Tim Lawson confirmed his early season form by beating a quality field to win the Rossendale Road Club at Bolton-by-Bowland in the Ribble Valley on Saturday.

Lawson, a director of the Brockhall Village based Science-in-Sport Sports Nutrition Company, clocked 25 minutes 46 seconds for the 10.3 mile hilly event in strong winds.

He beat runner-up Alistair Robinson, of the Keswick Bikes team, by a slender six seconds.

East Lancs riders took a further five of the top twenty places with Ian Stott 5th in 26-11, Peter Greenwood 8th 26-59 (1st Vet 50), Carl Pawson 13th 27-54, Rob Dickinson 14th 27-55, Adam Pinder 15th 27-57 (1st Junior) and Simon Phillips 20th 28-33.

On the following day, the 40th Clayton Spring Classic was dominated by the professional Rapha-Condor-Recycling team who claimed the first six places with multichampion Chris Newton first past the chequered flag.

The next big test is the Circuit of Pendle on Sunday although Lawson is not entered for this one.

Organiser of this North Lancashire Road Club promotion is Peter Briscoe of Great Harwood who nevertheless has an interesting field of almost 60 for this 27 mile time trial that starts and finishes close to Spring Wood Picnic Area near Whalley.

Harry Haseley, of the promoting club, will go first rider off at 9-06 am with the rest at one minute intervals in an event that takes in the 1000 foot climb past The Moorcock at Blacko.