CYCLING: Hammond proves king of the hills.

ROGER Hammond saw off the challenge of reigning champion Julian Winn to cruise to his first Men's British Road Race title at Celtic Manor.

Welshman Winn lost his title when he was forced to retire with cramp in his thighs after two laps of the finishing circuit.

His buildup has been disrupted by illness and Winn said the antibiotics he has been taking may have been responsible for the dehydration that led to his cramp.

Hammond, on the other hand, fresh from the redhot form he showed at the Tour de Suisse last week, was in absolute peak condition and his powerclimbing background ensured he raced up the dreaded Belmont and Wentwood Hills at a pace the rest of the field could only dream of.

He crossed the finish line in five hours, 21 minutes and 15 seconds, just under five minutes ahead of secondplaced Jeremy Hunt, who beat James Alberts in a thrilling sprint finish for second place. The same three riders also finished in the same order in the points competition.

Only seven riders from a starting pelaton of 108 finished the punishing 132mile circuit and, despite his own winning stamina, Hammond said the course was too hard for the field.

``I'm glad I was training in the Swiss hills for the last 10 days because this was tough. You have to say that only having seven finishers at the national championships is not ideal.''

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# CHAMPION Nicole Cooke crosses the line at Celtic Manor yesterday.