Is the first time you have had support from the Dave Rayner Fund?

No, this will be my second year receiving support from the Dave Rayner Fund. I really appreciate the support from everyone involved.

What is your cycling history ?

I have been competing in races since I was 10 years old but from the age of 14 I joined De Ver Cycles and gained selection for the British Cycling Youth Talent Team Programme. As a Junior I achieved 4 top 10’s in the National road race series and several podiums in Belgium and the Basque Country. Representing Scotland at the Youth Commonwealth Games was also a highlight.

I spent my first year as an under 23 racing in the UK, Belgium and the Basque Country, gaining vital experience to take forward and learn from.

This will be my fourth year in Belgium after three years with Belgian team CT Tomacc. During my time in Belgium I have noticed huge progression within myself, last season I achieved around 30 top 15’s including 20 top 10’s which was very consistent but I aim to add some wins in 2016. This season I will be competing at a slightly higher level with more Interclubs and Pro kermesses every week. There will also be UCI 1.2 and 2.2 races throughout the season as well as five or six stage races that are already penciled in. It is safe to say I am really excited and look forward to the challenge of getting results in the races to come

What team are you joining in 2016?

For the 2016 season I have joined Baguet-MIBA-Indulek-Derito Cycling Team. It is a Top Competition team owned by former pro Serge Baguet.

Tell us a bit about your team.

So the team compete at Top Competition level which allows us to start in a number of 1.2 and 2.2 UCI races as well as giving me the opportunity to race Pro Kermesses as a foreign rider. The team is made up of around 25 riders with just 3 foreigners (myself and 2 Aussies) the rest are all Belgian.

Do they have they a website/FaceBook or Twitter we can link to?

Yeah, the team website is http://www.bmidct.be/. The Twitter account is @bmidct and the Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/groups/534843179876016/. The website is looking great thanks to Luc Moons with calender and race selections updated regularly.

What is your race programme looking like?

My race calender contains mostly Interclubs and Pro Kermesse races but we also have a lot of UCI 1.2 races which I hope to gain selection for. There are also several stage races including Triptique Ardennais UCI 2.2, Tour of Liege and Tour of Valencia, again these are races that I look to gain selection for and make an impact.

Where are you going to live?

I will be living in Cycling House Flanders, in Zottegem.

Your Twitter name and any website or blog links.

Twitter Name: @TaylorJohnstone