NEWPORT’S Jon Mould hopes his victory in the British Cycling Elite Circuit Series will set him up for a crack at the Tour of Britain next month.

The 24-year-old ONE Pro Cycling rider clinched the town centre series victory in Chepstow on Wednesday night after title rival David McGowan failed to start because of illness.

Mould, who will be officially crowned after the final round in Abergavenny tonight, retired midway through the race on Wednesday with the series wrapped up.

His focus now is on the Grand Prix of Wales, which finishes in Abergavenny on Sunday, and then the Tour of Britain from September 6 to September 13.

“It’s a good one,” said Mould after the race in Chepstow, which was won by Graham Briggs of JLT Condor with a superb solo ride.

“It’s been quite a long haul this month going all around the country and it’s good to get it done a round early so I can enjoy Abergavenny a bit more now.

“You always want to win the bike race but I was trying to look after the team really, playing more of a team role and hoping one of us would win but Graham had already got away.

“He went early on and that was it – he definitely deserved it.

“It was a tough one because it was wet early on and the corners and the descents were pretty dodgy.

“If you’re on your own you can go a bit faster than if you’re fighting for position in a bunch.

“But for me it was about the series and it was job done.”

Mould had led the eight-round Elite Circuit Series since his victory in the second stage at Stafford in early July.

“I got third in round one and then I won the second round solo and I’ve been on the podium five times so I’m getting used to that now,” he said.

“And hopefully I can be up there again in Abergavenny in front of a good Friday night crowd.

“That should be a good night and then it’s straight into the GP of Wales on Sunday.

“After that it’s all about the Tour of Britain at the start of September – I’m flat out training for that because that’s a big aim.

“This series is a little bit different to the Tour of Britain but hopefully it can help me.”