Kieran Davies has eyes set on elite level
Cycling ace Kieran Davies is on track to make it into the highest level of downhill racing as he currently sits second in the national rankings heading into the season ending.
The 22-year-old, from Telford, currently rides at ‘expert’ level but has his eyes set on reaching ‘elite’, where the sport’s best riders compete.
Davies is currently ranked second, and will be promoted to the highest tier when the racing finishes this year if he maintains a top 10 place.
His mother Julie believes the worst he can finish is third place, with the only rounds left of the two championships he competes in set to take place soon. Kieran races in the expert class in this year’s British Downhill Series and Pearce Cycles Downhill Series.
Julie said: “When he entered into the expert category, Kieran’s realistic goal was to make it into the top 10.
“But he has done amazing and is really excited for next year.”
Last year Davies enjoyed success in the ‘senior’ categories, the one below expert, and picked up a prestigious award from British Cycling after he finished top nationally in that level of racing.
His mother said it has been an amazing achievement for him to rise so quickly up the expert rankings, when ‘most lads racing have been in the expert class for a couple of years’.
Davies endured a disappointing result on Sunday, added Julie, as he took the race slow in order to take care as it was raining. But he has put that result behind him.
If all goes to plan and Kieran makes the elite level next year, he will be aiming to be in the top 20 places.
“At that level, because you can’t go any higher, it can take four to five years to make an impact.”
Kieran has previously competed in Portugal and would like to go back and race in the country in the future.
