CYCLING fanatic Francis Hirzel has won the 2014 Go Ride Championship of the Richardson’s Scarborough Mountain Bike Series.

The ten-year-old, from Clifton, came out on top over seven three-race rounds of competition in the series, which is supported by British Cycling.

The Clifton with Rawcliffe Primary School pupil won the under-eights title two years ago and his passion for cycling has inspired his six-year-old sister Madeleine to take up the sport and she won the 2014 U6s series.

Mum Deborah Hirzel said: “Francis wants to be a professional cyclist when he grows up and dreams of the Olympics and the Tour de France.

“Two years ago, he won the same series in the U8s.

“At that time, he had written to Bradley Wiggins inviting him to his school and he later received a signed postcard from him.

“The highlight of the Tour de France (in Yorkshire) for Francis was when Chris Froome threw him an energy bar at Aysgarth on the first stage.”

She added: “Francis takes full advantage of the new cycle track at York University and trains there every week.

“He can’t wait to have a go in the outdoor velodrome recently built there.

“He has such a passion for cycling that he has even got his little sister into it.”