The 2025 British National Championships begin on Thursday with a high-intensity time trial in Aberaeron, with the road race to follow on Saturday 29th June.
Ceredigion, the Welsh county set to host the Championships tomorrow, has a track-record of producing world class riders, including time-triallist Josh Tarling and Tour of Britain winner Stevie Williams. Now some of the best British riders will line up in the county to compete for eight national titles on offer.
Among those heading to Wales this weekend is three time British National Road Race Champion, Picnic PostNL rider Pfeiffer Georgi, who will be chasing a fourth title, with Anna Henderson of Lidl-Trek pushing for the top position after second place last year in Yorkshire.
“Nationals hold such a special meaning to me,” Pfeiffer said.
I know it won’t be easy, but I’m focused, motivated, and ready to give it everything I’ve got. The level of competition in British women’s road racing just keeps getting stronger, and that pushes me to raise my game every time I take to the start line.”
Another young rider set to cause her some fierce competition is Tour of Britain stage winner, Cat Ferguson. The Movistar rider scored her first WorldTour victory last month at the Tour of Britain, along with the points classification and jersey for best young rider.
In the men's race, Ethan Hayter is the rider to watch as he defends his 2024 national title. After recent success on the continent (including second place in the Baloise Belgium Tour overall), the Soudal Quick-Step rider will be chasing another win this year on home soil - in both the time trial, of which he is a previous champion, and the road race.
Vying to pip him to the post in the road race will be 2024 podium finishers Lewis Askey and Max Walker. Askey, who rides for Groupama-FDJ, has recently won his first two professional races, so clearly is a man in form.
The time trials take place in Abaeraeron, a place-name that supposedly, perhaps fittingly, derives from Aeron, the Welsh god of war. Riders will battle it out over a course that will take them over the hills to Cilau Aeron before a sharp, 3km-long ascent up Rhiw Goch and back into Aberaeron. Ferguson, Georgi and two-time champion Henderson are among the race favourites, with Hayter the favourite in the men’s after double British champion Josh Tarling crashed out of the Giro d’Italia.
The road race is a hillier affair, beginning by the sea in Aberystwyth and winding inland to Trawsgoed in a loop to be repeated three times in the women’s and five in the men’s, with each loop starting with a maximum gradient of 9.3%. The women will race a totalled distance of 128km (with an elevation gain of 1,839m) with the men’s an additional 60km.
Off the back of an impressive Tour of Britain, Ferguson looks in a stronger position to Georgi so far this season, but the latter has the experience. A battle anticipated in the men’s between Visma-Lease a Bike teammates Matthew Brennan and Ben Tulett, with Hayter surely involved too.
You can watch the British National Championships on the British Cycling Youtube channel,Discovery+ online and TNT Sports, plus a full highlights programme on Discovery+ and TNT Sports 2 at 7pm on Tuesday 1 July.
