LANCASHIRE Road Club's Craig Battersby recently proved that he is probably the club's best all round rider. Already close to his first category road race licence, Craig once again produced a win in the Horwich Hilly time trial.

Craig's winning time was 48 minutes 17 seconds. A trip to Catterick a few days later saw Craig finish a 25 mile time trial in a time of 55.30.

Closer to home, Lancaster CC's 25 mile event was moved from it's original venue near Levens to the slower Brock course, LRC's representatives were Stan Simister and Colin Greenhalgh who returned times of 1:9:27 and 1:6:10 respectively. A third rider from the club would almost certainly have guaranteed the team prize.

LRC club runs will continue throughout the coming months with clubrunners normally meeting outside the Royal Oak pub on Tonge Moor Road at 9am on Sunday mornings. The ride on Sunday will be to the Koronet Cafe in Southport. Anyone wishing to join the run should turn up on the day with a roadbike (and spare inner tube - just in case!).

Once again the veteran riders of Horwich CC were at the sharp end of racing in the League of Veteran Racing Cyclist National Championships in Harworth, Doncaster.

Over the 60 mile course, Roy Francis placed himself in the winning break in the 40-44 age group and finished fifth, Vinny Smith jumped clear on the last lap to win in the 45-49 group. The 50-54 group race ended in a 70 rider bunch sprint, Alan Swimby placed eighth and Pete Halliwell 15th.

The club staged an 18 mile hilly time trial starting in Horwich, heading out through Belmont and finishing back in Horwich. Horwich rider Mark Leyland rode in at 53 min. Cal DiFalco put in a 56 min ride to finish first juvenile and Amy Hunt completed the course in 63 min to finish first female.

At Preston Arena Richard Sale rode the criterium race for U-16's and backed up his recent win with a third place.

A muggy warm morning for the Clarion's three rides. The C ride heading for Ribchester, the B ride off to Blackpool and the A ride visiting the famous Eureka caf on the Wirral, to see for the last time ever the yellow jerseys won by Chris Boardman in the Tour de France.

After 70 years of catering to cyclists the caf is to close down for good. The ride to Cheshire started in fine drizzle but by Lymm the skies were beginning to brighten and as we neared the Wirral the sun came out and the temperature began to soar.

On completion of lunch it was decided to take advantage of the Mersey Tunnel being open to cyclists on a charity ride, and journey home via Liverpool. The Anglican Cathedral and the Liver Birds came into view as we dropped into Birkenhead and we just made the tunnel by the skin of our teeth, a broken chain had almost aborted our plans for crossing the Mersey.

Dropping into the tunnel on empty lanes was a superb experience. The fast downhill into the bowels of the earth and the roaring in the ears on exit is quite an experience, one to be remembered.

On Sunday ride C will start at 9am, destination Hr Walton, the B ride head for Slaidburn and the A ride are off to Galgate. Both start at 8.30am. All rides meet at the town hall square. Friday night is Paul Hackin's annual all night ride leaving the Black Dog Belmont at 9.30pm. Details on all the above rides from Amy, tel. 01204 491595