A TEENAGE cyclist who has only been in the saddle competitively for a year has caught the eye of national coaches.

Josh Miers, 15, from Ainderby Steeple, near Northallerton, came second in his age group in the National Hill Climb Champions, in Lancashire, recently.

The aim was to record the quickest time in a 950-yard sprint up a 1:4 hill called The Rake.

Josh, who is a pupil at Northallerton College, said: "You could really feel the burn in your legs and it was quite hard, so I was pleased with the result."

His performance was noticed by national coaches and he has now been invited to take part in trials for the British Talent Team, to be held in Manchester Velodrome on December 3.

If successful, he will receive professional coaching to help develop his raw talent.

Ruth Curtis, joint head of sport at Northallerton College, said: "Josh has done fantastically well in a very short space of time and I'm confident he has a great future ahead of him in cycling."