A TOTAL of five cyclists from the Tweed Valley have returned from the British Mountain Bike Championships in Essex with medals.

Over the weekend close to a thousand riders from across the United Kingdom have competed across the different age groups at Hadleigh Farm - the mountain bike venue from the London 2012 Olympics.

Grant Ferguson, who finished fifth for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games last year, won the Senior Cross Country title.

After a cautious start the 21-year-old pushed clear for gold.

Banjo Cycles’ Phil Pearce took second place with Dave Fletcher from the Pines Cycles-Felt-Enve club claiming bronze.

Ferguson, who rides for Betch NL Superior Brentjens, told us: “Hadleigh is a tough course to race. It’s really easy to make a mistake on the fast bends, they are so loose so you have to give it 100 per cent attention.

“I sat in on the first lap then I had a bit of a dig just to see how things were but once I was on the front I could ride my own race and take my lines.

“Phil (Pearce) rode a good race, he’s always hunting you down which was good, it pushed me on a bit to be honest.” If proof was needed that the next generation of champions from the Tweed Valley are on their way it came in the age group categories.

Daisy Wilkinson, also from Peebles, landed gold in the Under 8s division on the Saturday.

And the following day Lucy Grant from Peebles Cycling Club claimed a silver medal in the Women’s Under 23s race.

And there were silvers for both Anna McGorum, who is thankfully funded by Clubsport Tweeddale, and her sister Elena in the Juvenile Girls and the Under 12s races, respectively.

Anna Flynn from Edinburgh finished strongly to take bronze in the Juvenile Girls behind Anna.

And Stirling’s Mark McGuire kept up the Scottish challenge in the Juvenile Boys with third place.

Other Scots who reached the podium were Mark McGuire, who took bronze in the Junior Men’s race, and Erica Allen with a silver in the Junior Women’s race.