Eight-year-old British cyclist Ruby Isaac got a pleasant surprise on Monday when she received a personal message from road race world champion Peter Sagan.

A video of keen young cyclist Isaac was posted on her Twitter account showing her grabbing a handful of Haribo Gold Bear sweets after her ride, emulating Sagan’s consumption of a handful of the sweets after winning Belgian race Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

“I was a bit tired after a long ride this evening….Luckily I got a tip from @petosagan”, said Isaac, who lives in Kettering.

Sagan replied within two hours, saying: “You could even become a world champion in a few years… So, remember never give up!”

The Bora-Hansgrohe pro then followed Isaac on Twitter, putting her into a very elite category as the Slovakian star only follows 66 people – much to her continued delight.

The original video of Sagan scoffing down Haribo after the Belgian cobbled classic has become something of a hit.

After dropping out of Strade Bianche on Saturday citing poor health, Sagan is due to return to action at Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy on Wednesday.