EAST Lancashire cycling prodigy Adam Pinder is being tipped for a big 2009 as he bids to follow in the footsteps of Olympic medallist Steven Burke.

The 18-year-old from Rishton retained his title as the national junior hill climb champion during a successful 2008 and could now be set for a switch to track cycling with an appearance at London 2012 in mind.

The success of the British cycling team at the Beijing Olympics – including a bronze medal in the individual pursuit for 20-year-old Colne rider Burke – has made competition on the track more fierce than ever.

But Dave Brown, a key figure in East Lancashire cycling since he first started writing his column for the Lancashire Telegraph in 1978, has seen enough of Pinder’s talent to know that he is capable of emulating Burke.

Pinder currently competes for Blackburn and District Cyclists’ Touring Club and, as well as linking up with Ian Stott and Chris Edmondson to win the team title at the National Hill Climb Championship in October, posted the eighth fastest time across all age groups.

Brown, who is the president of the North Lancashire Road Club, said: “Adam’s got a lot of potential and he was telling me recently that he wants to move towards track racing at the Manchester Velodrome, which is quite handy for people who do live in this part of the country.

“I think that’s where he can make a name for himself – on the track.

“At 18, he’s still got four years to go until 2012, but four years ago you wouldn’t have thought that Steven Burke would be at Beijing.

“In fact, to be honest, this year you wouldn’t have thought it, but young Steven came on so rapidly that they took him to Beijing and he came back with a medal.

“There’s nothing to stop someone like Adam following what Steven Burke has done.

“I do think that Adam would be a very good pursuiter.

“He’s well built, he’s tall and lanky, with not an ounce of fat on him, although not many racing cyclists have.

“It’s too early to say whether Adam will adapt to the track, but I think he could very well turn into a pursuiter like Steven has.”

With one Olympic medal already in the bag at the age of 20, Burke looks in a good position to go on and win several medals during his career.

That could put him up there with the likes of fellow individual pursuit star Bradley Wiggins, who hails from London but is currently based in Chorley, and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Chris Hoy.

And Brown hopes that one day Burke will complement his track success by helping to revive British road cycling.

“Steven has done very well,” said Brown.

“He lives in a cycling family. His mother was a good cyclist and his grandad is a cyclist.

“There’s no reason why he can’t emulate what Bradley Wiggins has done.

“He’s only 20 now. All of a sudden, in the last year or two, British cycling has gone on a massive step upwards. They’ve got a tremendous team.

“There’s a lot of money going into it and there’s lottery funding and various other funding and sponsorship. Sky have come in sponsoring all these top riders.

“What we want now nationally is a road race team. There is a plan to get a British team in the 2010 Tour de France.

“We shouldn’t leave the track but road racing is more important in cycling than track racing. If you living on the continent, it’s a very big sport.

“That’s where I think the British ought to go.

“Steven Burke is more of a track rider but there’s nothing to stop him considering more road racing in the future.”