JOSH Tarling’s brilliant National Road Championships elite time-trial win on Wednesday and Stevie Williams’ incredible victory at Fleche Wallonne back in April are just two recent successes by Ceredigion cyclists.

Penparcau county councillor Shelley Childs, former chairman of Ystwyth Cycling Club and organiser of AberCycleFest, gives his take on why Ceredigion is such a hotbed for cycling talent.

“Ceredigion is an unlikely place to proudly claim to have produced two current top male professional cyclists in World Cycling, with a third on the way due to the recent announcement that Finlay Tarling will sign with Israel-Premier Tech Academy for 2025!

“Firstly, Ceredigion has no specific facilities close-by for young road cyclists to train safely.

“Secondly, cycling is an expensive sport and so equipment and travel to coaching sessions can place a huge financial burden on parents, in one of the poorest parts of the UK.

Stevie Williams celebrates his monumental win at the La Flèche Wallone
Stevie Williams celebrates his monumental win at the La Flèche Wallone (Israel - Premier Tech / Sprint Cycling)

“However, the county’s cycling clubs, and the network of willing volunteers from the wider cycling community has meant that youngsters have been given the best possible footing on which to progress, helped of course by our rugged network of challenging rural roads and lanes which are relatively low on the traffic count in comparison to more populated counties.”

He added: “Our county’s cycling clubs, most notably West Wales Cycling Racing Team and Clwb Beicio Ystwyth hold weekly child-specific training sessions, with the former being a brain child of Michael Tarling, father of Ineos-Grenadiers superstar Josh, and IPT’s newest recruit Finlay.

“IPT’s most successful rider of 2024 is Aberystwyth’s Stevie Williams, winner of one of the biggest one-day races on the calendar Fleche Wallonne.

“Stevie’s background boast both Aberystwyth Athletics Club and Clwb Beicio Ystwyth where he developed at a young age, with older riders taking him under their wing during his first racing season.

“In the female ranks of UK elite cycling, Lowri Richards is currently striving to join Stevie, Fin and Josh on the professional circuit.

Josh Tarling on his way to time trial victory at the National Road Championship
Josh Tarling on his way to time trial victory at the National Road Championship (Photo: SWPix) ( )

“The encouragement at this early age, coupled with some great weekly organised training sessions, both in the north of the county in Aberystwyth and further south via the West Wales Racing Team, Caron Cycling Club and Velo Teifi has meant that youngsters are quickly taught the basics and are able to then progress to national events with older riders and parents.

“The county can also boast a multitude of national level triathletes, including former cycling professional rider Gruff Lewis.  

“Josh Tarling was once asked how he’d managed to sign for INEOS ‘despite’ coming from Ceredigion and he said a large part was because of” coming from Ceredigion.”