LIKE his illustrious namesake Sir Francis, emerging cycling star Craig Drake has a sense of adventure.
And the ABC Centreville member (pictured) will put this into practice this summer when he crosses the Channel to join a cycling team in France.
Drake has been riding in the National Points Series throughout the year including the Tour of the Peaks and the Junior Tour of Wales.
He has also enjoyed some success at the Manchester Velodrome, where he has gained valuable experience competing against members of the Great Britain team.
But the Heywood rider was unable to find any help or support in the United Kingdom to pursue his cycling career, so the student of A-level French put his language skills to good use. He explained: "I was unable to find any assistance in the UK so I wrote off to a number of teams in France and they were very helpful.
"I received an offer from CC Carcanois to ride for their team next year. The manager of the team, which is based in Carconeau, Brittany, has been very helpful in finding me a job and accommodation.
"I have a good level of French and hope I will soon adapt to racing on the continent. France is the epicentre of cycling and I hope it will push me to a higher level. The toughest racing is in the north of France."
Drake, who will teach English on a part-time basis to support his riding, plans to join up with his new team after his A-levels in June. His colleagues at ABC wish him bon voyage.
