With West Wales offering some of the best cycling in the world (in our opinion!) it’s no wonder Ceredigion has been selected to host the Lloyds National Road Cycling Championships for the second year running.
From 25 – 28 June 2026 the pretty roads and lanes of Ceredigion will play host to the Lloyds National Road Cycling Championships. Here we give you the lowdown on what’s happening…
What is it?
Taking place the weekend before the Tour de France starts, every country in Europe holds their own championships on the same weekend. Top cyclists from across the country will be taking part, with the winner getting to wear the national champion’s jersey in every competition for the coming year.
What’s involved?
There are three separate events that make up the National Road Cycling Championships – a time trial, a circuit race and a road race – all are taking place in West Wales.
The races have various categories – Elite Men, Elite Women, Under 23 Men and Under 23 Women, meaning plenty of opportunity to watch the action unfold.
Thursday 25 June, 2026 – Time Trials
The first day of the event is dedicated to the Time Trials. This involves cyclists competing on a set route against the clock with the winner of this stage being the cyclist with the fastest time.
This year there’s a new time-trial course around Lampeter, with the circuit starting close to the University of Wales’ Lampeter campus. Cycling along picturesque lanes and climbing rolling hills, the route goes towards Llanfair Clydogau, then returning via Cellan and Cwmann before crossing Afon Teifi to the finish line.
The Elite Women, Under 23 Women and Under 23 Men will do two laps (25.6km), while the Elite Men will compete over three laps (38.4km).
The time-trials kick off at 9am with the Under 23 Men.
Friday 26 June, 2026 – Circuit Race
The circuit race will take place on the evening of 26 June in Aberystwyth, starting at the seafront and heading into the streets of the town for a challenging course of twists and turns.
The competitors will do five laps of the 1.6km course, starting on the Promenade, heading to Pier Street and Great Darkgate Street, before turning back towards the sea into Portland Street and Queens Road, and then along Victoria Terrace to the finish line at the promenade.
The Women’s races are first, starting at 6.15pm.
Sunday 28 June, 2026 – Road Race
Starting on the seafront of Aberystwyth, the road race heads out towards Llanfarian, then Trawsgoed on a challenging 23.4km route before heading back to Aberystwyth via Y Gors. The women’s race will cover three laps, the men’s race five laps, before the finishing circuit of 12.4km.
The racing starts at 8.45am, with the finish line on Aberystwyth promenade – a great place to watch the action!
It’s set to be a fabulous weekend of cycling, so why not head along to cheer on the competitors? You can find out more here.