MALVERN’S David Creber and Evie Richards raced in Germany at the Union Cycliste Internationale Mountain Bike Series.

Richards tackled a deteriorating course at the Heubach Festival and took a hard-fought silver medal for the Great Britain cycling team.

The 18-year-old put in a fine performance to take her place on the junior women’s podium behind winner and world champion Nicole Koller, of Switzerland.

Despite treacherous conditions, a photo finish saw Richards out-sprint Switzerland’s Sina Fier in a time of 53 minutes 14 seconds.

British Cycling coach Simon Watts said: “It’s the best performance I have seen from her. To take on the sprint the way she did was outstanding.”

In the men’s under-23s section, Creber battled hard for 27th place in terrible conditions at the festival in south Germany.

The teenager, racing for Westbridge Foods Cycle Club, was up against it from the start at the back of a 74-strong field.

With rain and mud playing havoc on the long climbs and steep technical descents, Creber showed his skill by moving though the field to secure a credible position.

It left him as the fourth-placed 19-year-old in a time of one hour 21 minutes 55 seconds.

The standard was so high that New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games medallist Samuel Gaze, 22, was only able to finish eighth.

Creber and Richards have been helped by extra sessions from the coaches that benefit so many junior riders at Malvern Cycle Sport.