Gosport BMX Club racers head for Zolder in Belgium to represent Team GB in the UCI World Championships

A total of 23 racers from the Alver Valley-based outfit have been selected to represent Team GB at the World Championships in Belgium.

The squad features riders as young as nine years of age and others in their 50s.

And they are all eager to fly the flag for Great Britain at the impressive Circuit Zolder in Heusden-Zolder.

The World Championship opens on Sunday, while the action will begin in earnest on Tuesday with more than 3,000 riders expected to do battle.

The event will then climax next Saturday when the elite and junior world champions are crowned.

For some of the Gosport contingent, this will be their first experience of competing on the international stage.

Ben Larkins, nine, Freddie Dudman, 10, Ben Mosley, 11 and Sam Perry-Ogden, 12, are all first-timers.

Mark Dove, Roco Dove, Robert Fletcher and his sister Bethany Fletcher will also make their debut at world level.

They will naturally be leaning on the more experienced members of the squad for advice.

Nicola Spiers, in particular, will embark on her 15th World Championships.

Other Gosport riders returning to the UCI competition are James Trowbridge, Charlie Granger, James Campbell, Evan Watson, Ashley Binner, Oscar Simpson, Lucy Simpson, Hannah Hedges, Elle Junker, Emi Shakles, Max Spiers, Connor Hedges, Billy Stupple and Michelle Eaton.

Gosport BMX Club’s committee and fellow riders have given them a great send-off, wishing them the best of luck in the championships.

Meanwhile, the riders thanked their parents for the opportunity as they put the finishing touches to their preparation at their Alver Valley headquarters.