Cycling: City duo book in at academy

City of Edinburgh cyclists John Paul and Callum Skinner have had their places at the British Cycling Academy in Manchester confirmed for next year.

The duo have both been part of the set-up this year and have performed sufficiently well to have their contracts renewed.

Paul landed the Scottish sprint and Keirin titles at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow over the weekend and will now return to the Academy for a second season.

Skinner, who won his first British senior title last month when he took the honours in the individual sprint, subsequently helped Great Britain to team sprint bronze at this month’s European Championships in Lithuania. He was runner-up to Paul in the Keirin last weekend before suffering a broken collarbone that forced him to miss a gold medal showdown between the pair in the sprint.

Meanwhile, Inverness rider Kenta Gallagher will spend his third season with the mountain bike squad and will be joined by Grant Ferguson from Peebles who has just ended a successful first season on the programme.