National Time Trial Championships: Dowsett overcomes crash to retain men's title, Rowsell wins women's event

Alex Dowsett of Movistar has won the men's national time trial title for the third year in a row, while Wiggle Honda's Joanna Rowsell, winner of a gold medal at London 2012 in the Team Pursuit, has won her first individual title on the road against the clock.

The 24-year-old Dowsett, starting last due to his status as defending champion, overcame an early crash on the 48km men's course - comprising two laps of a 24km circuit - in Stewarton in Ayrshire to win by 21 seconds from Matt Bottrill of Drag2Zero.com this evening.

Dowsett's former Team Sky colleague, Ben Swift, completed the podium. Following his successful defence of his title, it was apparent from his demeanour and the rips in his skinsuit that Dowsett's crash must have been a heavy one.

Earlier, Rowsell, also aged 24, had clocked a time of 49 minutes and 25 seconds to win the national title on two laps of a shorter, 17.6km circuit, going 32 seconds quicker than Boels Dolmans rider Lizzie Armitstead. Specialized-Lululemom's Katie Colclough was third.

Following her victory, Rowsell, quoted on BBC Sport, said: "I tried to pace it but I felt pretty bad to begin with, on the first lap, but felt better on the second lap, which is a good way round I suppose," she added.

Armitstead, who took silver in the Olympic road race behind Marianne Vos of the Netherlands in London last summer, is looking to regain her national road title on Sunday.

Reflecting on her time trial today, she said: "The feelings were good. I couldn't have gone any harder, but I wasn't pulling a lung out to do it either so the sensations are getting better which is what I wanted."