A NEW cycling club is up an running in Keighley -- and aiming to raise the profile of the sport in the district.

Bernie Burns, owner of Aire Valley Cycles, is the driving force behind the Aire Valley Racing Team and has worked together with several cycling friends to put back a little of what the sport has given them.

"We want to promote all types of cycle sport from leisure riding to off-road biking, BMX, downhill, mountain biking and road racing," Bernie said.

The former professional road racer is putting his wealth of experience behind the club and aims to make the black, red and yellow club colours a familiar sight on local roads, race tracks and even overseas.

Already the Aire Valley Racing Team has been invited to the four day international road race, the Tour of Tabago, which will take place on September 18-22 in the blistering Caribbean heat. The race attracts teams from around the world and the invitation is bonus for the new team.