CYCLING talent Ben Davis has hailed the positive influence of Bristol Road Club on his racing exploits after winning the Cheltenham and County Road Race.

The 25-year-old, from Weymouth, is back racing for the club after a two-year spell in northern England, where he rode for Wheelbase Altura MGD in the televised Tour Series criterium races.

Davis told Echosport that tapping into the club’s knowledge has been a key learning experience in his cycling career.

He said: “I started five years ago, they (Bristol Road Club) are the big local club in road racing.

“They go on group rides and support you all the way through. They’ve got a lot of people who used to race and have a lot of experience and know what we need to be doing.

Cycling is not a sport that you just pick up, you’ve got to get used to riding in a group.”

When competing for Wheelbase Altura MGD in the Tour Series, Davis lined up alongside Olympic team pursuit champion Ed Clancy and former British National road race champion Kristian House and admitted he learned a great deal from his experiences.

“It was great to do it. It’s always going to be difficult when you’re up against guys that have been doing it for years.

“You see more (tactics) and get to know what works and see how the races are going. That counts for a lot in cycling, having the nose to figure it out and come up with a plan, he said.

Davis also revealed how physical riders can be with each other at that level – something not necessarily portrayed by the TV cameras.

“When I was doing the national races it’s an absolute bun fight, especially in the crits (criteriums). Guys push you out of the way.

“Some of the footage on the TV doesn’t capture what it’s like in reality, it’s much different with people fighting for places.”