RISING STAR Jacob Ragan made his first appearance for the senior Great Britain cycling team in the final round of the Track World Cup.
The 18-year-old from Denshaw, a member of the British Cycling Academy, was one of four riders handed their GB debuts in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Jacob, a former pupil at Saddleworth School, took part in the team pursuit with GB finishing 13th while he and Chris Latham were 12th in the Madison.
The event offered an opportunity for young riders like Jacob, who have an eye on the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, to impress cycling’s selectors.
It also gave established squad members a break and extra time to train ahead of the Track Cycling World Championships which will be held in Cali, Colombia, this month.
British Cycling Performance Manager Shane Sutton said: “We were in a good place in terms of qualification points for the World Championships.
“This created an opportunity for some of our younger riders to step up and compete at a World Cup.
“This gave the coaches a gauge of where the riders are at and also provided invaluable experience for the young squad riders.”
Jacob headed straight from Mexico to Australia where he will spend one month at a training camp as well as competing in the Sun Tour between February 5/9.
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