ALVECHURCH cyclist Cameron Biddle has set his sights high after finishing eighth in the Junior Tour of Ireland – an event which attracted some of the world’s most promising road racers.
Biddle surpassed all expectations to finish just outside a podium position during the tour, which took place over six days and covered more than 500 kilometres.
The 18-year-old used his expert mountain skills to negotiate the complex roads of County Clare and finished an incredible sixth in the King of the Mountains stage of the race.
Biddle, who has competed for Solihull Cycling Club for three years, travelled to Ireland as part of a team of four junior riders from the West Midlands.
The Redditch College student, who coaches at Redditch Road & Path Cycling Club, is now hoping his stellar performance can help boost his chances of becoming a professional rider in the future and he has already set goals for next season.
He said: “I’ve been cycling since I was six years old so it’s been in my blood for a while.
“My family have always been into bikes so it was the natural sport for me to take up.
“I’d like to think I’ve done well since taking things seriously and hopefully with this result I can kick on with my career.
“Overall I was very pleased with my performance and went there expecting to finish in the top 20, but instead finished eighth so I’m happy with how I performed.”
It is not just the road racing bug that Biddle has caught during his career so far though, as he uses cyclo-cross in the winter to keep him fit and sharp for the road racing season.
He added: “My plan is to turn professional in the coming years. I currently train six days a week, although if I have a big event coming up I’ll allow myself time for recovery.
“My experience in cyclo-cross certainly helped me in Ireland as parts of each stage were hilly, meaning some riders struggled to adapt to the conditions.
“It was a good few days to reflect on and it will help me set goals for next season.”
