Hannah Barnes edged her sister Alice to the line at the end of the British women’s road race. The pair came to the finish in a group of 13 and really had to fight to get to the front in what was a top-class field.
Bunch sprints are no place for the feint-hearted and no quarter is ever asked or given, even when one of your siblings is in there fighting for position with you.
Such was the case this afternoon as the Barnes sisters - Hannah and Alice - went all out to win the British elite women’s road race title in Stockton-on-Trent.
Hannah, riding for Canyon-SRAM and Alice, representing DROPS, came to the line with 11 other riders at the end of the 100-kilometre contest.
Hannah, the more established of the two, was aiming to really announce her comeback after breaking her ankle last August and make up for the disappointment at being overlooked for selection for the Rio Olympics.
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Alice, meanwhile, was aiming for a first U23 national title so when they came to the line it got absolutely chaotic…or at least it did until Alice knew her sister wasn’t for beating.
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The 1-2 for the family was amazing and while it was all fair and square, let's just say width of the road was well used as both tried to hold off each other and everyone else.
Hannah's smile crossing the line shows there’ll be no silence at the dinner table in their house tonight - though she can count herself lucky she didn't clip the wheel of the elder sister in the final 25 metres!
World champions Lizzie Armitstead withdrew from the race, citing illness.
Here is the moment @bannahharnes won the British women's road title!#RoadChamps https://t.co/wZhmGUHBkl
— British Cycling (@BritishCycling) June 26, 2016
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