Following strong rides at the UCI World Cup races in Italy and Belgium, where he finished 12th and 14th, and the European Championships at Huijbergen, Holland, where he finished 21st, 16 year-old Scott Thwaites has been selected to race in the Great Britain team at the World Cyclo-Cross Championships.

These will be staged in Hooglede-Gits in Belgium on January 27/28. Scott, who has recently been signed by the local Crosstrax team, follows in the footsteps of older brother Mark who raced the 2005 Worlds at St Wendel in Germany.

Mark was faced with ice and snow although the Hooglede course this time is likely to be muddy following heavy rain in the area.

It will involve long sections of running and should help Keighley's Rob Jebb, one of Scott's companions in the GB team. Rob is a prolific winner of the classic Three Peaks Cyclo-Cross Race and a leading fell runner. He won the Bradford round of the National Trophy in early December on a muddy course at Peel Park.

Both Scott and Rob have maintained their form over recent weeks with Scott taking the silver medal at the junior National Championships and Rob taking bronze in the seniors.

They were on the podium again last weekend at Derby in the final round of the National Trophy, with Scott getting the better of the previous week's National Champion to take the win and secure the silver medal in the five race series and Rob taking another third place. The British team will ride the World Cup race at Hoogerheide in Holland this weekend before travelling to Belgium for a week's training prior to the World Championships.

The final round of the Trophy also proved a welcome return to form for Mark Thwaites following a season constrained by illness and several mechanical problems. He won the under 23 category.

Otley's Sam Webster, 17, was also to the fore in the junior race, finishing 4th to retain his 4th place overall in the series. His younger brother, first year youth Oliver Webster, despite being one of the youngest riders in his event finished a good 14th and should move up the leader board next season still in the youth category.