By Andrew Gidley

Jack Finch was the surprise winner of the National Youth Cross Country Championship at Pippingford, near Ashdown Forest in Sussex.

It was the the St Anselm’s School pupil’s first significant success and earned the 15-year VC Deal rider, from Bridge, near Canterbury, a place in the South East team at the UK School Games at Gateshead next month.

Finch (pictured) finished more than a minute ahead of his nearest rival in the field of 38, making his move on the second of the three laps, to earn a 12 second advantage and stayed in front to seal an impressive victory.

He said: "I couldn’t believe it. I went there probably hoping for a top five or maybe top 10 place. I made the move because I just felt the pace of the race was slow."

Finch, who switched from London club VC Londres 18 months ago, regained the London League Cyclo Cross title for the second successive year last winter but a chest infection sidelined him for several weeks earlier this season.

He had finished fifth in the Southern Cross Country event at Borden in Hampshire the week before.

VC Deal coach Richard Wood said: "Jack is modest and unassuming, there are no histrionics when things don’t go well and he doesn’t let ill health and bad luck knock him back.

"But he’s not afraid to mix it with reputations greater than his own, either.

"His temperament and willingness to take on a challenge is why he was able to take advantage of the kind of day all bike riders dream of but few experience."

Club-mate Jack Spicer finished 11th in the race, while Tom Butler went out of the Juvenile men’s race after only two minutes after a puncture which left an inch gash in his tyre.