Josh McClune (Team Madigan) took his latest win on the domestic scene less than two weeks ago and now the Carrickfergus teenager has become the first rider from the North to secure a place at British Cycling's 'National School of Racing'.
The school is effectively British Cycling's development set-up for youth riders, with Josh an U16 at present. The hope is that young racing cyclists who secure a place on the prestigious 'school' programme will progress to British Cycling's junior 'Olympic developmemt' in time.
For now, however, the 15-year-old from Co Antrim, is celebrating his inclusion in programme for the year ahead. It is a considerable achievement in itself as he is among a very small group of candidates who proved successful after a UK-wide search.
Still mixing his racing with his studies at Belfast High School, Josh was in cyclocross action the weekend before last, taking victory in the U16 race in Palace Demesne, Armagh, at 'Round 2' of the Ulster Cyclocross Series, promoted by Square Wheelers.
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Josh now has a really significant opportunity available to him as he will be coached, and advised on all aspects of his training, recovery and racing, by the experienced staff at British Cycling.
He told stickybottle he loved the Irish scene and would continue to race here, for Team Madigan, but was also delighted to get the chance with British Cycling.
"I got the email a few weeks ago and I was ecstatic, really happy," he said. "I am completely raring to go. It's great that I get the coaching support and I just can't wait to improve as an athlete. There's quite a few training weekends and I'll get to do those, so that will be great."
He will not race for British Cycling next year as an U16 as the 'national school' is all about coaching and support. And that means he will continue to compete for Team Madigan and will also don the colours of Yorkshire U16 team Shibden Apex RT when he races in Britain.
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As part of securing a place at the national school, he now has a dedicated British Cycling coach to manage his training and schedule and earlier this month he attended the inducation camp at Glasgow velodrome.
He plans to continue racing both track and road and on school holidays in the year ahead - and after his GCSEs in early summer - he will spend some time in Britain to get more experience on a velodrome. Luckily, his grandparents live only half an hour from the velodrome in Manchester, where his mum is from, which will be a big asset for him.
Josh has attended British Cycling's 'regional schools of racing' - around the UK - since he was a second-year U14 in 2024. He won the U14 Rás na nÓg that year - taking all the stages - as well as winning the Ulster Youth Tour.
He also placed 3rd in the British omnium final and held the yellow jersey at the North West Youth Tour with one stage to go, until mechanical issues undid his efforts on the last stage.
As a first-year U16 this year he won the queen stage of Rás na nÓg, the Paddy Doran Youth Omnium - "I was really happy with that" - as well as winning a round of the British Cycling Circuit Series.
He also qualified for the British omniun final this year - a significant four-round series of events, with about 120 riders taking part and only the top 24 qualifying for the final. Josh was one of five or six first-year U16s to get to that final this year. He also made the finals of all of the bunch races at the British Track Championships.
And on the basis of those performances, he was invited to attend a couple of meetings of the 'regional school of racing', with several of those held and the number of riders in contention being trimmed.
In recent months, the final selection for the 'national school', which is specifically for second-year U16s, has involved submitting performance data, including race results and times for some timed events.
And, backed by his results, he was picked for the National School of Racing 2026, where he is just one of about a dozen boys to make the final selection.
