ENDURO mountain bike ace Tracy Moseley says she will not defend her world title next year following a remarkable three years in the sport.

Moseley, who is from Storridge, clinched the Enduro World Series crown in Italy earlier this month to go alongside two world titles she won in 2013 and last year.

"I'll always be a bike racer and I still want to race, but perhaps not in all the events," said Moseley.

"I want to be at races, be involved in the biking industry and to play a part in the continued development of Enduro racing, but I won’t be defending the title again.

“The last three years have been amazing and a lot of fun, but it’s time to step down and let the younger ones come through and realise their aspirations.

"This year has been more successful than I could ever have imagined, to win 6 out of 7 EWS races and to come away with a thirs successive World Title is just crazy

"Enduro is such a testing discipline on your bike and body, so to have survived all the racing and not had any issues is testament to my great equipment and preparation for the races."

Moseley, who also won the world title in the Women's Downhill Mounting Bike discipline in 2010, went into the Finale Ligure event in Italy with a comfortable lead, having won all but one of the season's eight world events.

Her campaign started in March in Rotorua, New Zealand, before moving on to County Wicklow, in Ireland, in May and then on to Scotland’s Tweed Valley,

Further events continued in France, the USA and Canada before Moseley went on to Ainsa Sabrabe in Spain and then Finale Ligure.

Enduro biking requires competitors to race on roads, in woods, over tree roots and in rivers, with the Italian heat ending on a beach.

During the eight month-long season, the Enduro mountain bikers have raced frequently at altitude as well as in thunder storms and floods.

Each event in the Enduro World series brings its own challenges, each having a slightly different format.

One the first day of the Finale Ligure world championship climax, competitors covered 59km with a 2,283 metre climb, which had to be achieved within an allotted time.

The 2,296m descent was in four sections, raced against the clock and over varying terrain.

The second day also brought similar challenges, with the riders on their bikes for around five hours each day.