British Cycling’s points structure has barely changed since 2012, while the racing around it has changed profoundly. Rider and Aero CLCTV founder Elliott Colyer asks what behaviours it now encourages — and proposes four small changes
Zoe Bäckstedt completed a time-trial and road-race double in Aberystwyth, taking the elite and under-23 road titles after a long solo pursuit of Josie Knight — who held on for 2nd ahead of defending champion Millie Couzens.
The championships end on Sunday with their hardest test, on the Aberystwyth roads that crowned Samuel Watson and Millie Couzens a year ago. Couzens returns to defend; the men’s champion does not, leaving his title open.
Zoe Bäckstedt defends her elite women’s title at the head of an all-Welsh podium, and Ethan Hayter wins a fourth elite men’s national time-trial title, as the National Road Championships open at Lampeter. In the under-23 races, Ben Wiggins ends two years as runner-up to win the men’s time trial and Erin Boothman wins the women’s by almost two minutes — with a time that would have medalled among the elites.