CEREDIGION took centre stage as the the UK's premier cycling event, the Tour of Britain, rode through the county on Wednesday.

Starting at Aberaeron, some of the world's top professional riders rode north en route to the finish atop the Great Orme, Llandudno.

Belgian Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo – Visma), a silver medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, moved back into the championship lead after out-sprinting reigning world champion Julian Alaphilippe  (Deceuninck – Quick-Step) at the finish.

The duo finished on the same time, with Michael Woods (Israel Start – Up Nation) – who instigated the action on the gruelling finishing climb – one second back.

Overnight leader Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers) slipped to second place overall, just two seconds down on van Aert, after a great fightback in the final kilometre.

He had been dropped by Woods’ acceleration on the toughest part of the Great Orme.

“It was a super hard finish – the first part of the climb was really steep, probably a bit too steep for a guy like me, but I knew if I could hang on there I would have my chance,” said van Aert.

“It’s nice for the head to take a victory, not only because you beat a guy like Julian in a tight finish like that, but because you’re here to win.

"So it’s just really nice and I think it’s kind of a special finish here so that just makes me proud.”

He added: “Our plan today was clear: we just wanted to set me up to go for the stage win and everyone was committed to that.

“Obviously I’m feeling good. Taking two stage wins here, like this, at the Tour of Britain is already a big success.

"But with the team we have now and how my legs feel it is still a possibility to take the overall.

“With the stage wins still available there are 40 bonus seconds coming – that’s way more than the gap I have now, so I need to be ready at every moment of the race

" I probably need to do a few sprints because Hayter and I guess Alaphilippe will be my main opponents in GC – both fast guys.”