Road bike riders from across the country are heading to Cambridgeshire this weekend for the first RTTC National Championship of the season.

The National Road Bike Championships is being run off on a 22.4-mile course near Glatton and has attracted a healthy 143 riders across all categories.

Using the old Great North Road alongside the A1, riders cover two laps of the course between Stilton and Sawtry with the first riders off at 9am and the last at 11.24am.

Former World Tour pro Alex Dowsett (Nopinz) will be watched by many, but there are several riders all in with a chance of glory in Sunday’s event.

Ribble Cycles’ Mikey Mottram and Paul Burton (Paceline RT) will be right up there too having placed first and second in last year’s title race, alongside James Jenkins (Hart Performance Coaching), David Fellows (Solihull CC) and George Fox (George Fox Cycling Solutions.

And in-form Cris Coxon (Brighton Mitre CC) will also be one to watch, having won the VTTA Surrey/Sussex 10 and Crawley Wheelers sporting 41.6-mile events so far this season.

The women’s event has a healthy field too, and last off is Rebecca Richardson (Team Lifting Gear Products), shortly after Joanna Brewis (Sheffrec CC) and Laura Davies (Jadan Vive le Velo).

North of the border, Glasgow Nightingale CC are hosting the Scottish District 10-Mile Championship on Sunday, with a strong field lined up.

John Archibald (HUUB WattShop) is predicted to take a comfortable victory ahead of GTR-Return to Life pair Dougie Watson and Chris Smart, while also going for a podium place in Liam Beaty (SBRT Outsider Events).

Kate Richardson (Alba Development Road Team), Beth MacRae (Jadan Vive le Velo) and Erin Boothman (Tofauti Everyone Active) are among the top women competitors at the event near Bishopton in Renfrewshire.

Also in Scotland, the previous day it is the Cronberry Classic promoted by Loudoun Road Club over a 17-mile course in East Ayrshire.

Riders from GTR-Return to Life are expected to dominate the open event with Chris Smart, Marc Anderson and Rob Graham all vying for top honours.

In-form Jake Sargent (Team Bottrill) is the pre-race favourite at the Gloucester City CC 25, part of the Western TTA Hardriders Series on Sunday.

And in the women’s event Hereford and District Wheelers’ Emma Wyatt and Emma Bexson (Stratford CC) are expected to battle it out for the women’s prize.

Lewis Wake (Team Kirkley Cycles) is tipped to win the North Tyneside Riders 10 on Saturday, which is the Northumberland and Durham CA Championship.

Challenging him will be Euan Adam (Durham City Velo), Adam Smith (Team Kirkley Cycles) and Philip Kennell (GS Metro).

Other Saturday events taking place are the Port Talbot Wheelers 10, the Cambridge CC 15, the Sheffrec CC 25 in South Yorkshire, and the AIMS Cycling one-kilometre hill-climb near Kildale, North Yorkshire.

As well as the National Championships Sunday’s events also include the Kernow RC 10, the Vive le Velo 25 in East Yorkshire, the Kingston Wheelers sporting 14 in Surrey and the Charlotteville CC 25 on the Bentley bypass course in Hampshire.

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