A TEENAGER has set her sights on the Olympics after riding to success in a national championship.

16-year-old Lucy Glover, of Fourstones, won the Cycling National Track Sprint Championships, a week long event, at Newport in Wales. 

Lucy, who has just recently finished her GCSE's at Queen Elizabeth High School in Hexham, has been cycling since she was two and first competed at the age of four but she first competed in the velodrome at the age of 15.

At the National Championships competition she competed in six events, four of which were in her age category and two of which she "raced up" with junior level riders - up to the age of 18.

Her championship win came in the "Sprint" discipline which comprises of a knockout competition lasting around seven hours in total.

"The sprint itself is a highly explosive three 750m lap effort, where two riders race against each other and first over the line wins," Lucy's father, Antony Glover explains.

"Each pair of riders race on a "best out of 3" format so to beat a competitor, you have to beat them twice to progress to the next round.

"Eventually, it will end up with two finalists who race for the National Championships title.

Hexham Courant:

"Lucy lost just one sprint throughout the whole competition which was in her semi-final match."

By winning the championship, Lucy can wear a jersey of the National Champion in any event she does for a year in that specific event. 

Adding to her National Title, she also won Silver in a race over 40 laps the "Scratch" race and Bronze in the 500m time trial.

Additionally, she also took fourth place in the Junior Sprint and came 10th in the Junior Keirin. 

Mr Glover said: "She has trained very hard for this Championships all year.

"She does of four to six hours of tough gym sessions every week.

"That is on top of four or five bike sessions a week on top of that,which we travel weekly to either Glasgow, Derby or Middlesborough velodrome.

"Her peak power on her bike is around 1350 watts."

Lucy added: "I am very happy to win a National Champs and hope it will be the first of many. 

"My ambitions are to race in the Olympics in the Velodrome."

Hexham Courant: