British Cycling has confirmed the route for the Lloyds National Road Championships in Ceredigion between June 26-29.
A total of 10 coveted national champion’s jerseys are up for grabs across three days of racing, with the time-trial on Thursday, June 26, the circuit race on Friday, June 27 and the road race concluding the action on Sunday, June 29.
Entries for all three events are now open and will close at midnight on Sunday, June 1.
Lloyds National Time-Trial Championships, Aberaeron on June 26
The challenging time-trial route starts in Ffos- y-ffin and the route extends along the fast-rolling roads to Ciliau Aeron before heading back to Aberaeron, including a short, sharp ascent of the Rhiw Goch climb.
The elite women, under-23 women and under-23 men will complete one and three-quarter laps to give a race distance of 27km and the elite men’s field will be tested over two and three-quarter laps for a total distance of 41km.
Lloyds National Circuit Racing Championships, Aberystwyth on June 27
On the evening of Friday, June 27, the circuit championships will take centre stage in the picturesque town of Aberystwyth.
The new course starts and finishes on the iconic seafront before taking to the town centre streets in an anticlockwise direction to complete an exciting 1.6km lap. Fifty minutes and five laps of racing will decide both the elite women and open championships.
It will also provide numerous opportunities for spectators to cheer on the riders as they pass by. Passing the Bandstand on each lap, the race will take a left turn into Pier Street and travel along Portland Street, before heading into Queens Road before rejoining Victoria Terrace, where the races will reach their thrilling conclusions.
Lloyds National Road Racing Championships, Aberystwyth on June 29
After a presentation start on the seafront, the road races will head out of town towards Y Gors as far as Trawsgoed on a picturesque, yet testing 23.4km anti-clockwise loop, heading back towards Aberystwyth passing Abermad.
With a maximum gradient of 9.1% at the beginning of each lap, the peloton will be thinned out as the action moves onto the finishing circuit after three laps for the women’s race and five laps in the men’s race.
The finishing circuits of 12.4km – four for the women’s and five for the men’s race – use the start and finish point on the seafront as its central focus. It will run along almost the entirety of the promenade, past the old college and the castle grounds, before a technical section through the old harbour before looping out over Trefechan bridge.
Such is the testing nature of the course, there is a maximum gradient of 8.7% through Southgate to be tackled each lap. The narrow, technical 13.8% descent from Moriah back to the main A44 will be a test of bike handling skills as the riders reach the final few kilometres of each championship.
From there, the race heads back into the town before concluding on the seafront promenade after 128km for the women and 187km for the men.
Stevie Williams, winner of the Lloyds Tour of Britain Men last year, who hails from Aberystwyth, said: “Racing on home roads is a rare opportunity which always makes it extra special, so I can’t wait to get out on the roads I know so well as the Lloyds National Road Championships heads to Ceredigion.
“As a proud Welshman, it is brilliant to see this iconic fixture in the domestic road season brought to the country’s roads and to show the peloton a real Welsh reception.
“The support I received at events in the UK last year was outstanding, so I can only imagine what it will be like to hear the home support in Wales at the end of June. I look forward to seeing everyone in Ceredigion then for some highly entertaining road racing.”
Jonathan Day, Managing Director for British Cycling Events, added: “We are pleased to have worked with our stakeholders to lay out these exciting and testing courses for our riders at the 2025 Lloyds National Road Championships.
“The locations for each of the championships are stunning and provide a great test for the riders as they aim to win the prestigious national champion’s jersey.
“In addition, there are multiple opportunities for spectators to see the riders pass these iconic landmarks. We are looking forward to delivering the championships in Ceredigion in June.”
Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion’s Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Carbon Management, said: “The routes will demonstrate all that Ceredigion has to offer, from the coast to the countryside, taking in iconic sights along the way.
“Ceredigion is delighted to welcome the championships here in June and is indicative of our continued support for sporting events in the county.”
Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: “We are committed to hosting major events across Wales, so it’s fantastic to see these exciting race routes that will showcase Ceredigion as a premier cycling destination so well later this year.
“Our country has produced remarkable elite riders including Josh Tarling and Stevie Williams who are both local to Ceredigion. These championships will give spectators the chance to see the next generation of British and Welsh talent who will go on to compete in the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes in 2027.
“This event marks another milestone in our continuing preparations for the Le Tour coming to Wales for the very first time, putting Wales firmly on the global cycling map.”
See the routes at: www.ceredigion.gov.uk/resident/news/2025/routes-revealed-for-the-2025-lloyds-national-road-championships/
