A POPULAR Penrhyncoch cyclist has double cause for celebrating after winning two events in recent days.

Ieuan Andy Davies, the man on the mic for Aberystwyth Cycle Fest, won his first Welsh Jersey at Marsh Tracks Racing Circuit, Rhyl, on Sunday 12 September.

This was the venue for this rearranged Welsh Criterium Championships, and he beat all before him in the 50+ category as well as winning the race and first against the 40+ category as well.

Ieuan Andy rides for the TR Caffi Gruff RT and rides competitively for Gruff Lewis’ race team. The highlight of his season is competing in the annual Welsh Championship Competition (criterium closed circuit racing, time trials and the road race events). The winner of any given category gets to wear the prestigious Welsh Jersey for the following year in that event.

Six days later the cyclist, who covers 12,000 miles a year and trains 10-15 hours per week, 50 weeks per year, was at it again, winning silver on the podium at Newcastle Emlyn for the 2021 Welsh Time Trial Championships.

Next up was the Welsh Road Race Championships, again held in Newcastle Emlyn on Sunday. On a short 12.5km loop which looped anti-clockwise between NCE and Henllan with over 1,000m climbing and six laps this was not an easy course. A fast technical descent, a brutal steep albeit short climb every lap this potentially was a course for the all rounder.

Ieuan Andy took the spoils once again as he took the race by the scruff of the neck and drilled it up the first 10 per cent climb on the first ascent of the day on lap one. On looking back at the top only nine riders remained, a breakaway group that managed to stay away for the remainder of the race until the last lap when Ieuan Andy again drilled the last climb to reduce the numbers further to six riders.

At this point he found himself the only remaining 50+ rider in the group. On realising this it was only a matter of staying upright for the remaining 5km rolling ride back to town for the finish.

He was able to help his fellow Caffi Gruff team mate Matthew Hughes with a strong lead out for the sprint in NCE town centre. Matt picked up his first podium place with a bronze medal in the Masters 40+ category.

Ieuan Andy said: “To win one Welsh jersey was mind blowing, but to win a second in a week was incredible. It’s my proudest and biggest achievement on two wheels to date.”