LONG Preston's Mary Wilkinson is a sportswoman of many talents, but even she must have though there were long odds on her winning an e-sports world title just a few years ago.

However, the Skipton and District AC runner and Yorkshire Road Club cyclist has chalked up a virtual victory at the CVR Cycling World Cup in Canada.

The event, held in Vancouver at the end of last month, saw standard road bikes attached to a Turbo Trainer, which was in turn connected to the Zwift computer programme.

The virtual system automatically adjusts the resistance to the gradient of the course. It all sounds rather complicated, but in essence, the harder the riders pedalled, the faster they went.

In an unusual twist, Wilkinson entered the competition almost by accident. She chose a race on Zwift without realising originally that it was the second round of the CVR World Cup League.

Having enjoyed the competition and the boost to her fitness levels, she competed in the rest of the eight-week league, before learning that there were prizes to be won.

Having won her (time) Zone category in the league, she was invited to compete alongside other winners around the world for a £10,000 prize in Canada.

Despite the competition being virtual, all riders had to travel to the season finale at the Harry Jerome Velodrome in Vancouver to ensure a level playing field, with the same machinery.

The event saw 10 cyclists from a wide range of countries competing in front of thousands of spectators who could live stream the action.

The opening stage saw the riders undertake a time trial over a flat 11-kilometre circuit. Wilkinson did well, and came second behind the former Australian professional, Vicki Whitelaw.

This was followed just minutes later by head-to-head racing, with the regular sprints to secure points producing some exciting action.

Wilkinson excelled again, and won out in an extremely close battle with US rider Claudia Behring.

The riders were tested to the limit on the final day with a flat, criteriums style race sandwiched between two hilly courses.

The Long Preston cyclist is a particularly strong climber and decided to attack the "Box Hill" course in the first of that trio of races.

That decision proved important to her chances of securing the World Cup as she stormed to victory and picked up several points in the process.

The intense sprinting involved in the middle race took its toll on all of the riders, but Wilkinson did well enough to remain in a great position to secure the title.

In a tight final encounter, she and Behring eventually pulled away, and as the pair crossed the line, Wilkinson was confirmed as the champion of the world.

The racing may be virtual, but Wilkinson insists that the pain, emotion and competition are all akin to "real" cycling.

The competition is open to all, and with a £10,000 winners prize and the chance to become a World Cup winner at stake, it might just be worth getting involved in.