FROM early morning they crowded round team cars and buses like groupies at a stage door.

The 2013 British National Road Race Championships was in town and the 30,000 strong crowd lining the streets of Glasgow weren't disappointed with a dramatic thriller that went down to the wire.

Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) took the victory to become the new British national champion, ending Team Sky's three year long stranglehold over the event. Defending champion Ian Stannard (Sky) had to settle for second with Scotland's David Millar (Garmin-Sharp), despite a late attack, finishing third.

The women's event saw Lizzie Armitstead (Boels Dolmans) hold off the challenge of Wiggle Honda duo Laura Trott and Dani King to regain the title she last won in 2011.

Racing over 13 laps of an 8.8 mile course, the men's race packed a hefty punch from the word go. The opening lap saw Scot Andy Fenn (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) and Stannard launch an early breakaway, pursued by a four-strong group of Cavendish, Millar, Ben Swift and Peter Kennaugh (Sky).

Fenn and Stannard held the lead for six laps before being caught by the chasing quartet. The six-strong group managed to maintain the gap between themselves and the main field before Swift and Fenn were dropped on lap nine, both retiring from the race with four laps remaining. A puncture in the penultimate lap saw Stannard fall back, although he managed to bridge the gap as the finish loomed. When the hammer went down Kennaugh was unable to hold on as Cavendish attacked, followed in quick succession by Millar.

But when it came down to the sprint there could be only one man who would emerge victorious: Cavendish – dubbed the fastest man on two wheels – winning by eight bike lengths.

"My form is good and I'm motivated," said Cavendish. "To be honest it was a bit unexpected I won. I was here more as preparation for the Tour, to get a last hit out, and to see the parcour for the Commonwealth Games next year.

"Normally with so many Team Sky riders it would have been difficult to win here so I didn't really expect it. After about 20km we got a good group away, rode well together and I'm happy. I had a bit of luck at the end that Ian [Stannard] was left isolated."

Another keen to get a preview of the course likely to be similar to that used in the Commonwealth Games next summer was Millar. "It was hard," he said. "It was a long day. I don't think there is a Tour de France stage where you would go that hard for that long. It was good racing. It's a different kind of racing; it's a slog but we kept chipping away. It was good, I'm really happy."

Millar paid tribute to the support of the partisan Scottish crowd that buoyed him as he powered around the circuit. "It was phenomenal: I now know how Thomas Voeckler feels in France," he said. "I've never had that in my whole career in a race, the amount of people shouting for me. I liked being called 'Davy' as well. It's amazing how much that lifts you and makes you want to not let people down. I'll be back next summer – I can't wait."

After a relatively slow start in the women's eight lap race, a four-strong group comprising Armitstead, King, Laura Trott and Emma Trott (Boels Dolmans) led going into the penultimate lap. After Emma Trott lost contact, the remaining trio pushed on. Armitstead attacked on the final lap, pulling away from Laura Trott and King on a punchy climb. The Boels Dolmans rider finished 1.03 ahead of her rivals.

"It's really special – it was one of my main goals for this season," said Armitstead. "I've had an up and down season so far, so I needed a confidence boost. With two laps to go, I stuck one in over the university climb, which was the longest, steepest on the course.

"I managed to drop everyone but Laura was just close enough. I did 80% on that climb but unfortunately I dropped my team-mate [Emma Trott], as well, and I was alone with the two the Wiggles [Trott and King]. It was strange tactics from them – they just led it out and that was perfect for me."

Armitstead added she believed that holding the British National Road Race Championships over a course similar to that for the 2014 Commonwealth Games was a bonus.

"The Scottish, English and Welsh teams have an advantage now," she said. "I know where the course is tough – and it's always nice to have a good memory on a course and come back to it."