Some of the world's top cyclists are competing on Welsh roads as the Tour of Britain Women arrives for two days. The UK's biggest women's road cycling race, which started in Cumbria on Wednesday and concludes in Warwickshire on Sunday, 23 August, is running across five stages for the first time, with two of these in Wales.
Stage three today will see riders tackle a 104.7km route from Mold to the Great Orme in Llandudno. On Saturday, stage four will cover 138.3km from Llanidloes to Hay-on-Wye, featuring the race's toughest climbs and highest total ascent at 2,280m.
Welsh riders Zoe Backstedt and Anna Morris are among those competing. British champion Backstedt, 21, is in 51st place, 2 minutes 48 seconds behind leader Lorena Wiebes, while Morris, despite a stage two crash, is the best-placed Welsh rider in 10th, 20 seconds behind Wiebes.
The race also sees a family connection for the Backstedts, with Zoe's elder sister Elynor also riding and their father Magnus in a sport director role. This year's event marks the first time Mold has hosted the start of a stage and the women's race, though Flintshire has previously hosted the men's Tour.
Safety remains a significant concern for riders following the death of Welsh cyclist Finlay Tarling last Friday. Riders have been wearing black armbands and a moment of applause was held in his memory before the race began on Wednesday.