ELI Smith has been riding a bike for almost as long as he has been able to walk.

And now the five-year-old from Darwen is one of the best BMX racers in his age group nationwide.

The St Barnabas Primary School pupil was ranked number one in the country after the opening few months of this season.

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And even having slipped to second place in the rankings for the ‘under six expert’ category, he is in line for a call-up to represent Great Britain at a worldwide contest in Belgium in the summer.

The youngster’s mum Samantha Liddle, of Stanley Drive, said she and Eli’s dad Ant Smith had travelled up and down the country to support their son.

Samantha said: “I am proud as punch.

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“I am screaming my head off when I am there as it is such an exciting atmosphere.

“But it does frighten me to death as well.

“You do not want to watch sometimes but you can’t not watch.”

Dad Ant was a big off-road cyclist and has been a big influence on his son’s biking aspirations.

His enthusiasm has also been passed on to 18-month-old brother Isaac, who has already followed in Eli’s footsteps by competing in balance bike competitions.

Ant said: “It is fantastic and I am really happy Eli has done so well.

“When he is older he has the potential to really make it in BMX racing.”

Eli began competing in balance bike racing and a year ago made the step up to BMX.

Samantha said: “Ant wanted Eli to get into biking so he got him a balance bike.

“I thought it would be alright to get him a bike when he was so young, but he absolutely loved it.

“He went straight from that to a BMX without stabilisers or anything.

“He has fallen in love with biking and I think he will be doing it right until he is older.”

Eli is a member of the Preston Pirates racing team and has acquired sponsorship from Greg Hill Production, which has provided him with new equipment.

Samantha said: “Eli is going to Kent in two weeks to compete and then to Glasgow as well.

“He trains three or four times a week and has sessions with Preston Pirates and also goes to the Velodrome in Manchester.

“And when he isn’t doing that he is doing sprints up and down street as well.

“He loves his bike. He would be on it all the time if he could.”

n BMX started in the early 1970s when children began racing their bicycles on dirt tracks in Southern California, drawing inspiration from the motocross superstars of the time. BMX racing was a phenomenon by the mid-1970s. Children were racing standard road bikes off-road, around purpose-built tracks in California.