WHEN you come into a national event as European junior champion and everyone seems to be metaphorically putting a World Championship winners' jersey on your shoulders as well for later this month then you are under pressure.

But 17-year-old Otley rider Tom Pidcock handled the HSBC National Cyclo-Cross Championships like a veteran on Sunday in Bradford, despite feeling under the weather.

The Oldfield-Paul Milnes Cycles ERT member won the junior men's title at Peel Park by 1min 39sec from former Paul Milnes rider Ben Turner (HMT with JLT Condor), with bronze medallist Dan Tulett (Specialized Racing) a further 32 seconds adrift.

Turner led the initial charge and quickly formed a leading trio with Pidcock and Tulett, with Pidcock making his move after the first lap, building an unassailable lead.

"I didn't really have a plan going into the race as I have been ill this week," admitted Pidcock.

“I wasn’t on top form but to be able to win by such a clear margin in front of a home crowd is something special.”

He did a Superman impression crossing the line, and confessed: "I decided to do something really acrobatic."

As for Peel Park, he said: “It’s a brilliant course – maybe my favourite in the world."

The World Championships are in Bieles, Luxembourg on the weekend of January 28-29, and Pidcock added: "After the cross worlds, I want to do both cross and road.”

When asked if he sometimes felt that he was being pulled in more than one direction as he is good at two cycling disciplines, the confident teenager said: "I am in control."

Otley's Delia Beddis (Vicious Velo), who won the Three Peaks race last year for a second time, was seventh in the women's elite race and tweeted: "Grand day out @cxchamps2017. Hard racing on quality course. Great to race with @tracy_moseley and @IslaRowntree who's in a class of her own."

In the veterans' over-50 race, John Wood (Ilkley Cycling Club) was 30th, with Otley Cycling Club duo James Cullen and Andrew Moxon 82nd and 87th respectively.

Ilkley CC's Ian Cliffe and Andrew Whiteside were 24th and 73rd in the men's 40-49 years' race, while clubmates Jonny Gill and Michael Strange were 28th and 74th respectively in the under-16 boys' race.

Beddis

Ilkleuy riders