Backstedt retains British time trial title

Zoe Backstedt retained her British national elite women's time trial title, topping an all-Welsh podium at the 2026 championships in Lampeter.

The 21-year-old, who last week won a stage of Tour de Suisse Femmes, covered the 15.9 mile (25.6km) Ceredigion course in 32 minutes and 45 seconds.

"It was a super fun ride, really fast, difficult in places, and it was nice to go down classic Welsh country roads," she said.

"I'm really proud of how I've done, it wasn't easy, but I'm really happy to be able to come away with the National Champion jersey once again."

World track cycling champion Anna Morris, 31, was runner-up 22 seconds back, with Backstedt's 24-year-old sister Elynor third, 1min 05sec behind the winning time.

Ethan Hayter cruised to victory and a fourth elite time trial national championship title with a time of 44 minutes and 10 seconds in the men's event.

"It was survival and I really benefited from all the overseas training I do. It was a case of fighting and seeing what you can do," he said.

"Going into the road championships on Sunday, I'm looking forward to it, but we've got such a strong field, we'll have to see what happens on the day."

The Soudal Quick-Step racer finished 90 seconds clear of Connor Swift who took silver ahead of Josh Charlton who finished third.

Earlier in the day, Ben Wiggins took the Under-23 men's time trial title, with Henry Hobbs second and Finlay Tarling - another Welsh rider on home territory - third.

Wiggins' winning time was 29min 02sec, with Hobbs 1min 19sec slower and Tarling a further three seconds behind.

Scottish rider Erin Boothman clinched the Under-23 women's title in a time of 33 minutes and 36 seconds, almost two minutes clear of Welsh 19-year-old Awen Roberts who was runner-up. Abigail Miller, 18, was third.

The weekend of racing continues with the circuit championships in Aberystwyth on Friday evening, and culminates on Sunday with the road race championships - also being held in Aberystwyth.

Millie Couzens is the defending elite women's road champion, but is likely to be pushed all the way by three-time winner Pfeiffer Georgi and Anna Henderson who took the podium places in 2025, while Sam Watson will be hoping to retain the elite men's winning jersey from last year.

After starting on the seafront, the road races will head out of town towards Llanfarian as far as Trawsgoed on a 23.4km anticlockwise loop, before passing Y Gors on the way back towards Aberystwyth.

The peloton will complete three laps for the women's race and five laps in the men's race, before moving on to a 12.4km finishing circuit - four laps for the women's and five laps for the men's race.

Racing begins with the elite and Under-23 women at 08:45 BST, before the elite and Under-23 men race at 13:45 BST.