On the eve of the Opening Ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, Great Britain's Cycling Coach Rod Ellingworth has paid tribute to Manx cycling star Jonny Bellis.

Bellis will compete in Saturday's Road Race over a tough 248 kilometre course in the shadow of the Great Wall of China, described by many experts as one of the toughest seen at an Olympics with an uphill finish.

The Isle of Man rider is in the British team alongside Steve Cummings, Roger Hammond and Ben Swift.

Ellingworth has said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Jonny, he is only 19 years old and will be here without any pressure to win.

"He is an incredible talent and Beijing will be great for his development."