Conrad Moss (Mid-Devon CC) and Crystal Spearman (No Pinz) won the Welsh CA 50-mile time trial, staged on the R50/1b near Abergavenny on Sunday.

A near full field which included a good number of quality riders threatened to become a much more open affair with the late withdrawal of defending Welsh Champion Kieron Davies due to sickness.

Torrential overnight rain dampened the enthusiasm of a good number of riders who decided to call it a day on their British Best All Rounder campaign for 2016 on the last qualifying weekend.

The first man to leave the timekeeper, Stuart Jones EC Cycles set out on a mild but overcast day in his first ever 50-mile event. He was first to finish the two lap course with a creditable 2:08:23 which suggested that quick times may well be on the cards.

Sure enough it was not long before the first sub two hour ride was done. Dean Ware (EC Cycles) stormed around in 1:58:18 in his first ever racing season and final counting BAR ride to give him a good chance of gaining the Welsh BAR.

The first sub 1:50 ride was done by Jonathan Gates (RAF CA) who flew around the course in 1:49:56 which eventually gave him a top ten finish. First of the known faster seeded men, Victor Chetta (Mid Shropshire Wheelers) battled around the course with a 1:47:47 giving him a 1:05 improvement just outside a podium place.

There was a sprinkling of rain which did not come to much, but suggested a change in conditions; a rising wind and a slight shift in direction meant the later starters would be getting a  headwind finish for the last seven miles.

Off number 100 Conrad Moss - fresh from his recent win in the Welsh CA 100 at the beginning of the month - was now the hot favourite: and he did not disappoint the crowd around the result board with a quality 1:44:29; just 32 seconds off a Personal best.

With the no-show of the last two ten minute marques it was down to Anthony Jones (Bynea CC) to try to snatch top spot. With a gutsy ride and an improvement of over two minutes he failed to dislodge Moss but secured the final place on the podium.

The women’s event was comfortably won by Crystal Spearman (No Pinz) who sparkled with a time of 2:01:43. Two of her rivals, Andrea Parish (Camel Valley C & TC) and Kirsty Smith (Team Swift) suffered mechanical problems and failed to finish.