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The Go-Ride programme has certainly helped to get wheels turning in Colombia this week, with over 65 per cent of the elite riders competing at the 2014 UCI Track World Championships having progressed from Go-Ride clubs.

A network of 300 Go-Ride clubs across the country deliver coaching and racing activities for young people, week in week out. The clubs provide a friendly and welcoming environment for young riders, with fun and challenging activities in traffic-free environments. Additionally, Go-Ride clubs feed into the Olympic pathway, so it is here we see champions of the future getting into racing for the first time.

Go-Ride Ambassador, Laura Trott, is amongst the Great Britain contenders taking to the boards in Cali. Laura started riding at her local Go-Ride club with her mum, who got into the sport to keep fit, and she soon discovered her passion for cycling. Laura’s journey began at Go-Ride Club, Welwyn Wheelers, before going on to progress through the Olympic pathway.

In a recent interview about the world championships, Laura said: “Obviously we really want to win and have got a bit of a run going, so it would be nice to keep that. But as long as we keep improving and go out on the day and perform the best ride that we can, then that is all we can do. If someone goes out and beats us then hats off to them, because as long as we put in our best ride, they must have ridden beyond belief.”

British Cycling’s Director of Coaching, Education and Development, John Mills, said: “It speaks volumes about the strength of British Cycling’s development pathway, when you see so many riders progressing through the ranks from the playground to the podium.

“The track world championships will undoubtedly inspire many more young people around the country to join their local Go-Ride clubs, where they can emulate their cycling heroes.”

For more information about the Go-Ride programme, please visit www.britishcycling.org.uk/go-ride.