BRITAIN'S top cyclists will head to Newport in January for the National Track Championships as part of their build-up to the Commonwealth Games.

The event will be held at Geraint Thomas National Velodrome of Wales from January 28 to 30.

It will be the first time that the championships will take place outside of Manchester since 1994, with the velodrome in the north west of England set to be refurbished early next year.

Newport was poised to host the UCI Nations Cup in April but that event was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and the build-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Now the battle for the red, white and blue national champions' jerseys will take place in the International Sports Village with tickets prioritised for family and friends of riders and people who live in the city.

"I'm delighted that we're able to return to Newport in January and give people in different areas of Britain the opportunity to experience the thrill of live National Track Championships cycling," said British Cycling chief executive Brian Facer.

"With the National Cycling Centre in Manchester at the start of an exciting refurbishment project, we're incredibly thankful to Newport Live, Newport City Council and colleagues at Welsh Cycling for their support in re-locating next year's event to the venue, which played a crucial role in the final few weeks before Tokyo earlier this summer.

"With next summer's Commonwealth Games now very much on the horizon I'm sure we're going to see an incredibly high standard of competition, and a great opportunity for the stars of tomorrow to make their mark."

Entries for the event will open in October with a full rider list to be published in December. Ticket details are yet to be confirmed.

"I am thrilled that Newport is hosting this prestigious sporting event and the participants, their support teams and spectators will be warmly welcomed," said Jane Mudd, leader of Newport City Council.

"We are proud that Newport has been chosen to stage the event as it moves out of Manchester for the first time in almost three decades, strengthening our national and international status as a city of culture, leisure and sport."