Ian Field is a two-time national cyclo-cross champion and Great Britain’s sole male representative on the elite World Cup circuit.

The Kent-born rider – nicknamed ‘Field de Brit’ by a growing Belgian fan base – has enjoyed a fine start to the 2013/14 cyclo-cross season registering top 20 finishes in the first two World Cup races of his campaign in a sport dominated by Belgium and the Netherlands.

Cyclo-cross is enjoying an increased profile in the UK, too. That’s thanks in part to the inherent versatility of cross bikes – race on Sunday, commute on Monday, to borrow one manufacturer’s marketing blurb – and that cyclo-cross is one of the most accessible forms of cycle sport, with a packed calendar of local league races through the winter.

Cyclo-cross racing is hard, fast and great fun – but how can you become a better cross rider? Here are Field’s top five tips, from getting started, to bike handling, course technique, training and equipment choice.