Nieve Holmes: Enduro rider considers World Championship switch after Euro title win

Nieve Holmes helped Great Britain's women win the International Six Days of Enduro event in France in September

Nieve Holmes is contemplating a switch to the World EnduroGP Championship after winning her first European title.

Second place in the final round in Germany at the end of last month was enough to confirm Holmes as champion.

It capped a highly successful few weeks for Holmes after she helped Team GB win the women's title at the International Six Days of Enduro event in France.

"I'm not 100% sure what I'm going to do yet, but I am looking at doing the World Championship," she said.

"They've released their dates and locations and that's looking really good. I think that will be a great championship to do.

"But then I also love racing in the European Championship, their races are more old school and suit my riding style and I just have a lot of fun.

"But I'm still waiting for them to release their dates and where they're going to be, so it's looking like I will do the World Championship."

Enduro is an off-road motorbike sport, with riders having to negotiate various obstacles.

Holmes, from Wickham Market in Suffolk, made a flying start to the 2022 European campaign by winning the first five day-long rounds on her way to securing the the title.

"It's amazing, after four years of trying, I finally managed to do it," she told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I wasn't really expecting that at the start of the year, it was do the first round and see where I end up and go from there. To win the first five days and finish second in the remaining three days is much more than I could have expected really."

The chances of Holmes helping GB Women defend their International Six Days of Enduro event are not looking hopeful at the moment without extra financial backing, because of the costs involved in competing in Argentina, which will host the 2023 event.

"Argentina is a container job - pack everything up into your container and ship it off. You probably won't see your stuff for four months, two either side of the event," she said.

"Obviously I'd love to be involved if Team GB send teams. Sponsors play a massive part in me and the team being able to take part in events and get those results. Any sponsorship is greatly appreciated."

Nieve Holmes was speaking to BBC Radio Suffolk sports editor Graeme McLoughlin