Jenny Copnall achieved her best result in a world Mountain Bike Cup event when 22nd in the British round at Plymouth on Saturday.

The event, which attracted a world class field of 54 riders was also the fifth round of the World Series. Jenny, of Alan Drive, East Barnet, has contested four and is currently ranked 31st.

At Plymouth, Jenny was the third Briton to finish the women's elite race (behind fourth-placed Caroline Alexander and Louise Robinson (20th), two much older and more experienced competitors.

She was also the highest placed U23 rider, which bodes well for the future. Equally significantly, she beat the French national champion Sandra Temporelli and Elsbeth Vink, a Dutch woman who was fifth in the Atlanta Games.

Jenny has also excelled in other prime events, having finished runner-up in the first National Series race in March, also gaining some useful World Cup results; 34th in Portugal; 31st in Hungary and 40th in Germany.

These races have provided great experience and will stand Jenny in good stead for the rest of the season.

The next race for the determined East Barnet rider will be the Prudential International Women's Road Criterium in Holborn in a fortnight's time.

This will be a major event which includes racing on part of the Strand, and some big crowds are expected.

While road racing is not Jenny's forte, she will be competing to represent her main sponsors Bikepark and Raleigh, as Bikepark's Covent Garden store is nearby.

Following that is the National Mountain Bike Series race in Peebles, Scotland, and after that Jenny hopes to go to Canada to contest the sixth round of the World Cup.

Jenny is relieved that she's been able to stay injury-free in a gruelling sport, and attributes this to the help she's received from Tobit Emmens, a local sports masseur with a practice in Station Road.

Tobit offered to help Jenny at the start of the year by giving her massage therapy after major races, and she's convinced it's boosted her recovery rate.

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