Description
June 29, 2025
National Championships 2025 โ United Kingdom ๐ฌ๐ง โ Road Race ME – Aberystwyth – Aberystwyth : 187 km
The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events,
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June 29, 2025
National Championships 2025 โ United Kingdom ๐ฌ๐ง โ Road Race ME – Aberystwyth – Aberystwyth : 187 km
The British National Road Race Championships cover different categories of British road bicycle racing events, normally held annually.
Sam Watson (Ineos Grenadiers) soloed to victory to claim his first elite menโs road race at the British road championships in Aberystwyth, Wales. Watson, runner-up to Mark Cavendish in 2022, had time to celebrate, crossing the line 29 seconds ahead of a chase group.
Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) claimed the field sprint for second place ahead of Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech). Defending champion Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) was fourth.
Brennan (19) took home the U23 title.
Watson launched a massive seated acceleration from the lead group as the fifth and final lap of the 187km race began. Behind him, the chase group struggled to organise despite Israel-Premier Tech having three riders in the mix. Brennan put in a significant effort, but the group couldnโt bring back the determined Yorkshireman.
After the start on the seafront, the peloton headed out of town on a picturesque yet testing 23.4km anti-clockwise loop, before heading back towards Aberystwyth to tackle the 12.4km finishing circuit which started with the steep 9.1% Moriah climb.
After the peloton split halfway through the race following a crash, four riders pulled away with three finishing laps to go to form the break of the day. Though Jacob Bush (Development Team Picnic PostNL), Oliver Knight (Cofidis), Owain Doull (EF Education-EasyPost) and Callum Thornley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies) worked well together, they never managed to get a substantial gap to a chase group.
Though not riding in unison, the chase group, including Brennan, Hayter, Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost), Alex Beldon (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck), Vernon and his teammates Jake Stewart and Joe Blackmore, kept the gap around the 30-second mark to the quartet.
One lap later, bad luck struck Knight, who suffered a mechanical after hitting a pothole. Having to stop to untangle his twisted chain with the help of neutral service, Knight lost 25 seconds, forcing him to chase back from the third group on the road.
The three whittled-down front groups came back together at the end of the penultimate lap. Doull again went on the attack but was quickly reeled in before Watson made his move on the wide road at the start/finish straight.
Watson quickly grew his gap to the chase group, which once again could not seem to get organised as no one wanted to bring fastman Brennan to the line. So Brennan took the front to set the pace, and then Israel-PremierTech also added a rider, but it was too late. Hayter made one final dig, but the chase group came together to the line to sprint for the podium places.
Results :
 soloed to victory to claim his first elite menโs road race at the British road championships in Aberystwyth, Wales. Watson, runner-up to Mark Cavendish in 2022, had time to celebrate, crossing the line 29 seconds ahead of a chase group.
Matthew Brennan (Visma-Lease a Bike) claimed the field sprint for second place ahead of Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech). Defending champion Ethan Hayter (Soudal Quick-Step) was fourth.
Brennan (19) took home the U23 title.
Watson launched a massive seated acceleration from the lead group as the fifth and final lap of the 187km race began. Behind him, the chase group struggled to organise despite Israel-Premier Tech having three riders in the mix. Brennan put in a significant effort, but the group couldnโt bring back the determined Yorkshireman.
After the start on the seafront, the peloton headed out of town on a picturesque yet testing 23.4km anti-clockwise loop, before heading back towards Aberystwyth to tackle the 12.4km finishing circuit which started with the steep 9.1% Moriah climb.
After the peloton split halfway through the race following a crash, four riders pulled away with three finishing laps to go to form the break of the day. Though Jacob Bush (Development Team Picnic PostNL), Oliver Knight (Cofidis), Owain Doull (EF Education-EasyPost) and Callum Thornley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe Rookies) worked well together, they never managed to get a substantial gap to a chase group.
Though not riding in unison, the chase group, including Brennan, Hayter, Lewis Askey (Groupama-FDJ), Max Walker (EF Education-EasyPost), Alex Beldon (Muc-Off-SRCT-Storck), Vernon and his teammates Jake Stewart and Joe Blackmore, kept the gap around the 30-second mark to the quartet.
One lap later, bad luck struck Knight, who suffered a mechanical after hitting a pothole. Having to stop to untangle his twisted chain with the help of neutral service, Knight lost 25 seconds, forcing him to chase back from the third group on the road.
The three whittled-down front groups came back together at the end of the penultimate lap. Doull again went on the attack but was quickly reeled in before Watson made his move on the wide road at the start/finish straight.
Watson quickly grew his gap to the chase group, which once again could not seem to get organised as no one wanted to bring fastman Brennan to the line. So Brennan took the front to set the pace, and then Israel-PremierTech also added a rider, but it was too late. Hayter made one final dig, but the chase group came together to the line to sprint for the podium places.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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