POOLE Wheelers rider Rebecca Raybould has one foot on the Olympic ladder after she was chosen for the British Cycling talent team.

Fifteen-year-old Rebecca, who began her cycling journey at the Bournemouth Velodrome, is one of just 20 riders selected from an initial application of 112.

The Talent Programme operates on two levels – the regionally-based Talent Development Programme which supports locally nominated riders from 13 to 16 years of age at Regional Schools of Racing (RSRs), along with the nationally-based Olympic Talent Team Programme.

The selection procedure took part at Manchester Velo-drome and consisted of the talent team coaches doing on-and-off bike asses-sments including power output on a Watt bike.

Rebecca, from Weymouth, has been cycling for less than a year and says she is “honoured” to have been offered a place on the team and is determined to do British Cycling proud.

The talent team hold monthly training camps and will learn skills from more experienced members of the Great Britain squad.

Currently at-tending the Wey Valley Sports College in Weymouth, Rebecca is studying all the usual base subjects as well as photography, GCSE PE, geography and German.

She is also taking her silver Duke of Edinburgh award having completed bronze, silver and gold levels in the cycling award for young volunteers.

“I think the hardest thing for me this year won’t be the cycling challenges put before me but the difficulty in balancing my school work with my training and races,” said Rebecca.

“My main ambition is to become a professional cyclist and my utlimate aim is to become an Olympic champion.

“I also intend to take coaching courses in cycling and would like to become a coach after that.”

Rebecca, who enjoys both track and road racing, has her sights set firmly on the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.