Abbott aiming to be the best of British

Preston's Steve Abbott will represent Great Britain this weekend in the Cycling Sportive World Championships, which are being held in France.

Abbott rides for Hoppers Rollers, which is a British Cycling-affiliated club  based at Preston Grasshoppers.

He qualified to represent his country after securing a top-10 placing in the Tour of Cambridgeshire Gran Fondo earlier in the year.

The championships are a world governing body,  Union Cycliste Internationale, registered event and are being run in Albi in France over a 97 mile course.

While Abbott hopes for more success, his team-mate, 17-year-old junior road  racer James Noonan, celebrated a silver medal at the regional championships held in Cumbria at the weekend.

The youngster was pipped to the line by Manchester rider Daniel Pullen.

As Abbott heads to France, Noonan will compete in the Manchester Wheelers two-day stage event taking place this Saturday and Sunday.

The final day involves a challenging road race in Lancashire around the Oakenclough circuit near Garstang.

The Hoppers Rollers club is supported with a sponsorship by a number of local Preston businesses such as Harrison  Drury Solicitors, Haleys Business Advisors, Bailey Financial Services and Approved Inspectors.

The club caters for riders of all abilities, with rides every Wednesday evening through the summer from the Preseton Grasshoppers Rugby Union Club, meeting at 6.30pm.

Different groups of different fitness levels set off around the lanes of Lancashire with new  starters welcome and looked after by experienced  riders.