Teenage cyclo-cross star Nick Barnes hopes to follow in the footsteps of his father – former international rider Steve – after being selected to join the ‘Raleigh Cyclo-Cross Rider Scheme’.

Barnes, 19 this year, is currently competing at elite level for Zepnat Cycles and sits top of the national rankings after a string of impressive performances this season.

Such form has seen him selected alongside Joe Atkins – grandson of 13-time national champion John, who himself rode for Raleigh – and juniors Harry Yates and Dylan Kerfoot-Robson to join Raleigh’s new grassroots scheme.

And Nick, who has also competed at elite level in Belgium on a tour with his county, hopes the sponsorship will see him kick on and emulate the success of his father, who represented Great Britain at the World Championships .

“It was my dad who got me into the sport but he’s never pushed me,” he told RCUK.

“He’s been a big influence on my career and he’ll drive me around and take me to places but he does it because I want to – he’s never forced me.

“For me the sponsorship’s very important – it gets me recognised quite well. It shows people that somebody actually made the decision that I deserved this.”

The talented teen also believes he gained a lot from his time in Belgium and hopes such an experience will stand him in good stead going forward.

“I think there’s quite a lot of difference,” he revealed. “The biggest eye-opener to me was the amount of racing they do – they really are a class above and yet they do the same amount of training as us.

“But they’ll race on a Wednesday evening, and then again on a Saturday and then in Sunday events too. They’re just racing all the time!”

Nick’s sponsorship with Raleigh will see him, and the three other young riders, equipped with Raleigh RX Race cyclo-cross bikes, with SRAM components and Cole wheels.

The four riders will also be supplied with equipment and clothing from High 5, Fizik, Schwalbe, Dare2b and Muc-Off.

The other beneficiaries include under-14 national champion Yates – a multi-talented rider who also recently wore the yellow jersey at the International Tour of Ireland junior road race and finished third in the National Mountain Bike Championships.

Kerfoot-Robson, meanwhile, has already achieved selection for the national under-23 cyclo-cross squad last year – aged just 16 – while Atkins finished tenth in last year’s Rapha Super Cross series.

Raleigh marketing director Geoff Giddings said of the new scheme: “We wanted to make a statement of our intent to have a big impact on the thriving UK cyclo-cross scene.

“Grassroots rider and event support is at the heart of our marketing drive and we were so overwhelmed by the number of high-quality applications that even after deciding to increase the number of supported riders, we had a tough time choosing.

“Having met these four young riders, I am delighted to have chosen four very professional and talented young men for the scheme. I can’t wait to see what they capable of doing this season with our support.”