His mother Keely Walton, who runs a cafe in St Ives with her partner James Fox, said the trips across the county to train were worth it.

“It’s a long time, it’s about two hours every fortnight.

“It’s a really good club and the support that Lauren has received, and us as a family, it’s just a great club to ride for.

“Lauren loves the mix you get with cyclocross – you get mud, grass, sand and it’s 30 minutes of giving it your all and you never know what you’re going to get.

“And if it rains, there’s a lot of mud.”

Ms Walton said the girls’ father spent a lot of time “knee-deep in mud” washing their bikes.

Due to the lack of facilities in their hometown, the family sometimes also trains at the local rugby club, where they set up a course.

Lauren competed in the national cyclo-cross league in Torbay, finishing fourth overall in the under-14 girls category.