The 2018 HSBC UK | National Road Championships will be broadcast live on ITV, British Cycling confirmed today.
The flagship event in the British domestic road calendar will take place in Northumberland on July 1, with the road races following the time trial events, which will be contested on June 28.
British Cycling is also delighted to announce that leading the world-class field of riders vying for the coveted red, white and blue national champions’ jerseys will be Steve Cummings, the defending British national road race and time trial champion.
Last year, the Dimension Data rider became the first rider since David Millar in 2007 to seal the rare double.
This year’s HSBC UK | National Road Championships will form part of the hugely popular Cyclone Festival of Cycling.
The elite races sandwich an exciting two days of mass participation rides: the leisurely Tyne 6 Bridges ride (June 29) and the momentous Cyclone Challenge sportive (June 30).
Sunday’s road races will round-off what promises to be a spectacular weekend of cycling. The women's race will be in the morning over 106km, with the hotly contested men's race due to place over a total distance of 185km in the afternoon, with both races finishing in the picturesque village of Stamfordham.
Riders will be bidding to join a prodigious list of former winners, with the likes of Sir Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Nicole Cooke, Laura Kenny and last year’s women’s champion, Lizzie Deignan, having previously won the national champions’ jersey.
ITV’s broadcast will begin at 3pm, with highlights of the women’s road race followed by the live culmination of the men’s race. The programme will then be available on the ITV Hub for 27 days after the event.
Julie Harrington, British Cycling’s chief executive officer, said:
“At British Cycling we want to inspire people from all walks of life to get on their bikes. The HSBC UK | National Road Championships are the pinnacle of our domestic calendar, and ensuring that as many people as possible get to follow the racing is a key aim of ours.
“The field for both the men’s and women’s races looks set to be incredibly strong, and it’s fantastic news that people from across the country will be able to watch the country’s best riders put on a great show and be inspired to attend another event or take up and be inspired to take up the sport themselves in the future.”
Further competing riders will be announced in due course. Find out more about the 2018 HSBC UK | National Road Championships.
