British cross-country star Jenny Copnall has announced her retirement from professional mountain bike racing.
Over the past 17 years she has been crowned British champion five times, won 14 National Championship medals in the cross-country and marathon disciplines, and earned a number of Great Britain Cycling Team caps.
Copnall remains the only British racer to win the National Cross Country Series, National Cross Country Championship and National Marathon Championship titles in a single year, a feat she achieved in 2006.
More recently in 2009, Copnall rode for the Look Racing Team and took silver at both the national cross-country and marathon championships.
On the subject of her retirement, she said: "This is a decision that has been in my mind for a couple of years now but I've always delayed making a firm decision and, every December, have found myself clicking back into gear for another year.
“From here on I will be limiting my riding to a few hours per week and the odd local fair weather race, and will be directing my time and energy instead to developing my coaching of riders and to a number of other projects related to cycling.”
