Criterium racing through the mist at Delancey Park this week. (Picture by Peter Frankland, 0580466)

SHOULD football and golf fret about life in the doldrums, they could do worse than look at cricket, cycling and athletics for proof that it is possible to sail out of them.

The cricket and athletics revolution have long been gathering pace, the former due to big decision making and the opening provided by the International Cricket Council route.

Athletics have done it a different way, great community sponsorship underpinning the mantra of wider exposure to UK competition allied to a fantastic facility and making the most of the knowledge gained by Dale Garland and Lee Merrien, stars  on the national scene.

Now cycling is fizzing. Tobyn Horton, as Ian Brown did a couple of decades ago, has set his sights high and is giving it everything in a bid to be a pro cyclist, basing himself in Belgium and now attempting to win spots in big UK races with the carrot of a contract being the dream.