Lawless is the star at Abergavenny Festival

A stunning ride from Chris Lawless saw him clinch the HSBC UK British Cycling National Circuit Series round three at the Abergavenny Festival of Cycling.

The 21-year-old was supreme as he raced ahead the field with Teeside rider Harry Tanfield and Series leader Matt Gibson, from Lymm, but then dropped the two men in his group and rode a solo race of an hour and ten laps.

Indeed, Lawless’ dominance was so vast that he lapped the peloton and finished almost a minute ahead of second-placed Gibson, with Tanfield in third.

Lawless, from Wigan, won the National Circuit Series last year but, after winning in Otley in the first leg of this year’s competition, Abergavenny was his swansong in the red, white and blue of the national jersey.

He is off to ride in the Tour of Utah from July 31 to August 6 at altitude while this year’s National Circuit Championships takes place in Sheffield on July 19

But it was a good way to bow out from his reign.

Lawless said: “I got away with Gibson and Tanfield but they started to mess about a bit. When they did this, I just put my head down and went for it.

“It was a little far out but once I committed, I had to crack on. I am only doing Otley and this one so it is nice to get two wins in the ones I did.

“I won the road race in Abergavenny in 2015 so it is a good place for me.

“The Tour of Utah should be good. I have never raced at altitude before so I don’t know what to expect from it.”

Gibson outsprinted Tanfield for second, and, in the race for fourth among the peloton, Benton Jones, of the JLT Condor side, won that contest.

Gibson retains the series lead after three rounds by 22 points from Lawless and Jones, who are in equal second place.