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MENS ROAD RACE RESULTS | WOMENS ROAD RACE RESULTS

Nicole Cooke -- a five star champion posing for the press at the Five Star Celtic Manor Resort today. Our thanks to her for being so patient and professional despite her injury.

NEWPORT (WALES): Welsh sports fans will be hoping that last year's British Cycling's Road Race champions can retain their titles when The Celtic Manor Resort hosts the premier event in the UK cycling calendar next month, the British Cycling Road Race Championships for Elite Men and Women. The best riders in the country will be coming to Newport and competing on roads around the 1400-acre resort near Newport on June 28-29 doing their best to take home the British Cycling National Champion's jersey home to wear for the next 12 months.

Recently, at the five star Celtic Manor Resort on June 9, with a five star champion in Nicole Cooke in attendence, the Championships were presented to the press and VIPs by Bill Owen (pictured right) . With Laura Ann Jones -- the Conservative spokesperson for sport in the Welsh Assembly looking on, along with the press from TV and print media, Bill Owen outlined the details of the course for both the mens and womens race and was then followed in turn by other VIP's who spoke about the significance of the race, both them to them and Wales.

Welsh Cycling Union Chairman Bill Owen said: "We have never had two Welsh riders holding the British titles before so we wanted to give them the opportunity to defend their crowns on home ground. Celtic Manor has given us the perfect stage for the riders to perform on and for the public to see Britain's premier cycle event. The Celtic Manor Charity Challenges and also give the cycling enthusiast a great chance to ride some of the championship route and then watch the professionals in action.

We're also extremely grateful to the Welsh Cycling Union's official sponsor Robert Price Builders, to Newport Ford for providing us with cars during the event and to Newport City Council for their help with the logistics."

Left to right at the Celtic Manor Resort National Championship presentation: Bill Owen, Chairman of Welsh Cycling Union and mens championship race organiser; Will Godfrey, Robert Price Builders Merchants, WCU principle sponsors; Dylan Matthews, Chief executive of the Celtic Manor Resort; Andrew Jones from the British Heart Foundation and Nicole Cooke, defending National Road Race champion for Women.

Celtic Manor Chief Executive Dylan Matthews (pictured above) said: "While the resort is obviously best known for its world class golf facilities and the fact that we're hosting the 2010 Ryder Cup, recent years have seen us spread our wings and develop a wide range of outdoor activities. As well as staging the popular Chairman's Challenge series of road runs and the Celtic Manor Duathlon which included the 2002 Welsh Junior Duathlon Championships we're offering a growing selection of sports to our guests such as tennis, mountain-biking, jogging, walking and quad biking. We're very pleased to be the title sponsor of The Celtic Manor Resort British Cycling Road Championship. We hope the riders enjoy the scenic routes around the resort and that the members of the public taking part in the British Heart Foundation charity rides also get pleasure from experiencing the same courses as the professionals."

The British Heart Foundation believes that the Celtic Manor Challenge has the potential to match the largest mass cycle in Wales ? the British Heart Foundation South Wales Bike Ride held annually in Swansea. BHF Event Organiser Andrew Jones (pictured above) said last year's event attracted 3,000 riders and raised more than �50,000. "Being staged at The Celtic Manor Resort, this has the potential to exceed these numbers over the whole weekend," he added.

With the presentation finished, Commonwealth Games champion Nicole Cooke (click for interview) was then the centre of media attention as she was pulled this way and that way as representives from TV and media interviewed and asked her to pose here and there for cameras.

Members of the Welsh cycling team also attended along with their American coach and manager Erin Hartwell. With the sun shining on the picturesque resort, the media took full advantage talking to the members of the squad and getting them to line up for pictures like the one below.

Left to right: George Rose (Plan B RT); Stuart MacDonald (4bikesonline.com/Argon 18); Anthony Malarczyk (4bikesonline.com/Argon 18); Stephen Roach (4bikesonline.com/Argon 18); Nick Kenwright, Abergavenny RC and Paul Sheppard (4bikesonline.com/Argon 18).

Also there were members of the Welsh Talent ID program (sponsored by Robert Price Builders Merchants and Sports Council of Wales)

Left to right: Darren Tudor (Welsh Talent Manager), two of the young ladies in the squad, Will Godfrey from Robert Price Builders Merchants (Talent team sponsors) and then two of the male members of the team.