A helping hand from a senior professional helped a fledgling youngster carry off a national cyclo-cross title last weekend.

Scott Thwaites, a year 7 pupil at Ermysted's Grammar School, was a doubtful starter in the British Schools' Cycling Association National Cyclo-Cross Championships held at Allestree Park, Derby when his competition bike developed technical problems a few days before the event.

"Apart from the fact that his bike is on the heavy side for an 11-year-old, the hub had also collapsed and needed to be replaced, which put us in a bit of a fix." Says Scott's father Des.

"We were lucky that Chris has started working at the shop where my son goes to get his bike repaired and when he heard of Scott's predicament, he immediately volunteered one of his own machines.

"I was very impressed and very grateful. Not everyone would offer to lend a £2,000-plus piece of equipment to an 11-year-old, but Chris did just that and Scott was able to take full advantage of a generous gesture by adding the national title to the Yorkshire and North East titles he won earlier in the year."

Heavy rain during the previous week provided the riders with a greasy surface and deep mud on the wooded single-track sections. After a steady start, which found him sixth after the first lap, Scott began to adjust to the conditions and came through to third place by lap 3.

As the leaders began to tire in the demanding conditions, Scott gradually pulled them back before attacking on the climb at the beginning of the penultimate lap.

This proved decisive as he went on to win in a time of 24 minutes 35 seconds, 31 seconds clear of runner up, Matt Toplis of Woodlands Community School, Derby, and 46 seconds clear of pre race favourite, Ben Roach of Avon Valley School, Rugby.

For Scot (pictured right), cyclo-cross success has come as a major bonus, for his first love is the triathlon and his decision to spend time in cycling competition stems from a desire to strengthen his hand in that discipline for the resumption of the triathlon season.