CYCLING star Ian Wilkinson is out to make an impression in Europe after signing for Raleigh for the 2014 season.

The Barnoldswick rider has penned a one-year contract with the British professional squad following the disbanding of his previous team – Team UK Youth.

And Wilkinson, 34, believes the future is bright for his new team who have signed another ex-Team UK Youth man in Yanto Barker, who ended 2013 as the top ranked national cyclist.

“We have the makings of a strong team and I am excited to be a part of it,” said Wilkinson who was eighth in the national rankings this year.

“I have looked at it from the outside and it is a team that wants to move forward and is ambitious.

“There is the chance to race over in Europe which I have done before and that is a nice change for me. I think we can go to some of the races over there which feature Tour de France teams like the Tour of the Mediterranean and the Tour of Normandy and compete.

“I have raced them before and they are tough races but it is a good team here and we can give a good account of ourselves.

“I rode in Europe with Endura so that experience will hopefully stand me in good stead. Raleigh is a household name in UK cycling and is trying to promote itself into the massive market of European cycling.

“We have three French riders on the team and it is exciting to be able to ride in Europe again.”

And Wilkinson is also keen to return to many of the races he rode in the UK in 2013, when he was part of a Team UK Youth squad that took overall victory at the Tour Series while Wilkinson scored individual wins at the Rutland Classic and the Stockton Grand Prix.

He added: “The Tour Series will be another big aim for us with the TV coverage that comes with that. I always like to show well in those races so that will certainly be something we will be looking at.

“I will also be looking at some of the other UK races like the Rutland Classic having won that last year and we have the winner from the year before Alex Blain on the team as well so we’ve got plenty of experience. It should be a good year.”

Wilkinson, who has been training in Majorca over the past week, will also be competing in a number of cyclo-cross races over the winter in preparation for a tilt at the national championships in January.