Ian Field has hailed this season his best ever in 16 years in cyclo-cross.

The 28-year-old from Ashford finished a career-best 21st in the World Championships at Tabor in the Czech Republic, topping off an impressive domestic season, which saw him win the National Trophy series for the first time and retain the National Championship for a fourth successive year.

He also finished 12th in the UK round of the World Cup, in front of a crowd of 15,000 at Milton Keynes, the best-ever result by a UK male rider.

A crash cost Field the chance of succeeding in his pre-race aim of a top-20 finish at the worlds.

He said: “Conditions were tricky. Temperatures were down to minus four and five degrees overnight and only rose to about two at the start. The course was frozen and rutted and still thawing out.

“I was chasing a big group for 14th place and pushing hard when it (the crash) happened but was only a minute behind the 10th-placed rider at the end. I went there well prepared, I could have gone faster but put everything into it.”

Field added: “It has been my best season since I started at the age of 12.

“I think it is down to consistency in my training and the hard work nobody sees. I train six days a week, two in the gym and am on the bike six times a week putting in between 15 and 20 hours.”

Now in his seventh year with the Harcourt Racing team, Field has a new bike sponsor Ridley Machines.

He believes he is reaching his peak in the sport and has another four years at the top.
He said: “I have definitely stepped things up this year, the results have achieved my goals and I am now setting my sights even higher now.”