THE next Bradley Wiggins could be trained at a car park in Hereford – if the hopes of an ambitious Herefordshire cycling club come true.

Climb on Bikes Cycling Club have successfully applied to join the `Go Ride` national initiative, which aims to get more youngsters involved in cycling.

Suzie Deutsch, Secretary of Climb on Bikes, said: “British cycling is delighted that Go Ride is being brought to the young people of Herefordshire as there has been a noticeable lack of presence in the county.

“There are currently some very talented young riders appearing on the local scene and with the right support Hereford could develop the next Bradley Wiggins or Mark Cavendish.”

The programme, aimed at young people aged between 4 and 18, will teach cycling skills and safety awareness, with the help of British Cycling qualified coach Jonty Williams.

Funding from Sport England is also being applied for to further develop the club’s facilities.

The club has been supported by two local businesses, Wyevale Nurseries and Gordon Lutton Solicitors, who have allowed the use of their secure car parks for the sessions.

And the youngsters will also get the chance to use an off-road track in Stourport to improve their racing skills.

The Go Ride programme has grown rapidly across the country since the success of cycling in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Mrs Deutsch said the programme would greatly benefit Herefordshire.

She added: “This scheme is a huge boost to sport in the county and could lead to much bigger things, including building a safe closed road circuit for racing and training, similar to that which young cyclists currently have to use to travel to Stourport.

“This is only the very beginning of this. Our ultimate goal is to produce a world champion cyclist from Hereford.”

Anyone interested in joining the next afternoon session on March 1 should contact Climb On Bikes on 01432 261211 or sales@climbonbikes.co.uk for more information.

Participants are required to be able to ride a bike before joining. After arriving, they will then be divided into groups based on age and ability.