Matthew Hanford (Bynea CC) and Elena Shaw (Backstedt-Hotchillee) were victorious in the National Youth 10-Mile Championships South Wales heats, staged on the R10/23 in South Wales on Saturday.

Run alongside the Port Talbot Wheelers 10, the youth title race saw some great performances set throughout the field, with nine riders doing well enough to go through to the next stage of the competition.

Hanford, 16 and from Swansea, clocked 22.56 to take the victory by 33 seconds from Josh Tarling (West Wales CRT), with Sam Reakes (Bynea CC) another 1-18 back in third.

Shaw’s time of 28.14 gave the 15-year-old from Aberdare the win by almost a minute from Bethany Bennett (Towy Racing CC).

While Hanford and Shaw have qualified for the national finals in September in the Midlands, others who will also be there from South Wales include Tarling (B13), Sam Reakes (B16), Euan Taylor (B14), Kyle Jones (B12), Bennett (G12), Carys Jeffreys (G14) and Eden Rae Davies (G13).

The course takes the riders down a B road which tracks the A465 from south west of Glynneath. Starting near Pentreclwydau, they head down to just before Aberdulais and back.

Hanford – who rode the Welsh CA 25 last weekend and put in an impressive time of 58.54 - is next due to be in action in an open event next Saturday when he is down to ride the VTTA South Wales 10 near Abergavenny.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission.