CAT Ferguson, fresh from an 18th-place finish in the women’s elite race at the Dublin round of the World Cup, proved the class act in the junior women’s National Trophy cyclo-cross race on a frozen course at Barnoldswick.

The 16-year-old from Glusburn, still shivering after her triumph at the Rolls Royce Leisure complex, admitted: “It was a straightforward win as I took the lead on the first straight and extended the gap on the second and third.

“Conditions were pretty unusual for cyclo-cross in December as it wasn’t that muddy but it was icy as the water that was on the ground on Saturday night froze, which made it difficult to choose your tyre pressures and tyre choices before the race.

“The course changed a bit from practice but not during the race.”

As for her exploits the weekend before in Dublin, the Hope Factory Racing member said: “It was a disappointing result. I had an issue with my cleats and didn’t realise that I couldn’t fit my right foot into the pedal as my cleats were loose.”

Next up for Ferguson is the National Championships at the Westmorland Country Showground in Milnthorpe on the weekend of January 14-15.

Last season, formerly Cononley resident Ian Taylor was licking his lips at the prospect of taking on the dominant Nick Craig (SCOTT Racing) in the men’s 50 category, having moved up from the men’s 40-49 years’ section.

Craig has won all five rounds of the Trophy so far, with Taylor coming second in round two at Falkirk and fourth in round one at Derby and round three at South Shields, but missed out on round four at Torbay before returning at Barnoldswick.

Taylor, now living in Skipton, explained his absence: “I have had a few problems with my back and then I had a tooth out which became infected, so I have had nearly a month off my bike.

“I only started training properly in the past fortnight but I might not be too bad for the National Championships.”

As for the course, which was tougher when Taylor was racing on Saturday than it was the day after for the likes of Ferguson – 14 junior riders were treated for hypothermia on Saturday - he said: “There were lots of corners, which was great for me as I like the technical stuff.

“However, later on in the race you came across lapped riders and it depends on what point of the course that happened as they sometimes got the line that you wanted to take, but it was a really good course.

“My hands and feet are still cold and I have been sitting in my van for 10 minutes and could not undo my boots.

“I didn’t have the legs today to chase Nick but I held off Stephen Henshaw for third.”

Taylor hopes to compete at Peel Park in Bradford in the eighth and final round of the Yorkshire Points Series on Monday, January 2.