Zoe Bäckstedt and Fred Wright crowned British road race champions: 'Plan to take these to the Tour'

The Lloyds National Road Championships ended on Sunday, with a spectacular double for Zoe Bäckstedt and Fred Wright reclaiming the jersey he won in 2023. It was a dramatic final day in Aberystwyth. Zoe Bäckstedt (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) powered her way to the double in race that looked all but lost, and Fred Wright (Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team) won from a determined elite group after a day of attacks.

For a long time, the women's race looked as though it belonged to someone else. Josie Knight (DAS-Hutchinson) attacked early and stretched her lead to eight minutes by halfway, with a four-rider chase group unable to reel her in. Then Bäckstedt went. She bridged across to the chasers, powered clear of them, and set off after Knight from around six minutes down.

What followed was a long, lone pursuit. Bäckstedt caught the leader with a lap to spare and rode away to claim both the elite and under-23 titles. "It was a 55km solo day to the finish to try and catch Josie," she told British Cycling. Knight held on for silver — her first national road podium — with 2025 champion Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech) third. The result capped a stunning week for Bäckstedt, who had already won Thursday's elite time trial. In the under-23 race, Imogen Wolff (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) edged time-trial champion Erin Boothman (Liv AlUla Jayco) for silver.

The men's race delivered a finish to match. A nine-rider move went clear early, featuring Owain Doull (Visma | Lease a Bike) and newly crowned under-23 time-trial champion Ben Wiggins (Hagens Berman Jayco), before the bunch hauled it back at around 60km. With 70km remaining, a decisive group of five forced the pace: Wright, Lewis Askey (NSN Cycling Team), Connor Swift (Netcompany-INEOS) and the under-23 pair of Mattie Dodd (Ineos Grenadiers Racing Academy) and Elliot Rowe (Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development).

On the final lap, the experienced trio shook off the two youngsters. Down the Aberystwyth promenade it came to a three-up sprint, with Wright edging Askey by millimetres. Swift took bronze to add to his time-trial silver from earlier in the week. It returned the stripes to Wright, the 2023 champion, who has bigger plans for the jersey. "I plan to take these to the Tour," he told British Cycling.