TALENTED teenager Amy Gornall is targeting a season of improvement in 2015.

The 18-year-old has joined Aprire HSS Hire and is hoping to make a national impression.

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Gornall, who began competitive cycling with Cycle Sport Pendle, makes no bones about where she sees her future.

“My aim is to be a professional rider and see where that takes me,” she said.

The Barnoldswick star is targeting the national series in the UK as her main aim for the year, along with gaining more experience on the continent, something that has already begun after a couple of early-season races in Europe.

She said: “My aim is to just get the best results I can.

“I have been racing out in Belgium which was really hard.

“The races in Belgium haven’t overly suited me because they were too flat but it was a great experience to be racing against a high calibre of riders.”

But it is the UK where she hopes to reap the rewards of a hard winter’s training.

The Women’s National Series begins next month with the Tour of the Reservoir on April 11 and continues with eight further events across the summer including the two-day Surf and Turf in Clitheroe in June.

And Gornall, who is at home in the hills, is setting her stall out to shine when the road rises.

“I like the hills,” she said.

“I see myself as more of a climber and I like to animate the race.

“I am not one to sit in the bunch and follow. I like to make breaks and see what happens.

“I am looking forward to the Womens National Series and hopefully I can do well in a couple of those races.

“I am looking forward to racing on the continent and gaining lot of experience riding in the next level up from national level in the UK.

“My goals for the season are to perform well in national series races and gain experience in international races.”

But the former RST Racing rider knows competing with the best in Britain won’t be an easy task.

She added: “There are a lot of good riders out there now.

“Hopefully I can ride well and have a good season and take it from there.”

Gornall, who rode for RST Racing last season, is certainly from strong cycling stock.

Her dad Alan won a gold medal in the team time trial at the 1986 Commonwealth Games while her mum Sue rode in the women’s Tour de France during the 1980s.

But Gornall junior insists there was no pressure to find a career on two wheels.

“I got into the sport when I was about 13 by my own choice,” she said.

“I had always had an interest and knew that is what I wanted to do.

“My mum and dad are both keen cyclists and both rode a lot so I guess I was always going to be interested.

Gornall added: “I just want to do the best I can and see where it takes me.”