Otto Van Zanden left the opening round of the open Rapha Super-League with the win and the leader’s jersey, but the first standings of the season tell a broader story too: with Azerion Villa Valkenburg gone after one race, Tom Armstrong now sits at the head of a more contested British title fight than the headline result first suggests.
British Cycling has confirmed the routes for this year’s championships, with Ceredigion hosting for a second consecutive year between 25 and 28 June. A new time trial course at Lampeter is the principal change; the circuit and road races revisit the same Aberystwyth roads used in 2025 — a road race that, on closer inspection, is harder than the headline figures suggest.
Matthew Gilmour won the Chitterne Road Race on Sunday 26 April, sprinting clear of Deetray Jarrett after a break of eleven established a decisive advantage inside the first two laps.
Otto Van Zanden (Azerion Villa Valkenberg) took his first road race victory at the 20th edition of the Rutland–Melton CiCLE Classic, pipping Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase CabTech Castelli) on the line in Oakham at the end of a long-range three-up move.