WELSH cycling superstar Geraint Thomas is entered in the 2025 Lloyds National Road Championships in Ceredigion next week.

Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers), twice national champion, twice Olympic champion and 2018 Tour de France winner, is entered in the road race and time-trial in what would be his last National Road Championships, having announced he is retiring at the end of the year.

Twenty former cycling national road champions headline the provisional rider list for the championships in Ceredigion, which gets underway on Thursday, June 26. Riders will compete in both Aberaeron and Aberystwyth, with routes taking then both inland and along the coastal road.

Cat Ferguson (Movistar Team) will be one to watch in the women’s elite road race and under-23 time-trial. Ferguson is fresh from an impressive 2025 Lloyds Tour of Britain Women campaign where she claimed both the points classifications and best young rider jerseys, the best British rider accolade and a career-first stage win in Kelso.

Three-time national road race and 2022’s under-23 time-trial champion Pfeiffer Georgi (Team Picnic PostNL) is set to defend her title. Anna Henderson (Lidl-Trek), who won the time-trial last year in preparation for her silver-medal winning performance in the Olympic time-trial, also returns.

Max Walker (EF Education–EasyPost) will be looking to go one better after winning silver last year in the national road elite time-trial, while Seb Grindley (Lidl – Trek Future Racing) will be keen to build on his junior silver at worlds last year in the under-23 time-trial.

Welsh riders include Owain Doull (EF Education – EasyPost), sisters Zoe (CANYON-SRAM zondacrypto) and Elynor Backstedt (UAE Team ADQ) and Elinor (Uno-X Mobility) and Megan Barker (Tekkerz CC).

Twice national champion, twice Olympic champion and 2018 Tour de France winner, Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) is entered in the road race and time-trial in his home country in what would be his last National Road Championships, after announcing he is due to retire at the end of the year.

Aberaeron’s hometown hero Josh Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers) is hoping to return to make it a hat-trick and defend his time-trial title from the previous two years, while Tomos Pattinson (Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development) will aim to defend his U23 men’s time-trial title from last year.

The 2025 Lloyds National Road Championships provides a fantastic platform for British riders to enjoy the home roads and experience the support of friends, family and local fans.

A total of 10 coveted national champion’s jerseys are up for grabs across three days of racing, with the time-trial on Thursday, June 26, the circuit race on Friday, June 27 and the road race concluding the action on Sunday, June 29.

Councillor Clive Davies, Ceredigion County Council’s cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said: “We are pleased to see such an exciting line up for the Lloyds National Road Racing Championships and we look forward to welcoming the riders and supporters to Ceredigion.”

For more information about the routes of all three stages, the race, host venues and participating teams, visit: https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/nationalroadchampionships

The 2025 Lloyds National Road Championships starts with a challenging time-trial in Aberaeron on June 26. Starting in Ffos-y-Ffin, the elite women, under-23 women and under-23 open will take to 27km of road, while the elite open will have to battle over 41km.

Aberystwyth plays host to both the circuit race on June 27 and the road race on June 29, allowing fans to come down and watch their favourite national riders battle for the title.

Royal Imperial Wrestling expands community-focused initiative in South Wales

ROYAL IMPERIAL WRESTLING (RIW), a growing name in the UK’s professional wrestling community, has opened its latest wrestling training school in Camrose, Pembrokeshire, aiming to discover and nurture local wrestling talent.

The new facility officially opened on Sunday, June 15, offering people of all ages and abilities the opportunity to learn and participate in professional wrestling.

The Pembrokeshire school’s launch follows the successful opening of RIW’s first school in Cefn Cribwr, Bridgend, just five months ago. The Bridgend location has quickly become a thriving community hub, with more than twenty regular trainees and several sold-out wrestling shows.

The schools are run by experienced wrestlers Andrew Griffiths, PJ Schulz, and Zac Parton, who collectively bring 68 years of wrestling and martial arts expertise.

Speaking about the opening, co-owner Zac Parton said: “We are thrilled to launch our second school in another vibrant Welsh community. Our aim at RIW is to make wrestling accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender, weight, ability, or neurodiversity. We’re committed to expanding further across Wales and making wrestling an inclusive and exciting part of community life.”

Local councillor Huw David (Cefn Cribwr, Kenfig Hill and Pyle ward) also praised the company’s efforts: “It’s fantastic to see Royal Imperial Wrestling quickly become such a valued and integral part of the community in Cefn Cribwr. Their events and training sessions have provided great entertainment and meaningful community engagement.”

RIW’s next event, Heatwave!, under its developmental sister brand Next-Gen Wrestling, takes place at Cefn Cribwr Community Centre on Saturday, June 28. Tickets are available online for £5.

For more information, visit the RIW Facebook page: facebook.com/RiwWales.

Pioneering move builds on Torfaen success and Future Generations Act

WALES is set to become the world’s first official “Marmot Nation” as part of a bold new approach to tackling health inequalities, the Welsh Government has announced.

The initiative will see Wales adopt the eight Marmot Principles developed by renowned public health expert Professor Sir Michael Marmot. These principles aim to reduce the unfair and avoidable differences in health outcomes that are influenced by social and economic factors—such as housing, employment, and access to services.

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, Jeremy Miles, confirmed the government will work closely with the Institute of Health Equity (IHE), led by Sir Michael, to embed health equity into policy-making across all government departments.

The move follows a successful pilot in Torfaen and the wider Gwent area, which became the first Marmot Region in Wales. Under the national plan, multiple communities across the country will now work to apply the same approach.

“This is a major step forward,” said Jeremy Miles. “We are placing health equity at the heart of government decision-making. By learning from the positive changes in Torfaen, we aim to support better health outcomes for people across Wales.”

The Marmot Principles focus on upstream action to address the social determinants of health. These include giving every child the best start in life, promoting fair employment and decent living standards, tackling discrimination, and supporting sustainable communities.

Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, Sarah Murphy, will formally announce the commitment at the Canada-UK Council’s launch of the Fairer Society, Healthier Lives report in Cardiff on Monday (June 16).

“Becoming a Marmot Nation is about acknowledging that health is shaped by the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age,” she said. “By adopting these eight principles nationally, we are taking cross-government action to reduce inequalities and improve wellbeing for all.”

Sir Michael Marmot welcomed the announcement, saying: “Healthcare matters, but social circumstances matter more. Health equity must be a priority for all of government—not just the NHS. Wales is leading the way.”

The plan builds on Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act, which marked its tenth anniversary this year. The Act legally requires public bodies to consider long-term impacts and promote well-being in decision-making.

Professor Nicolas Maclean, UK Co-Chair of the Canada-UK Council, also praised the initiative: “This announcement sends a powerful message globally. Wales is setting an example for how governments can work to overcome unequal health outcomes.”