Cycling: Martin gears up for another successful campaign with Edinburgh Road Club

Martin’s first season in the saddle underlined a natural talent for bike racing, and she admits that her rate of progress has succeeded her expectations.

Reflecting on the performances that have resulted in a rapid ascent from a novice fourth category licence to second  category, Martin said, “When I started racing this year, I wasn’t sure how my first season would go and I initially only wanted to finish with the peloton.”

However, with input from the club’s coach Gareth George, she quickly improved her  fitness and bike handling skills. A top-15 finish at the Scottish Road Race Championships was an indication of her ability and a podium finish in a round of the Ingliston Criterium Series took her to the brink of securing sufficient points for a second  category licence. Third place in a women’s road race near Balfron sealed that step up. Now Martin is relishing a return to competitive action in 2013, saying, “I’ve learnt a lot this year and plan to build on this for an even better season next year.”