HOST club rider Kit Gilham was in the thick of the action in the Clifton Cycling Club Road Race.

The morning's prologue time trial was won by Sam Webster of Kinesis, but it was close, with ten of the 50 starters being within 25 seconds of his time.

The afternoon's road race started at a scorching pace, with Gilham making a solo breakaway early on the first lap, and the race split into small groups with significant gaps between them.

Prologue winner Webster found the pace too hot and abandoned on the fourth lap. He was not alone, as only 29 of the riders finished the five-lap, 55-mile race.

Gilham was eventually caught by a chasing group of five, and together they gradually increased their lead on the rest of the field.

The finish was largely fought out on the last climb into Sheriff Hutton, with junior Simon Wilson (Worcester St John CC) rounding the last corner first and holding on until the line.

Gilham took a well-earned second, and Simon Keeton (Rutland CC) was third. The combined times for the two events resulted in the same top three overall, who took the main prizes supplied by sponsors Cycle Heaven.