Britain’s best cyclists will return home from competing on the world stage to contest the 2014 British Cycling National Road Championships in Monmouthshire and fans can watch live coverage of the event for the first time in 2014 with British Eurosport.
Three of the four champions from 2013 – Lizzie Armitstead, Alex Dowsett and Joanna Rowsell – will be in Monmouthshire to defend their titles in a world class field that features numerous world and Olympic champions including Laura Trott and Welshman Geraint Thomas.
Comprising of men’s and women’s time trials and road races, the British National Road Championships acts as a fitting prelude to this year’s Tour de France, which starts in Yorkshire on July 5.
The road races will take place on Sunday, June 29, and will start and finish in Abergavenny Town Centre, running over 116 miles of rural roads with some punishing climbs, with the conclusion of the men’s race being televised live for the first time in the event’s history.
The time-trials will take place on Thursday, June 26, starting and finishing at the Celtic Manor resort, with the elite men racing against the clock over two laps of the 21 kilometre course, while the elite women and under 23 men will compete over one lap of the same course.
A star-studded field includes 2012 Tour de France winner Sir Bradley Wiggins, along with David Miller and Geraint Thomas, who won the race back in 2010, and Peter Kennaugh from the Isle of Man, who impressed many with his performance in last year’s Tour de France.
The Yates twins, Adam and Simon, will also provide a stern test for the front runners, with both having been signed up by UCI pro team Orica GreenEDGE at the beginning of the 2014 cycling season.
Adam experienced victory at one of his first races for the Australian team at the 2014 Tour of Turkey, while Simon came third in the general classification at the 2013 Tour of Britain, a race which saw him go head-to-head with the best in the world.
Last year’s road race saw Mark Cavendish, who has pulled out of this year’s event due to illness, break away with 2012 champion Ian Stannard and David Millar, managing to outsprint them on the home straight to claim his first win at the National Championships.
In the women’s race, defending champion Lizzie Armistead will be aiming to win her third national title, but will face tough competition from the likes of double Olympic gold medallist Laura Trott, Hannah Barnes, Joanna Rowsell and double junior world road champion Lucy Garner.
The 2014 edition marks the first time the championships will be televised live with British Eurosport screening the conclusion of the men’s race as it happens, as well as the best action from the women’s event on Sunday, June 29, while ITV4 will screen free-to-air highlights of the time-trials and road races later in the evening.
Jonny Clay, British Cycling’s cycle sport and membership director said of the announcement: “British Cycling is delighted to be working with both British Eurosport and ITV to bring live and same day highlights coverage of its national road championships to fans of British cycling.
“We will be seeing these prestigious championships broadcast alongside some of the biggest bike races in the world.
“The courses that await Britain’s top riders in Monmouthshire next week are challenging and fans can expect to tune in to some world class racing as they watch the country’s best riders doing battle for the coveted red, white and blue jerseys on offer to the winners.”
British Eurosport will screen live coverage of the British National Road Championships for the first time in 2014.
The pan-European channel’s two-hour programme on Sunday, June 29, will feature highlights of the women’s road race, as well live coverage of the conclusion of the men’s road race.
Commentary will come in the form of Carlton Kirby and 1998 British road race champion Matt Stephens.
ITV4 will broadcast a comprehensive one-hour highlights show encapsulating all the key moments from the 2014 British National Road Championships, airing shortly after the conclusion of the men’s road race on Sunday, June 29, at 7.00pm.
Gary Imlach presents the channel’s highlights programme from Monmouthshire, featuring both the men’s and women’s time-trials and road races.
Analysis comes from former British professional rider Daniel Lloyd and race commentary from veteran cycling broadcaster Phil Liggett.
Fans can catch-up on ITV4’s highlights by watching on-demand via ITV Player shortly after transmission, or see the programme in full via the British Cycling Events YouTube channel from Wednesday, July 1.
For more information about the 2014 British National Road Championships, visit the British Cycling website.
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Sunday 29th June
British Cycling National Road Championships 2014
LIVE: 4.00pm-6.00pm British Eurosport
Highlights: 7.00pm-8.00pm ITV4
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