Mansfield is celebrating another cycling champion — Ross Lamb.

Ross (above) has won the East Midlands Road Race Championships, four years after coming second.

‘Mansfield’s best-kept secret’ is how local businessman Malcolm Hall describes the professional cyclist.

“He gets on with the business of winning without the public support he deserves,” said Malcolm. “I’ve known Ross since 2017 when I was part sponsor of the team he raced with. He came second in the championships, something that has rested heavy with him ever since. So winning this year was an itch he needed to scratch!”

Ross rides for British Team Swift Carbon UK and has brought the cup home after a long wait since Chris Allcock won the race in 1996.

Ross’s race calendar has kept him away from the championships while he has been racing in Belgium and France, but it was his performances there that came to the attention of Swift who offered him a place on the team when it was formed.

This year he has been at world level events, including the Tour of Portugal and the Tour of Britain, where he has been rubbing shoulders with Mark Cavendish and world champion Julien Alaphillipe.

Friend and mentor Mick Padley said: “At the championship race Ross was keen to push the pace on and dragged three other riders away with him. When I assessed his breakaway companions I knew the win was a possibility and sure enough he brought it home.”

But Ross hasn’t got time to rest on his laurels as he prepares for his final race of the season, the National Championships held at Lincoln on 17th October.

“The Nationals are a tough race with all the pro riders coming home from around Europe to challenge for the title. but I’ll be giving it my best to get my hometown of Mansfield’s name to the fore,” said Ross.

The Nationals consist of 13 ascents of the infamous cobbled climb of Michael Gate, but racing on cobbles is something that Ross became accustomed to during his time in Belgium.