BARNSLEY teenager Imogen Wolff has been praised for her performances during one of the most gruelling and high-profile races of her new professional career – the Vuelta Espanya Feminina.

The event is a tour of Spain with riders completing at least 100k on each of the seven days. Imogen, from Silkstone Common, is 19 and in her first year of competing for Visma Lease-a-bike.

She finished in the top 20 three times including coming tenth in the penultimate stage, having led in order for her team-mate Marianne Vos to take over and win. Olympic gold medalist Vos said: “Imogen Wolff, like in the previous sprint stages, did a really good job bringing me to a good position and going through the corner first.”

Imogen finished 66th overall and her team fourth.

At Birdwell Wheelers’ five-mile time-trials in Thurgoland on Tuesday, Andrew Whitely set a course record of 10-46 – the first ever sub 11-minute ride on the course. Also setting a new record for women was Joanna Brewis in 11-44. Fastest Wheeler on the night was Trevor Mayne in 13-17 while Greg Godley finished in 15-03 and Paul Heggie in 17-35. Barnsley RC’s Russ Senior finished in 14-56.

Wheeler Dan Taylor rode in the Border City Wheelers’ ten-mile time-trial in Carlisle with a time of 22-55 which put him fourth out of 16.