Page proves he has the legs on opening day

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At 9:00 am on a dry mid-Wales morning, the TransWales got underway as hundreds of riders saddled up, clipped in, and pedalled away from the start line to begin their epic journey - all 536km (333 miles) and 15,260m (1,758,530ft) of climbing of it.

With riders coming from from as far afield as the United States, Spain, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Holland, and also Nepal in the form of Ajay Chhatri, the multiple winner of the Yak Attack in the Himalayas - this year's race is a truly international edition.

Under fair and improving skies, the day's linking stage would include the first special stage to really get the competitive juices flowing and set the TransWales in full swing.

Initially the massed throng of riders were lulled into a false sense of security before the sedate warm up abruptly gave way to the most brutal of special stages, a hill climb that took saw them ascend 150m in of vertical in just 1km.

The setting for the leg and lung burning effort was the former National Points Series venue, Fforest Fields just east of Builth Wells. The course for the special stage was a mix of loose and - in parts - steep dirt track with gravel and sizeable slabs of loose rock thrown in for good measure. The gradient eased off before a left hand turn spat the riders out onto a moorland section that ramped up to the finish line. Wiggle-sponsored and reigning UK and European 24hr solo champion, Matt Page, was one of the first riders to tackle the course. Having earlier spoken of his concern of whether he'd have the speed or power in his legs for the short, sharp special stages, Page lay his fears to rest and absolutely buried himself to announce his intent for the overall title in emphatic style.

In the end - and despite his professed doubts - Page's efforts were more than good enough to secure himself the top spot in the men's solo category with a time of 3:30, almost 12 seconds ahead of seond placed Jonathan Harris.

In the women's solo category the racing was even closer with less than a second separating first and second: Natasha Barry (BikeLux/Progression) just pipped Fiona Spotswood (Cyclist No. 1) to the top spot in a time of 04:46.04 with Spotswood finishing in 04:46.77. With Hannah Thorne just four seconds behind in third, the women's race looks like it could be a belter.

In the solo veteran men's catgory, the top three are separated just four seconds, with Paul Whittaker (Stockport Clarion CC) claiming the first scalp in 04:08.18, Andy Jones (Clee Cycles KCNC) in second just over a second back, and Andy Roberts taking the third spot in 04:11.56.

After riders caught their breath and wrung the lactic acid out of their systems, they clipped in once again to complete the remainder of the linking stage within the allotted six and half hours. The day's riding would take the riders up and over several major climbs - including Gwanceste Hill at 542m, the mighty Great Rhos at 660m, Llan-fawr at 387m, Rhos Hill at 391m, and a final 417m summit in the final furlongs before journeys end at Knighton on the River Teme. The riding was a mix of open moorland blessed with 360 degree vistas, sporadic sunshine, sinuous singletrack, a bit of sheep slaloming, and flat out descents. The forested trails of Radnor Forest added some fast double track and some very sweet singletrack into the mix and primed the riders’ palettes for more of the same over the coming days.

Day 2 preview

Tomorrow riders will head out to Clun, some 76km and 2300m of climbing away. The linking stage includes a second special stage - a 5km trail time trial at Bucknell Woods. The route is an equal mix of climbing and descending, with the majority of the height gain accrued in the first 2km, before a roller coaster descent to finish with rotors pinging into the finish. With a longer and all-round test of riding, the standings could well be in for a shake up.

Full Results