Five young riders representing Team RL360 Cycling travelled to the Netherlands recently to take part in the European Youth Cycling Tour, a five-day stage race dubbed as the mini-Tour de France.

In its 58th year, the event was based round the city of Assen in the north of the country.

Daniel Minay, Thomas Hutchinson, Abi Clayton and sister Poppy secured excellent results against some of the best youth riders in the world, all achieving top-10 finishes throughout the week.

The star of the show for the Manx squad was undoubtedly 12-year-old Tommy Bass, who won two of the four races in his age group. The first was neutralised because of a discrepancy with the lap-scoring.

He sprinted to victory in Tuesday’s 26km Omloop Lieveren, winning by two bike lengths to take hold of the event’s yellow jersey.

On Wednesday, the action included the infamous VAM-mountain - a former waste disposal dump which has long been composted over. It created a 200ft hill in the otherwise flat landscape to form the highest point in Drenthe area, an important point in the Ronde van Drenthe cycle race, otherwise known as the Col du VAM.

The Port Erin rider held his own against some excellent climbers to finish fourth overall, enabling him to hold onto the yellow jersey.

Despite finishing a credible sixth in day four’s 12km time trial, Bass lost his lead and slipped to third overall as the result of a colossal performance by VC Londres rider Jacob Day.

Friday’s final event, the 23.5km Omloop Asserbos, was a flat circuit race and suited Bass well.

In heavy rain he maintained his position near the front of the peloton and entered the home straight on the final lap in fourth position before sprinting down the outside to win by a matter of centimetres, securing second place on general classification.