Yorkshire's Thomas Pidcock is hoping this month’s European Youth Olympic Festival will be the first step on his way to emulating his cycling heroes.
The Roundhay youngster counts the likes of Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins among those that have inspired him to pursue a life on the bike.
And this month he will have the chance to show his potential after being selected as part of Team GB’s squad that will head to Tbilisi, Georgia to take on the best youngsters from around the continent.
It is an opportunity he is relishing and he says that the experience is one that could prove invaluable in his pursuit of his Olympic dream.
“I really wasn’t expecting to make the team at all if I am being completely honest so it was a total surprise,” said Pidcock, who will be joined on the cycling team by Georgi Pfeiffer, Jessica Roberts, Lauren Dolan, Harry Hardcastle, and Alfred Wright.
“I didn’t have a great start to the season and had an infected knee in April so my performances weren’t the best.
“But to represent Team GB is such a huge honour and I am so looking forward to it and hopefully I can do my country proud.
“I love cycling and people like Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish are big inspirations to me so hopefully one day I can do what they have done.
“Being picked for the team is such a huge confidence boost and makes me think that I have a real chance of making it if I can keep working hard and improving.
“I want to go out there and show what I can do and come away saying that I did my best.”
While the 15-year-old knows he is a long way from the top of the sport he believes the trip to Georgia for a multi-sport event will be vital in his development.
And the youngster says his cycling ambitions aren’t just limited to the Olympics as he also has his eyes on the iconic yellow jersey of the Tour de France.
“I think racing against some of the best young riders in Europe can only be a good thing,” he added.
“And being around a team full of different types of sports is going to be great because I will get the chance to see how they do things.
“All that is going to help me and it is something that I going to looking to learn a lot from.
“So fingers crossed that one day I can have that yellow jersey and can also keep representing Great Britain.”
© Sportsbeat 2015