By Owen Morgan
Wales’ Commonwealth Games road race silver medalist Jon Mould is looking forward to a return to home soil next weekend as Aberystwyth hosts a 10-day festival of cycling.
Newport-born Mould will be leading defending team champions JLT Condor as they compete in the OVO Energy Tour Series on the streets of the Ceredigion seaside town next Saturday evening.
The men’s and women’s road races, featuring some of Britain’s top cyclists, will be just one of the many highlights during the 10-day Aberystwyth Cycle Fest, which started on May 19.
As well as the town centre criterium racing, the celebration of cycling features downhill mountain biking, a hill climb, time trial and a mass participation ride covering some of the most scenic roads in Ceredigion and a series of fringe events in and around the town.
But it is the OVO Energy Tour Series races on Saturday evening which Mould will be setting his sites on as his JLT Condor team, featuring the likes of three-time Olympic and six-time world champion Ed Clancy, look to defend their crown.
Mould said: “The Aberystwyth round is the only race in Wales, so it’s sort of a home round for me. It has a great atmosphere and the town puts on loads of events around it.”
“I think the title defence will be tough; everyone’s gunning to win it so we’ll have to give it everything, just like we’ve done in the past.”
After three rounds, Mould’s JLT Condor team lead the standings, thanks to Clancy winning the third event in Aberdeen on May 17.
The women’s series is currently led by Team Breeze, whose ranks include another Welsh Commonwealth Games cyclist Megan Barker.
The sister of Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games champion Elinor, Barker won the second stage of this year’s OVO Energy Tour Series in Motherwell on May 15.
Aberystwyth is Round Five of the OVO Energy Tour Series out of 8 and will be broadcast on Monday 28 May at 22:00 on ITV4.
There will be plenty of action to keep bike fans entertained throughout the day in the run up to Saturday evening’s tour series races, which start at 5.30pm (women) and 7.30 (men).
The streets of Aberystwyth town centre will host a series of schools and criterium races during the morning followed by the men’s and women’s Welsh Criterium Championship races during the afternoon.
The award winning course circumnavigates the iconic 19th century Old College, the 13th century Castle, the Victorian Pier and also brushes the town centre.
The afternoon will also witness the spectacle of some of Britain’s top mountain bikers hurtling down the town’s famous Constitution Hill during the “Conquer the Cliff” event.
More information about the Aberystwyth Cycle Fest can be found on the event’s website.