NORTH Anston cycling star Ben Swift will be in action in Varese, Italy next week, in arguably his biggest race yet.
The 20-year-old is taking on the cream of the crop at the Under 23 World Road Championships.
Swift will take his experience of the men’s Olympic 250km road race in Beijing into the under 23s next Friday.
Speaking after his exploits in China, wh
en he was the last British rider left in the road race, he said: “The World Championships is about 60-80km shorter than the Olympic road race, and I was feeling really good at that point, so it’s all good."
Swift warmed up for the World Championships by taking to the roads of the UK in the 2008 Tour of Britain.
The youngster was unable to hang on to the King of the Mountains jersey he won in 2007, as Italian Danilo Di Luca took this year’s title.
But there was some good news for Swift this week, when it was announced he had agreed a deal with wealthy Russian cycling team, Katyusha.
Whilst no contracts have been signed yet, British Olympic Cycling Academy boss Max Sciandri said he expected Swift to sign on until 2010.
He said: “They’ll be one of the top teams next year and it’ll give him a chance to ride the major tours and the Classics.”
“It’ll be good for him.”
The full article contains 245 words and appears in Dinnington Guardian newspaper.
