Zoe Backstedt storms to victory, retaining her British national elite women's time trial title in style at the 2026 championships in Lampeter, Ceredigion! The fiery Welsh cyclist unleashed a blistering performance, scorching the 15.9-mile (25.6km) course in a lightning-fast 32 minutes and 45 seconds. This triumph is a stunning achievement, hot on the heels of her electrifying stage win at the Tour de Suisse Femmes just last week – proof that she's riding at an unprecedented level right now.
The women's elite podium was a resounding Welsh sweep, with World track cycling champion Anna Morris clinching silver, 22 seconds adrift of Backstedt's winning time. The talented trio completed the all-Welsh top three, as Backstedt's younger sister Elynor finished third, just 1 minute and 5 seconds behind her sibling's record-breaking pace. Over the moon with her win, Backstedt exclaimed it was "a super fun ride, really fast, difficult in places, and lovely to navigate classic Welsh country roads." She beamed with pride, adding, "I'm chuffed to bits – it wasn't easy, but I'm over the moon to come away with the National Champion jersey once again!"
Ethan Hayter demonstrated his mastery of the discipline, cruising to victory and claiming his fourth national time trial championship in the men's elite event. The Soudal Quick-Step rider ticked off the clock at 44 minutes and 10 seconds, leaving a dominant 90-second gap between himself and silver medallist Connor Swift. Josh Charlton secured bronze on an afternoon of high-stakes racing. Hayter reflected on his success, saying "It was survival and I really benefited from all the overseas training I do – it was a case of grit your teeth and give it everything!"
Earlier in the day, the Under-23 categories saw some scintillating performances. Ben Wiggins took the Under-23 men's time trial title with a sizzling 29 minutes and 2 seconds, beating Henry Hobbs by a significant margin (1 minute 19 seconds) and Finlay Tarling by another three seconds. In the Under-23 women's race, Scottish rider Erin Boothman seized the top spot in 33 minutes and 36 seconds – an impressive two-minute clear of Welsh teenager Awen Roberts – while Abigail Miller secured third.
The national championships are set to reach a fever pitch, with the circuit championships scheduled for Friday evening in Aberystwyth. The weekend's racing will culminate on Sunday with the eagerly anticipated road race championships, also taking place in Aberystwyth. Millie Couzens will be defending her elite women's road champion title, while Sam Watson aims to retain his elite men's winning jersey from last year – but faces a formidable challenge from an array of top contenders.
The road races promise to be intense battles, with the women's event featuring three laps of a 23.4km anticlockwise loop and four laps of a 12.4km finishing circuit. The men will undertake five laps of the initial loop and five laps of the finishing circuit – providing a thrilling backdrop for the conclusion of this year's national championships.
The racing fraternity is eagerly anticipating Sunday's road races, which promise to be nail-biting battles in challenging conditions. As the competition reaches its crescendo, one thing is clear: only the strongest will emerge victorious – and we can't wait to see who'll be crowned champion!