-year-old from Cock Clarks produced a title-winning ride over four laps of the tricky 11.5km circuit, in Stockton.
Dowsett was delighted to claim a fifth British time trial title - and the Maldon-born rider is already targeting a sixth win next year.
Dowsett said: “Win number five - it’s as special as the first and I get to wear this (jersey) for another year.
"It’s special. It’s always special. It’s nice I didn’t have any problems this year.
"Every year, nationals seems to throw something at me but that went very smoothly.
“I went in knowing that, if I rode as I knew I could, as I knew I should then the championship was really mine to lose.
"But I also knew that my TT form right now is really solid so if nothing went wrong then I should win.
"That I did, I’m obviously delighted. I’m already thinking about making it six wins next year!
“But it was also nice to win the jersey again without having too much of a battle.
"It’s not often that you can win a TT and cross the finishing line with your arms in the air."
As the only World Tour rider to face the time keeper – and having already won four senior titles – Dowsett knew that everyone expected him to ride to form and another GB champion’s jersey.
As a result, the pressure was on the Movistar rider's shoulders from the moment he arrived in the North East.
The Stockton circuit mixed tight, technical turns and fast open sections of dual-carriageway making it a fast but very demanding course requiring complete concentration if any rider was to put in a title-winning ride.
Being the rider most expected to win, Dowsett was able to think about the technical nature of his ride.
“I finished the first lap with a 12-second cushion over the second quickest man at that point," said Dowsett, who set a new British 25 mile record last month.
"For all four laps I was riding at a very consistent pace, each lap was covered inside 17s of each other.
"That good pacing meant that, if I need to put in an extra hard effort I knew I’d have what I needed in the tank.
"Being consistent is often the key to winning a TT."
However, it has not been all good news for Dowsett.
He has been left out of Movistar's nine-man team for this year's Tour de France and has also missed out on Team GB selection for this summer's Rio Olympics.
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