CAMERON Biddle, riding for the Halesowen Academy, registered a super-strong eighth place in the national hill-climb championship at the weekend.

He finished just five seconds off a medal in the timed ascent of over a half-mile climb at Stockbridge, near Sheffield.

Biddle finished first under-23 male in the 300-rider field, and his time of two minutes and 25 seconds was just seven seconds slower than the winner, Andrew Teather of BCR Racing.

It marked a strong end to the season for Biddle who has moved up to first-category this season. He won the Halesowen road race back in May and was the winner of a hill-climb on the Burrington Combe ascent near Bath in October.

Elsewhere, Halesowen academy's first-year juniors continued to make their mark in cycle-cross, with Halesowen and National champion Simon Wyllie continuing his European adventures. Originally selected to ride in Belgium a fortnight ago Simon's results were such that he was immediately selected to ride for GB in the European Championships last weekend at Hertogenbosch in Holland.

He got caught behind a crash at the beginning of the race and suffered a puncture as a result but however fought his way back through the field to finish in 31st position. The previous Thursday Wyllie had again represented GB on the iconic Koppenberg course in Belgium noted for its steep climb that has to be scaled six times during the race. Against the best juniors in the world, he got a fine top ten position as he starts his Belgian cyclo cross racing education.

Elsewhere, Kinga Ingram's results have not gone unnoticed by British Cycling and she has been invited to join the British Cycling National Apprentice scheme - an invitation only given to a select few and a big step towards riding for GB.