Owain Doull is hoping that a ‘home’ National Road Championships in Wales will help his ambition of winning the under-23 time-trial and road race titles in Monmouthshire on 26 and 29 June.

The 21-year-old from Cardiff was second in the under-23 road race in 2013, finishing 17th overall in the senior race; Simon Yates finishing 8th and taking the under-23 title on the streets of Glasgow.

But with Simon (and Adam) Yates now riding for a UCI WorldTour team and ineligible for the under-23 title, the opportunity is there for the young Welshman to take advantage on home roads.

“It's like a home nationals for me. I know the roads and train on them a lot of the time,” said Doull, who will ride for the An Post Chain Reaction UCI Continental squad alongside Mark McNally and Kieran Friend.

"I've raced the junior nationals before when they've been in Wales,” he continued. “To do the senior one will be pretty special."

The under-23 and elite men’s race are traditionally run as a single event, a situation that makes it challenging for the younger riders to ride their own race; the moves often dictated by the ebb and flow of the senior race, as Doull explained.

"After coming second in the under-23s last year it would be nice to take the jersey this year but it's always a bizarre race as you're in the race for the elite title as well,” said Doull.

“You don't necessarily go into the race thinking about the under-23 title specifically and how you get to the stage when you're in contention for it.

“You're stuck in a bizarre position where you want to do well in the senior race and don't want to give anything up.”

With the road race course making the most of the testing Monmouthshire terrain, featuring a long hilly loop and a kermesse-style finale around Abergavenny, Doull knows that the challenging parcours will bring the very best to the fore to contest the final.

"The first big lap is pretty hilly and pretty hard - it goes up through Celtic Manor and I think that will be quite a decisive point in the race,” he said. “I think by the time it hits the circuits it will be a lot more selective.

"Similar to how Glasgow was last year - you had four or five groups on the road all with between five and ten riders all racing it out. I think that might be the case when you hit the circuits in Abergavenny."

The Great Britain Olympic Academy Programme athlete has ambitions beyond the road race, one of a select number of riders targeting the time-trial too. A testing course featuring the 25% climb through Celtic Manor will provide a unique challenge for the field, one that Doull approaches with a mixture of confidence and respect.

"It's a hard course, pretty technical, very up and down and especially the last climb through the finish at the Celtic Manor is pretty savage,” he said.

"It's a kick in the teeth for the last kilometre and a half of the time-trial. There's no hiding on it and I think whoever wins will be a worthy winner.”

The punchy nature of the course suits Doull, who finished fourth in the under-23 Tour of Flanders and won the early-season Le Triptyque des Monts et Châteaux stages. Doull is however mindful of the competition for the time-trial crown.

"I know the roads really well with it being a bit lumpy it helps as well but there are lot of good under-23 riders for the time-trial as well - Jon Dibben, Scott Davies. There's pretty stiff competition,” he said.

Doull comes into the nationals on the back of a solid block of training. However after his UCI Nations’ Cup stint with the Great Britain Olympic Academy Programme his season was interrupted by two heavy crashes, one in the amateur Paris-Roubaix, where he injured his knee and another in the following race, the Ronde Van Zeeland Seaports, where he injured his shoulder.

"I've had a few setbacks but hopeful when the nationals come around I'll be firing on all cylinders again."

Despite these setbacks, the young man from Cardiff is relishing the opportunity to compete for two national titles in front of an appreciative home crowd.

"It's just a massive opportunity - to win the nationals is a big thing and it's something that doesn't come around that often; courses changing, courses suiting you and whatnot.

"I race a lot abroad so to be able to race in the UK is quite a big thing.

"The standard is so high and to be British champion is something pretty special."