BROMSGROVE Olympique Cycling Club riders have been reaping the rewards for their hard work this season with good finishes at the final stages of the mountain bike season last weekend.

At the final event of the Specialised Midlands Summer Series at Hopton Woods, both Matt Lee and Peter Banham were runners-up in the U16s and U14s respectively as well as the whole series.

Wil Goulbourne was not far behind in fourth place overall and also took a fourth place in the stretch race at the National Championships held at Manchester Velodrome.

Many Olympique youth teams competed in the penultimate event of the Curborough Summer Series of circuit races.

Craig Talbot finished fifth place in the U12s while Genny Billington was third girl.

Banham rode a good time trial to take second in the U14s but could not quite hang on to the leaders in the combined U14 and U16 event. Alex Billington was fourth in the time trial and in the circuit race.

Chris McDonald, who had started track racing with some success at Wolverhampton earlier in the week, also rode well, taking fifth place in the U16s time trial and eighth in the circuit race.

Next weekend sees several riders take part in the 200km Kidderminster Killer ride.

Olymipque will also be represented on Saturday and Sunday, September 14 and 15 at the National MTB Championships at Penshurst in Kent, the opening race of the British Schools Cycling Association's 2003 season.