MANX teenager Cameron Hounsell travelled to Georgia last weekend with his 360 Cycling team-mates to take part in the two-day Tour de Chateau Zeggani event.

At 17 years and three months, he was the youngest rider in a field of professional riders, numbering almost 100 in total.

The tiring itinerary involved first flying to Turkey, then overland into Georgia. The race was based in the town of Lagodekhi at the foot of the Greater Caucasus mountains.

On Saturday, in wet conditions, he finished 21st on the opening stage that included 566 metres of elevation on a 98.4km course.

The stage was won by Bogdan Zabelinskiy of Cyprus in a time of 1hr 51min 40sec. Hounsell was 15s down on the front group of six or seven riders that contested the sprint finish. They averaged 52.7kph.

He was more than half-a-minute clear of his four team-mates, Davey Allanson, Liam Hewitt, John Bardsley and Cai Curtis-Roberts.

Stage two was similar at 93.5km with 584m of ascent and an average speed of 47kph.

This was won by Anton Popov (White Star Cycling Team) who won another close sprint between the front seven or eight riders.

Hounsell was a fine 12th, 1m 13s down on the leaders but two seconds up on Bardsley in 15th. Hewitt was 35th, Curtis-Roberts 38th and Allanson 54th.

This placed Hounsell 18th on general classification, which he was very happy with considering he is a first year junior.

- Coming up he has a cyclocross at Ulverston, Cumbria and a team training camp in Tenerife later in November. He is also hoping to get to the Monsters of Track meeting on December 12 at the Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow.

AGM

Isle of Man Cycling Association’s AGM is being held on Friday, November 13 at the Sports Institute, NSC from 7pm. All welcome to attend.