Updated 3rd February: The latest news on local cycling can be found here.
CAREER BEST SPURS HARRIS ON: Draycott Cyclo-Cross rider Nikki Harris has a very close and confident eye on a World Cyclo-Cross Championship medal for Britain for the first time in 12 years.
In her adopted country of Belgium, Harris was in the leading pack before coming home as the leading Brit in an overall sixth, a minute behind the event winner - Holland's Marianne Vos. 25 year old Harris received strong support from family and fellow riders from the county and this spurred her on to a career best - a memory to savour having leapt into the saddle for the first time aged 11.
Harris represents Britain on both road and track and recent success has given her encouragement that she can become the first Brit to secure a world championship medal since the year 2000 wheh Louise Robinson did it for Queen and country with a silver medal.
The recent Belgium event was on known ground for Harris - the sand dune based course familar from earlier in the season, giving her additional confidence, although a mistake in the first hill saw her make a too-quick attempt to get back on the bike which allowed almost half a dozen competitors to stream by, a pack which would ultimately continue to race each other, and a group Harris would have liked to have been in herself.
However, the season still has mileage in it and she is back to riding in continental races, a favourite for the GVA Trophy, one of three prominent events on the cyclo-cross calendar across Europe, and sits second overall as things stand, but a win would be an additional fillet to the Draycott rider, with just a few seconds likely to make the difference between a place inside or outside the top ten.
Bob Staveley