PEEBLES cyclist Grant Ferguson has been added to Team GB's cycling team to compete in next month's Olympics.

But he was made to sweat.

The team had been announced at the end of last month without any mountain bike representatives.

But this week came the announcement that Grant was also going to Rio.

The 22-year-old will join the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Chris Froome and Laura Trott in the 27-strong team.

The former Peebles High pupil, who famously competed on the roads as well as the mountain bike trails at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, will be the British squad's only mountain bike competitor at the Rio Games.

Grant will compete in the men’s cross country race, which is set to be held on August 21 – the final day of the competition at the Olympic Games.

The Peebles rider has been at the forefront of British cycling since an early age.

And was selected as a teenager to be part of the Olympic Ambition Programme.

Grant told the Peeblesshire News: "I’m thrilled to have been selected to represent Great Britain at the Rio Olympic Games thanks to the support of British Cycling.

"I was fortunate enough to be on the BOA’s Olympic Ambition Programme in 2012 and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience so to be able to actually compete this time is really exciting and I can’t wait to get out there.”

Grant has continued to win national and international honours during his time on the programme.

He enjoyed a highly successful 2015 in which he won silver at the Under 23 European Mountain Bike Cross Country Championships before taking his first ever win at the World Cup in Val di Sole, Italy.

He also finished the year strongly with a bronze medal in the Men’s Under 23 race at the Mountain Bike World Championships in Andorra.

And he made his debut in the elite category of this year’s World Championships at the weekend having achieved a career-best 15th at elite World Cup level in May.

Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “Being able to add Grant to our cycling squad and ensure we have representation across all four disciplines is fantastic news for Team GB.

"Grant is a young, exciting rider who’s progressed quickly to elite level having excelled in the junior ranks.”

Ferguson’s inclusion this week takes the number of selected cyclists for Rio 2016 to 27 following the announcement of the road, track and BMX riders last month.

The Team GB cycling squad for Rio 2016 are Men’s Mountain Bike: Grant Ferguson. Men’s Track: Jason Kenny, Phillip Hindes, Callum Skinner, Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish, Owain Doull, Steven Burke, Ed Clancy and Ryan Owens. Women's Track: Rebecca James, Katy Marchant, Laura Trott, Katie Archibald, Joanna Rowsell Shand, Elinor Barker and Ciara Horne.

Men’s Road: Geraint Thomas, Chris Froome, Adam Yates, Peter Kennaugh and Ian Stannard. Women’s Road: Lizzie Armitstead, Emma Pooley and Nikki Harris. Men’s BMX: Liam Phillips and Kyle Evans.