CYCLO-cross ace Chris Young is optimistic that he can retain his over-50s title in the National Trophy series, despite his work as a national coach.

The 51-year-old from Shipley had to miss the third round in Durham due to his Great Britain tutoring commitments, and said: "It also affects my training and preparation but I can still win the series."

Young is third ahead of the fifth and penultimate round in Bradford on Sunday, and his main rival is Tim Gould (www.Zepnat.com RT-Lazer Helmets), who is on 148 points, 34 ahead of Young (Pedalsport CC) and 32 in front of Philip Roach (Team Jewson-MI Racing-Polypipe).

However, Young, who won the opening two rounds ahead of Gould at Southampton and Derby but was second to him in the fourth round at Ipswich, only has to count five of the six rounds – the last is at Milton Keynes on January 17 – and can therefore discard his blob at Durham.

The diminutive Young said: "I have been racing against Tim since we were juniors, which is a long time ago!"

Young agrees with Bradford cycling sage John Rawnsley about the quality of Peel Park as a course.

The former Keighley resident said: "It is a true test of a rider as it has challenging technical sections which some other courses just don't have.

"You can be counting down the laps on some courses as you are getting a bit bored but that doesn't happen at Peel Park, and they have freshened the course up by putting some sections the other way round.

"It will obviously be wet but it wouldn't matter to me if it freezes as it would make some it quicker."

Young isn't the only local hoping for some podium glory in Bradford this weekend, however.

He describes Otley's Tom Pidcock (Oldfield-Paul Milnes Cycles ERT), who leads the junior men's standings after winning three of the four rounds, as "world-class".

Meanwhile, Young says he won't be pushing Wibsey's Euan Cameron (Paul Milnes-Bradford Olympic RC) too hard in training this week so that he has fresh legs to continue his assault on the under-16 boys' crown, where he is third behind Lichfield City CC duo Toby Barnes and Lewis Askey.

Bingley's Rob Jebb (Hope Factory Racing), winner at Derby and Durham and another to benefit, like Young, from being young in his age group, is also third in the men's 40-49 years' standings, just ahead of Cononley's Ian Taylor and his brother Andrew (C&N Cycles RT).

East Morton's Annie Simpson (Hope Factory Racing), runner-up at Southampton, is fourth in the women's rankings, while Birkenshaw's Billy Harding (Oldfield-Paul Milnes Cycles ERT) is fifth among the under-23 men, with Young saying he is "slightly off the pace".

Pidcock looked a class apart in winning the fourth round at Ipswich, but Cameron lost a nip-and-tuck battle with Barnes for the under-16 boys' title.

Young allowed Gould too big a gap in the over-50s race and finished second, while Jebb was fourth in the 40-49 years' race, with Ian Taylor sixth and Andy Taylor eighth.

Simpson was seventh among the elite women.

Sunday's Peel Park schedule: 10.15am men's 40-49 years, 10.16am men's 50 plus; 11.15am under-16 girls; 11.16am under-14 girls; noon under-16 boys; 12.01pm under-14 boys; 1.20pm senior & junior women; 1.23pm junior men's, veteran women's; 2.30pm senior men & under-23 men.