A SOUTH Craven schoolgirl has become the newly crowned Junior National Time Trial champion.

Cat Ferguson, 17, from South Craven High School claimed first place in the National Juniors Time Trial Championships which took place on Saturday, July 1, on the Bashall Eaves circuit near Clitheroe.

Craven Herald: South Craven cyclist Cat Ferguson, 17 South Craven cyclist Cat Ferguson, 17 (Image: UGC)

Ferguson who rides for Shibden Hope Tech Apex (a northern-based junior female race development team) is also on British Cycling’s Junior Academy - a programme that works to develop Team GB’s Olympic cyclists.

Ferguson’s produced a stunning performance that far outweighed the result.

Her time of 26 minutes and 23 seconds left her a minute clear of the second and third placed riders and broke the female course record for the Bashall Eaves TT circuit in the process.

Craven Herald: Cat Ferguson, 17, tops the podium after being crowned the Junior National Time Trial Champion.Cat Ferguson, 17, tops the podium after being crowned the Junior National Time Trial Champion. (Image: UGC)

Ferguson is still a first year junior and still has another year left competing in the final age category (Under 18s) before she enters the senior ranks at which point she intends to turn pro, hoping to race for a World Tour Team.

For now though, Ferguson has a great deal more imminent things to focus on.

In what is a busy race schedule, Ferguson departs for Portugal next week, representing Team GB at the European Track Champs in the Team Pursuit and the Omnium, followed by a Nations Cup Race called Bizkaikoloreak in Basque Country, Northern Spain, racing in her trade team colours of Shibden Hope Tech Apex before she rushes home to get to Glasgow for the Junior World Road and Time Trial Championships.

Ferguson will be aiming to stand on the podium in each one and she is also hoping to be one of only two selected athletes to go to Colombia in late August for the World Track Championships.

When asked how she manages her busy race schedule while still studying for her A Levels at South Craven High School, Ferguson said: “It’s tough at times, I spend about 15 hours a week on the bike, but the hardest bit is the time spent travelling to races and training camps.

“I am really lucky though because my school have been so so supportive of me right from the start of my A Levels.

“I miss a lot of school and they always help me, allow me the time off, I couldn’t do this without their backing.”

The road season ends in mid-September and if anyone thought Ferguson would be getting a nice rest in the winter they would be wrong.

Ferguson also races for Team GB in cyclocross (a winter sport) as well as juggling her road training for 2024 and with the dual targets of winning the European and World Cyclocross titles to focus on she will have a very busy autumn and winter.