LESS than two years after taking up cycling Fangfoss speedster Iona Sewell is an out and out winner.

The 22-year-old, who works as a nanny, carefully nurtured her return to the Tour of Malta cycling event and claimed first place on the podium a year after she was the top Brit, but only in third spot, behind a brace of rivals from the Netherlands.

That 2009 display was in her first major event for the then newly-formed Squadra Donne ladies cycling team.

Recalled Sewell: “It was great to finish third, but I said then that if we were going to return to this year’s event I would love to improve on that. I’d have settled for second, but to come first is an even greater thrill. I’m really pleased.”

She added that the Tour of Malta – a time trial on the first day, followed by two stages of road racing of around 40 miles and 25 miles over the following two days – represented the most prestigious event for the Squadra Donne outfit.

Besides other outings in Britanny and Ireland, the team primarily concentrates on the England-based women’s team series, which coincidentally was first established by Squadra Donne’s team manager Jon Miles, who is based in Bedford.

Sewell only seriously took to cycling after swapping water for wheels, explaining that she was first an oarswoman with York City Rowing Club.

“I never really got to the stage of getting into the main crews, so when my brother started cycle racing I sort of followed him.”

It’s not as strange a transition as one would expect as several British rowers have gone into cycling, most notably Rebecca Romero who has gained Olympic and world championship medals in both sports.

“There does seem to be some sort of correlation between the two,” added Sewell.

Her initiation on the road was in her then home of Wetherby. But two years ago she and her family moved to Fangfoss, since when her competitive streak has come to the fore, or should that be to the forks, of her racing cycle.

She added: “I used to ride with the Leeds Mercury Cycling Club, but my team now is Squadra Donne, though I also go out with the VC York Club when I am training.

“And round my home in Fangfoss it’s very good for training as the roads are usually very quiet.”

Sewell is still determined to get more competitive racing in her wheels, especially on the Continent and, in particular the Low Countries of Holland and Belgium, where the sport is far more feted and followed.

“Cycling is my sporting future now and I want to get in as much experience of cycling as possible, especially somewhere like Holland. I want to see if I can better myself and see where it takes me from there.”

A first place in Malta following on the speedy wake of third a year before suggests that in the terrain of impressive improvement Sewell is on the right track.