Gruffudd Lewis of Talybont took home the Welsh national jersey after winning the men’s road race at the Welsh Championship event held in Ruthin.

Lewis, of Ribble Pro Cycling, took the victory in a close sprint finish ahead of Sion Harlow (Team PB Performance) and James Phillips (Bikestrong-KTM) after what was a gruelling day out on the undulating roads of North Wales.

The course was designed to provide the riders with a challenge, with the Nant y Garth pass the centrepiece of the course.

With a few lone attacks not sticking, eventually the break was established with Lewis getting clear in a group of six.

Over the course of the race the group managed to stay ahead, with their lead rising to over a minute at its highest.There were attempts to reel them in, but as the race hit the finishing circuit the attempts by the peloton were unsuccessful and with five laps to go, the leading group would go on to contest the finish.

With time running out, three riders managed to escape the clutches of the peloton to try and bring back the leaders. But it wasn’t to be as Lewis followed up his second place at the Criterium championships in Aberystwyth with first place, to take the jersey he won back in 2011.

There was further success for Ceredigion as Ieuan Davies (Ystwyth Cycling Club) got on the podium in the men’s masters (50+), after a sprint finish with winner Terry Glynn (Graham Weigh Racing) and John Lindsay (SKCC) second.

In the men’s master (40+) Frazer White (Pontypool RCC) bucked the trend by getting clear of the peloton around the closing circuit and rode solo to the line.

Glyndwr Griffiths (73Degrees CC) and Ian Bendall (Tim Beicio IBE) made up the rest of the podium in that age category.

In the Women’s Race, Elizabeth Bennett (Campinense-Velo Performance) finished ahead of Isabel Ellis (SaF Zaisseng) and Rebecca Richardson (Brother.uk Fusion) in an exciting sprint for the finish.

In the junior women’s race it was the imperious Elynor Backstedt (Storey Racing) who just got the better of the duo from Liv Cycling Club-Halo Eluned King and Ella Barnwell to claim another win.

The winner of the junior men’s race was Iwan Evans in what another exciting race.

Heading into the last lap, Evans, Owain Roberts and James Codd (Backstedt Cycling) were neck and neck, but it was Evans who took the win in the sprint finish.

In the women’s masters (40+) race, Jessica Evans (Assos Equipe UK), who finished second in the TT, took victory in the road race pipping Cheri Mills to the line.

In the Time Trials, Ystwyth Cycling Club’s Anita Saycell got on the podium as she finished third behind Emma Serjeant of Hafren CC and Jessica Evans of Assos Equipe UK in the Women’s Over 40s.

The Over 50s jersey was won by Sally Cunliffe of Ruthin CC, Anna Morris of Team Velotec won the Seniors, and Elynor Backstedt of Storey the Juniors.

Ioan Smallwood of Cardiff Ajax CC won the Senior Men’s TT, David Williams of Velotik Racing Team the Over 40s, Gareth McGuinness of Clwb Beicio Egni the Over 50s, and Owain Roberts of Backstedt Cycling won the Junior Men.