ABERGAVENNY’S Rachel James and Newport’s Lauren Booth both won gold on day one of the British Cycling National Track Championships in Manchester.

Double world champions Sophie Thornhill and pilot James added another gold to their palmares in the para-cycling BVI mixed kilo.

Neil Fachie and Pete Mitchell, who also hold two world titles, set a faster time of 1.01.953 to James and Thornhill’s 1.09.804.

But after factoring the times, which takes into account the world record in each respective category, Thornhill and James were awarded gold with Fachie and Mitchell settling for silver.

“I didn’t expect to win it at all, we got on the line having not had the best preparation,” Thornhill said.

“We just wanted to get out there and do a really strong start and try to balance the rest of the race. We went out and did a really strong ride.”

Booth, of Newport Youth Velo, celebrated victory with in the para-cycling C1-5 mixed time trial, another factored event.

There was also gold for Cardiff’s Elinor Barker alongside Wiggle Honda teammates Laura Trott, Dani King and Joanna Rowsell as they successfully defended their women’s team pursuit title.

The quartet, featuring three reigning world champions in the discipline in Trott, Barker and Rowsell, defeated Pearl Izumi, featuring Wales’ Ciara Horne, with a time of 4:24.903 over the four kilometres at the National Cycling Centre.

VC St Raphael, featuring Wales’ Jessica Hill, took bronze ahead of Southampton University.

“There’s some good friendly rivalry between Wiggle Honda and Pearl Izumi so it was a good competition there. That was nice,” Rowsell said.

“We knew they would go faster in the final so we weren’t sure how we would go in the final, we knew it would be a good race but we’re pleased we won it.”

The title is likely to be the foursome’s last in Wiggle Honda colours, with Rowsell joining Pearl Izumi and Trott Matrix Fitness-Vulpine in 2015.

Newport’s Jon Mould and Risca’s Sam Harrison had to settle for silver in the men’s team pursuit alongside NFTO teammates Adam Blythe and Russell Downing.