HORWICH Cycling Club have pulled off another great signing for this year's campaign with the arrival of a UK and European 12-hour mountain bike champion.

Dave Powell beat off some stiff competition and a strong field in Scotland to win the title in 2012 and hopes to meet his ambitions at Horwich.

He said: "I’d seen a lot of Horwich CC riders at races and events I’d been doing for a while before I decided I’d like to join.

"My mind was made up when they organised a series of hill climb events open to anyone, they were well organised and great fun – something nice to be a part of.

"I’m hoping to get back into cyclocross racing this season and play a part in the team competition, as well as competing on the road whenever possible.

"Hopefully I’ll be able to carry some good form over into next year and enter all sorts of events."

One such event Powell will be looking forward to attending is the world 24-hour championships.

He said: "The championships are being held in Scotland, on a race course I know quite well (and have had some success on before now).

"The race travels the globe each year – last year it was in Australia, next year it’s being held in Canada, so I really didn’t want to miss it when it was so close to home!

"The format is pretty simple, it’s a 'mass start' race on a 10 mile course, with each competitor aiming to complete as many laps as they can within the 24 hours.

"If you want to win (or even get close to the top 20) you won’t get to stop at all.

"You’ll have a 'pit crew' who prepare drinks and food for you to pick up on each lap and who will service your bike while you ride a second, if you need it, so you can just concentrate on riding.

"I’ve raced lots of 24 hour races before (to varying degrees of success!) and competed in the World Championships once before, when they were held in Italy two years ago.

"I finished eighth in the end, though I did make myself rather ill in doing so – I crossed the finish line on my last lap, then had to be carried, semi conscious to the medical tent.

"Training for 24 hour races is as much mental as it is physical, I find lots of long, all day rides help, to get used to just being out on a bike for that length of time however most of the races nowadays are scarily fast, so you have to also fit in some shorter, harder rides to be able to keep up."