WEYMOUTH juniors Alex Jolliffe and Becky Raybould have both been named in the Great Britain cycling squad for 2015.

This is a significant achievement for the pair who started cycling when pupils at Wey Valley School.

Their selection for the Olympic Develop-ment Programme (ODP) is a key stepping stone to full-time cycling, and potentially the 2020 Olympics in Japan.

The programme is focused on the rider’s long-term development and aims to provide a solid foundation for future success.

Places on the ODP are limited and Jolliffe and Raybould, students at Budmouth and Weymouth Colleges respectively, are just two of 42 to be selected across the key cycling disciplines (BMX, mountain bike, track sprinting, and road and track endurance).

Jolliffe will focus on track sprinting, hopefully one day following in Chris Hoy’s footsteps, and Raybould will concentrate on road and track endurance where before long she could well be competing against Olympic champion Laura Trott.

Both have to dedicate themselves to strict training plans defined by their British Cycling coaches and attend regular training camps at Manchester and Newport velodromes with the goal of representing Great Britain in next year’s European Junior Championships.

The duo are extremely excited by the opportunity that lies ahead and they would like to thank all those who have helped them to this stage.