BARNSLEY teenager Imogen Wolff hopes to conclude a stellar junior cycling career with more global medals at the World Road Championships in Zurich, Switzerland next week.
The 18-year-old, who flies out on Sunday, is due to compete for Great Britain in the 19k time-trial on Tuesday then the 75k road race on Thursday.
Imogen – who would like to compete in the Olympics and the planet’s top road races in the future – won team and individual golds at the Track World Championships in China last month and is hoping to repeat that on the road.
Imogen told the Chronicle: “I am really excited to get stuck into it. It’s my last ever junior race and the aim and the ambition is to win gold.
“But that is also the dream of every single other girl on the start line.
“It’s down to how your legs are on the day and how you manage the race.
“These championships were my main goal at the start of the year and everything has been tailored for building up to it.
“The time-trial is a little bit unknown for me but I have been training hard for it.
“The road race should be pretty open and exciting, with different opportunities.”
Imogen is now one of a small number of Barnsley people who are professional sportspeople competing towards the highest level of their sport.
“It is pretty surreal. When I first started, I didn’t really know people could ride bikes for a living. I just loved to do it.
“Since I realised it was a career option, at about 11, it’s all ever wanted to do.
“I am a very proud Barnsley lass and also Yorkshire lass.
“My team-mate Cat Ferguson is from Yorkshire as well and we bring it up as much as possible.
“It’s a really beautiful corner of the world where I live, not far from the peaks. The training roads near my house have definitely allowed me to develop in the way I have.”
Imogen’s junior career has seen her win several medals while establishing herself as one of the best in the world at the age group. She said: “I am really pleased. You look back and reflect as it comes to a close. I am really grateful to everyone who supported me. In the two years I have developed and changed a lot and now I am ready to move up.
“I will officially be an under 23 but, in the women’s sport, it’s not really a defined category except in the worlds and Europeans. For most races I will be straight in with the elites which is a little bit daunting.”
Imogen recently signed with highly-rated Dutch team Visma-Lease A Bike.
“It’s about mixing the lower level races with experience at a higher level.
“I don’t want to lose the touch of being able to compete for a win and I don’t want to be getting my head kicked in at very high level every race.
“I am signed for three years. The first is just about learning and finding my feet. The second will be a slightly higher level and then, in the third, I want to compete in my first grand tour.
“That’s the rough sketch.”
After the trip to Zurich, Imogen is due to compete in the cyclocross season during the winter, including a World Championships, then she plans to move out to Spain in February for warm weather training.
Meanwhile, Sunday was a busy day for the Birdwell Wheelers.
Trevor Mayne rose early for a 7am start in the North Lancashire TTA 50-mile open time-trial on a course between Cockermouth and Keswick.
A cold and wet morning saw a number of non-starters but Mayne finished in 2-2-20, placing him 21st overall and second in the 60-64 age group. His time was a new club age record at 61 years old.
The afternoon saw 17 riders compete in the club’s open hill climb to Green Moor.
The weather had eased and the day saw some fast times.
Winner overall and recipient of the Upperthorpe Rose Bowl was Kieran Wynne-Cattenach of Team Lifting Gear in a new course record of 2-12.9.
Fastest Wheeler was Mayne in 3-51.4 after returning from the Lake District.
