STOURBRIDGE cyclo cross star Hannah Payton is pleased with how her season has gone following her first appearance at elite level at the World Championships.

She completed her off-road campaign with a 27th-placed finish in Switzerland on January 28 and 29.

She had booked her place with Team GB after bagging second place at the national championships in Bradford on January 8.

Though she has competed at the world championships four times before, it was the first time she has been seen at elite level.

She said: “The world championships went well and it gives me something to build on for next season as well.

“The conditions were snowy and icy, which is never good for British riders because we don’t usually have much chance to train on them.

“It was all about getting to the finish in one piece.”

Payton is also happy with her overall development this year, especially the way she handled the challenge of balancing competing across the world with her university studies.

“I was very pleased with the season overall,” she added. “It was better than I expected and I also showed I can compete and still be at university, which was a worry.

She will now take a month off before linking back up with her road-race team for a host of international tours, including events in the United States in California, Britain, Luxembourg and Spain.

“I’m looking forward to the road now,” she added. “It is like a completely different sport when you compare them.

“I am a domestique so I’ll be a work-horse for the others to take the glory, but I don’t mind that.”