TALENTED Canvey cyclist George Wood says he is focusing solely on racing ahead of his much-anticipated return for Richardsons-Trek this weekend.

Wood, 21, is one of the county’s brightest talents on two wheels although he sat out last season as he recovered from two serious accidents, including a nasty head injury sustained while racing in Belgium.

But he is now gearing up for the first race of the season with Leigh-based Richardson’s-Trek - the Jock Wadley Memorial Road Race in Colchester - and he says he cannot wait to get back on the bike.

“I am racing this weekend and I am really looking forward to it,” he said. “I have done well in in the past but there is a very good field this year.

“But I am in a good place physically and mentally and I know my body better too so that is great.

“I am thinking positive. We have a strong group and we are going well.”

Wood is clearly in peak condition, with a recent video of the team’s training camp in Majorca getting more than 900,000 views on Facebook after a long spell on the front.

But he said it took a while for him to get that confidence back, as he bid to recover mentally from the scars left after his crashes two years ago.

“It was difficult in lots of ways,” he said. “I wanted to race but as soon as I got back on the bike it felt great.

“The crashes affected me for a long time. I t wasn’t the physical side of things as such, it was not being on the bike.

“But this year I just want to get a full season under my belt. I am not focused on getting picked up by a professional team right now. I need to show what I can to do.”