BETH Crumpton has been pleased with her strong start to the mountain bike season.

The Redditch rider (pictured) kicked off her campaign with a third place in the elite women category at the British Cycling MTB Cross-Country Series in Pembrey, Wales last weekend.

The event was won by Dutch rider Anne Tauber (Habitat Mountainbike Team), who hit the front early in the opening lap along with Isla Short (Novus OMX Pro Team) to make a useful gap away from the chase group Crumpton and Lucy Grant.

She then followed that up in her first ever rider in the recently resurrected Manx Cycling GP Women’s National Road Race Series on Sunday.

On a 75-mile long course, which included two steep hill climbs, Crumpton finished a respectable 17th.

But the event was useful preparation for the Tour of Yorkshire race at the end of the month, where she will be tackling a 135-kilometre course.

She said: “I’m really pleased with my start to the season.

“To earn a podium in the first round of the national series was very pleasing.

“The Manx Women’s National Road Race has only just been resurrected and it was great to be involved.

“The turnout was disappointing because there were only about 30 women taking part but it was a great experience.

“It’ll definitely put me in good stead for the Tour of Yorkshire.”

Crumpton, who rides for the Boot Out Breast Cancer team, returns to action in the MTB series at Newnham Park in Plymouth over the weekend of April 23 and 24, before the Tour of Yorkshire a week later.