SHARON LAWS has picked up a victory in her Podium Ambition livery at the Pirineus three-day Mountain Bike Race at Camprodon in Spain.

It was mountain biking in the rawest sense, according to Sharon, taking in hiking trails, gravel tracks or simply a field with orange flags to follow.

But the reward was some amazing views high in the Pyrenees, skirting the border of France.

Laws, originally from Bourton-on-the-Water, told the Podium Ambition website: "Much of the time we spend our time racing at big UCI events so it was a refreshing change to take part in a local event.

"A firework was the starting gun and then we jostled behind the motorbike during the neutralised start – the driver having just as much fun as he raced down the cobbled streets of Camprodon.

"Admittedly I didn’t understand what was going on most of the time, as everything was in Spanish beyond my capabilities, though I understood enough to know the guys passing me on the descents said they would see me on the next climb!

"The organisers and other racers were incredibly friendly and welcoming to this strange English girl. I got a nice big hoodie, a big box of biscuits and a trophy for winning, which I can do arm curls with it’s so heavy!

"The best bit, however, was meeting new people, three days of solid training and spending time in such a beautiful area before returning back to Girona to continue more conventional training."