Steve gets top cycling award

Jun 27 2007 by Nick Moreton, Birkenhead News

WIRRAL cycling star Steve Cummings has been awarded the 2006 Golden Cycle Trophy.

The 26-year-old was nominated by fellow cyclists from clubs throughout Merseyside after a hugely successful year, which culminated in him being called up to join cycling legend Lance Armstrong’s Discovery Channel Pro Cycling team.

Cummings, who has won gold medals as part of Great Britain’s all-conquering track team, attracted the attention of the outfit’s directors Johan Bruyneel and Sean Yates following the dramatic exit of Ivan Basso.

The Italian won the 2006 Giro D’Italia before joining Discovery, but resigned from the team after the Italian Olympic Committee re-opened its probe into a Spanish doping scandal.

Since being given the chance to prove himself on the big stage, Cummings has already competed in the Giro, regarded by many as the most important race on the calendar next to the Tour de France. He even led from the front in one of the race’s many gruelling stages.

He has also enjoyed considerable success in the velodrome and during his time racing on the road with mid-sized Belgian team Landbouwkredit.

But he seems to have taken stepping up to riding in a Grand Tour with one of the sport’s big names in his stride.

Cummings now has his sights fixed on next year’s Beijing Olympics, where he hopes to improve on the silver medal that he won in the team pursuit at the Athens Games in 2004.

The life-long member of Birkenhead North End Cycling Club is a man in demand.

Last week, he picked up his award at Kirkby Sports Centre in a fleeting visit to the country before returning to the continent for more racing and training with his famous team.

Beryl Bowes, secretary of the Merseyside Cycling Development Group and secretary of New Brighton Cycling Club, said: “Steve has really excelled himself this past year with all his achievements and there was really nobody else in the region to match him.

“Chris Boardman was one who won the award three times and time will tell if Steve can match that. But he is still only 26 and still a part of the British cycling team, which is No.1 in the world, and he can still achieve so much.

Former president of the British Cycling Federation Merseyside Division, George Hewitt, presented the trophy to Steve.

George said: “Steve has been an inspiration to his club mates and every young cyclist in the UK.”