It is better known for its valleys,  male voice choirs, and rugby union, but Wales is fast developing a reputation as a cycling powerhouse.

From success on the track to a growing presence among its riders on the roads, and with an increasingly important place on the British sportive calendar to boot, those aforementioned valleys are proving to be a hotbed for cycling.

Track ace Jon Mould, who picked up a bronze medal at the Manchester round of the UCI Track World Cup earlier this month, told RCUK he is expecting Wales to spring a few results at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next year.

And with double world champion Becky James, team pursuit ace Elinor Barker, rising star Owain Doull, Team Sky hard man Geraint Thomas and G’s team-mate in black and blue, Luke Rowe, all from the ranks of Welsh cycling, it is easy to see why.

Such a presence even stretches to the top of the sport, with Team Sky and British Cycling supremo Sir Dave Brailsford raised in the principality; even Chris Froome’s fiancé Michelle Cound was born there.

Over the following pages, we’ll take a look at why Wales can now be considered a powerhouse in world cycling.