British Cycling has announced that the 2022 British National Road Championships will take place in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, once again bringing together the time-trial, circuit and road race championships into three days of racing.
Having previously hosted rounds of both the Tour of Britain and Tour Series, Dumfries and Galloway has a track record of hosting major cycling events. With the support of EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the region will now host the British national championships for the first time, as riders do battle for the red, white and blue national champions’ jerseys.
The championships will begin with the time-trials, starting and finishing on the Crichton Estate in Dumfries, with riders taking in Caerlaverock Castle and Nature Reserve on Thursday 23 June. Ethan Hayter and Anna Henderson will look to defend their titles, having won their first senior time-trial titles in Tealby last year.
The circuit races will then take place on the following day on a fast but technical 1km circuit around the port town of Kirkcudbright. Lincoln-based Jo Tindley took a home victory in the 2021 championships, while Ethan Hayter added to his time-trial title in a battle under the lights.
Finally, the road races will start and finish in Castle Douglas, which successfully hosted a round of the Tour Series in 2021 and the finish of the first stage of the Tour of Britain in 2016.
The route will pass through the centre of Castle Douglas a number of times during each race, while also taking in the challenging local terrain. Pfeiffer Georgi won her debut national champions’ jersey in Lincoln last year, while Ben Swift will be looking to make it a hat-trick of titles in Castle Douglas after victories in 2019 and 2021.
British Cycling Chief Executive Brian Facer said “The British National Road Championships is one of the real highlights of the British racing calendar, and we’re delighted to be working with Dumfries and Galloway Council and Event Scotland to take the event back to Scotland for the first time since 2013.
“With the three races taking place in the space of four days, last year’s event once again raised the bar for the championships, and I can’t wait to see thousands of fans lining the roads in June to cheer on the country’s best road riders and the stars of tomorrow.
“I know just how much it means for riders to pull on the national champion’s jersey, and I’m sure we’ll be treated to more brilliant racing as they do battle for the honour again this year.”
The British National Road Championships is the latest in a series of the sport’s showpiece events to be hosted in Scotland, including the UCI Track Nations Cup and UCI BMX Racing World Cup in Glasgow this spring, the Tour of Britain and Tour Series, and the inaugural 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships taking place in Glasgow and across Scotland next summer.
Route details and further information on the event will be published in due course.
