British National Road Championships
Time trials: 26 June
Distance: 27km (elite women, U23 women, U23 men), 41km (elite men)
Circuit races: 27 June
Distance: 50 minutes, plus five laps
Road races: 29 June
Distance: 128km (women), 187km (men)
The high point of the British road racing calendar, the Lloyds National Road Championships, take place over the next four days in west Wales. Some of the UK's best riders will challenge for the famous red, white and blue jersey in the time trials, circuit races, and road races.
As ever, the routes are challenging and the champions in each race will be well deserving of their title for the next season. In each discipline, the winners will be entitled to wear their special kit for each race they take part in for the rest of 2025 and into 2026.
Among the names challenging for the crowns are Ethan Hayter, Pfeiffer Georgi, Cat Ferguson, Anna Henderson and Lewis Askey, with 2025's British sensation Matthew Brennan also making an appearance. Read on to hear what you need to know about all the events.
Five things to look out for at the British Nationals
Farewell Saltburn, hello Wales
After two years in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, a favoured location for British Cycling events, the Nationals have moved to Wales for the next three seasons. The first setting is Ceredigion, with the circuit and road races in Aberwrystwyth and the time trials in Aberaeron. This is very much mid-west Wales, with the Welsh language spoken by a significant minority in the county.
Three-peat
Pfeiffer Georgi is already just the second woman this century to win the national title back-to-back, but now she has the potential to win three in a row, and go joint-fourth in the all-time lists for wins with her fourth. On a punchy course reasonably similar to the one she was so successful on in the north-east, the Picnic PostNL rider will be the one to beat.
Missing men
While reigning champion Ethan Hayter is expected to start the men’s road race, and the time trial too, there could be some notable absences from the fields. 2023 road race winner Fred Wright will be absent, and there are doubts over TT champion Josh Tarling after his crash at the Giro d’Italia, and his fellow Welshman Geraint Thomas too, after he crashed out of the Tour de Suisse. Simon and Adam Yates won’t be there, nor will Tom Pidcock. Perhaps participation should be mandatory.
Hilly TT
This is not a pure rouleur’s course, with 418 metres of elevation across 27km for the elite women, and 677 metres across 41km for the elite men. It is, euphemistically, a ‘sporting’ course. To put that in perspective, there is just 194 metres of climbing in the 40km of the National 25 Mile Championship in August. The route will suit Hayter and Anna Henderson, but there might well be a surprise.
Welsh representation
With doubts over the participation of Tarling and Thomas, flying the flag for Wales in Ceredigion will be Owain Doull (EF Education–EasyPost), Zoe Bäckstedt (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and her sister Elynor (UAE Team ADQ), and Elinor Barker (Uno-X Mobility) and her sister Megan Barker (Tekkerz CC).Tomos Pattinson (Visma-Lease a Bike Development) will hope to defend his U23 time trial title on semi-home roads.
Focus on: Trefechan
Each time through Aberystwyth in the road race - which is four times for the women and five for the men - the climb from Trefechan Bridge will be selective. Just 700m at almost 7%, but it will be leg-sapping at the end of a hard route. The elite men’s road race is 187km with 2,674m of elevation, while the elite women’s is 128km with 1,839m of elevation. With a thinned down peloton by the time the race enters the finishing circuit which includes the Trefechan climb, expect those not wanting to leave it to a sprint finish to make a move here. There is also the small matter of a 13.8% descent from Moriah, which could be technical enough to make a difference too. There is no final climb, as we saw in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, but the course looks difficult enough for a solo winner.
Where can I watch the British Nationals?
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.
Last year's road race podiums
Men:
1. Ethan Hayter
2. Lewis Askey
3. Max Walker
Women:
1. Pfeiffer Georgi
2. Anna Henderson
3. Lizzie Deignan
Riders to watch at the British Nationals
Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) ****
The defending champion has not had a brilliant 2025, having moved teams from Ineos Grenadiers to Soudal Quick-Step, but the Nationals might just be the push that the Londoner needs to kickstart his season. He has won the time trial title twice before, as well as the road race last year, and will be a threat in both disciplines. He won the time trial at the Baloise Belgium Tour last week, so perhaps things are moving...
Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ) ****
The 24-year-old won his first ever professional races last month, at the Boucles de l’Aulne and the 4 Jours de Dunkerque, before he finished third on stage two of the Tour de Suisse. He is clearly a man in form, and has the build for a punchy course like the Nationals in Aberystwyth.
Cat Ferguson (Movistar) ***
The precocious Ferguson narrowly missed out on the overall win at the Tour of Britain Women earlier this month, but her talent is undimmed, and she won her first WorldTour stage at the same race. She will be the favourite for the under-23 titles, but she could also win the elite ones too, such is her speed.
Pfeiffer Georgi (Picnic PostNL) *****
Can the 24-year-old win three in a row? It would not be beyond Georgi, who always seems to nail the road race at Nationals. She is yet to win this year, but has been useful to her teammates throughout the season, and is always good on the kind of punchy courses favoured by BC. Also shouldn’t be counted out of the time trial, where she has twice finished fourth on flatter courses.
