BONVILLE mountain bike rider Ryan Gilchrist has secured a top five world ranking after spending four months this year competing in the Enduro World Series.

The 20-year-old has earnt a top five ranking in the under 21s category of the International Mountain Bike Series.

Gilchrist secured podium finishes finishing third in Scotland and second in the USA.

He has proven to be one of the best junior mountain bike riders in the world after his stellar season in the Enduro World Series, and will now look to step up to the elite level and take his place amongst the best riders in the world.

The Enduro World Series consists of eight races across seven countries including Scotland, Slovenia, Italy, Canada, USA, Switzerland, and France.

Gilchrist was hoping to build on his experience in the under 21s as he takes the step up to the elite senior level.

“Hopefully next year we are able to build on some of the skills that I’ve learnt this year, and some of the small nuanced details that you pick up from travelling around the world,” he said.

He described what was needed to succeed in his chosen sport.

“There’s a pretty massive fitness element and it’s quite a physically demanding sport, so there is a lot of training that can be done,” he said.

Fresh off his Enduro World Series season, the young rider spent last weekend competing in the AusCycling Gravity Enduro National Championships in Melbourne, where he finished first in the under 21 men’s competition.

By Aiden BURGESS