Top class cyclists joined with hundreds of aspiring youngsters to take to the streets of Aberystwyth for the town’s cycling festival. Owen Morgan was there for Dai Sport.
Primary school children, world champions and Olympic gold medallists raced around the streets of Aberystwyth as the town’s cycle festival hit top gear.
From age group Welsh Criterium Championships in the morning to the professional Ovo Energy Tour Series in the evening, the seaside town was the place to be as it attracted cycling fans and competitors from around Wales and beyond.
There was even a mountain bike competition which saw some of Britain’s finest exponents hurtling down the famous Constitution Hill at break-neck speeds as part of the 10-day Aberystwyth Cycle Festival.
After hundreds of youngsters had competed on the award winning Aberystwyth street circuit during the morning, it was the turn of the seniors to take centre stage in the afternoon on Saturday.
The men’s Welsh Criterium Championship was won by Hefin Evans, of Bynea CC, who finished ahead of Ben Simmons, of Alé DMT Cipollini UK, and Ashley Fletcher, of BPF Cycling.
In the Senior Women’s Welsh Criterium Championships, Olympic gold medallist Dani Rowe, of WaowDeals Pro Cycling took the title in emphatic style.
Rowe, who switched allegiance from England to Wales before winning a road race bronze for her adopted country in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, finished almost a minute-and-a-half ahead of Bethany Taylor, of Bianchi Dama and Gwenno Hughes, of Torrelli-Brother.
And the three-time World team-pursuit champion was soon back in action as she lined up for the start of the Ovo Energy Tour Series Women’s race in the late afternoon sun.
Hundreds of spectators lined the tight 1.2km closed town centre circuit which hosted the fifth round of the women’s series, but it was Anna Henderson, who took her first ever individual Tour Series victory for Team OnForm.
The team race was won on the night by Trek Drops, but it wasn’t enough to knock Team Breeze – including Welsh Commonwealth Games riders Megan Barker and Jess Roberts – off the top of the Ovo Tour Series team standings.
Against the backdrop of a spectacular Aberystwyth sunset, the men’s event was dominated by Harry Tanfield, of Canyon Eisberg, who finished 24 seconds ahead of One Pro Cycling’s Jacob Scott in a time of 1hr:07.21.213.
JLT Condor were the top team on the night, thanks to strong performances from Graham Briggs, Matt Gibson and Welsh Commonwealth Games road race silver medallist Jon Mould, who finished sixth.
Three-time Olympic gold medallist and six-time world champion Ed Clancy, also of JLT Condor, finished the race in 12th position.
There was further Welsh success in the Guest Team Classification where the Wales Racing Academy finished first with a combined time of 4hrs: 43:23.833, almost three minutes faster than Crimson Performance RRT.
The Welsh team, featuring Josh Price, Owen Line, Brecon Burnett, Oscar Mingay and Matt Burke also head the Guest Overall Team Classification – Midlands Division, ahead of Ribble Pro Cycling.
Earlier in the day, away from the street circuit, hundreds of spectators were treated to the spectacle of some of Britain’s top mountain bikers hurtling down Aberystwyth’s notoriously steep Constitution Hill.
If the twisting, sloping rough tracks weren’t hard enough to negotiate, the course was rounded off with a set of steps the riders had to negotiate yards from the finishing line.
The Aberystwyth Cycle Festival continued on Sunday with the Welsh Wild West sportive event around some of Ceredigion’s most scenic routes , while Bank Holiday Monday sees the hill climbers in action as they take on the notorious 25 per cent Cefn Llan Hill.
The climb – described as a “200 metre monster” is by far the steepest climb in the locality. Riders will start at the junction with Primrose Hill at the bottom, and ride to the finish line just prior to the entrance to Aberystwyth Science Park at the top.
More information about the all the events during the 10-day festival, which ends on Tuesday, can be found on the Aberystwyth Cycle Festival website.
Highlights from the Aberystwyth Ovo Tour Series will be shown on ITV4 on Monday (28 May) at 10pm and are repeated on Tuesday at 07:30. UK viewers can find ITV on Freeview (24), Freesat (117), Virgin Media (118) and Sky (120). Full results are available on the Ovo Tour Series Website.