Perry, who is from Aldwick, said: "I was delighted to accept the invitation from Ben Luckwell, currently the UK National Vets Champion.

"It is both a challenge and a fantastic opportunity."

The launch of the team at the British Airways London Eye – the biggest bicycle wheel in the world – was hosted by the chairman and president of Jelly Belly Candy Company, who flew in from the United States and was attended by cycling luminaries David Duffield, Vin Denison and Phil Leggit.

Originally from Brighton, Perry (21) comes from a very keen cycling family.

To keep up with family expectations, he went to ride in Belgium at the tender age of 16.

Belgium is known to have just about the hardest racing there is, so is good training ground.

"I got into cycling because my dad and brother were professional cyclists and I grew up looking up to them, and to Tim Harris, who stayed with us quite a lot.

"I wanted to be a professional cyclist just like them.

"I enjoy it because there's no hiding in bike racing.

"If you don't put the effort in you don't get the results, and there's
no job that can compare to being a full-time racing cyclist.

"The main reason for joining the team was to ride for and with Ben Luckwell.

"I really look forward to helping him in the races, and having been living and racing in Belgium for four years I felt like I had done my apprenticeship out there and wanted to come back to the UK and hopefully get some big results."

Perry showed an impressive sprint when he finished fifth at in his latest run-out with Sports Beans at Chertsey.

A 50-mile race on a testing course was marred by a number of crashes.
Attempts by riders to break clear from the main pack were unsuccessful and virtually the entire field, of more than 60 riders, sprinted for the finish line together.

Perry finished just behind the winner and team-mate Marcin Bialoblocki from Poland.

Chichester's Mark Trevis, a newcomer to the sport, continued to improve by finishing 18th in the same time.

Meanwhile, Graeme Stirzaker from Chichester formed part of the winning team of three in his own club's ten-mile time trial held at Rake.

Riding for a3crg, he finished 11th, just over a minute slower than winner Chris Birch from Farnham. Stirzaker averaged 25mph for the hilly course to assist his team mates Phill Sykes and Sebastian Ader to take the team prize.