YORK veteran Pete Skelton provided the decisive ride to see Clifton Cycling Club take the team prize in Harrogate Nova CC's circuit trial at Boroughbridge.

The 55-year-old, enjoying one of his best-ever seasons, recorded 1 hour 6 minues 35seconds on the 24.5 mile circuit at Boroughbridge on Saturday.

He was the fastest third counter in the Clifton team with team-mates Paul Musgrave and Rob Osman recording 1.03.50 and 1.04.08 respectively.

Knaresborough RT were Clifton's nearest challengers with their third man, Robert Bagot, finishing 20 seconds slower than Skelton.

Clifton were using the event as part of their open event time trial competition and had 11 riders entered in the field of 33.

fastest rider in the event was pre-race favourite Dave Thomas, of Leeds club GS Orion, who covered two laps of the Roecliffe/Bishop Monkton/Staveley/Minskip circuit on a hot and windy afternoon in 1-00-19. Holme Valley Whs' Richard Hey and Paul Milnes RT's Richard Harrison were second and third with 1-00-36 and 1-00-58. With team-mate Cath Tatlock a non-starter, Clifton's Helen Scull took the women's prize unopposed with 1-15-55.

Clifton times: Kevin Scully 1-08-58, Ian Toyne 1-08-40, George Young 1-07-03, Andy Hutcheon 1-11-34, Chris Carter 1-11-34, Phil Dustan 1-12-37.

VC York's Chris Clark took third place in the City Road Club (Hull) road race at Little Weighton.

Clark was part of a small group which caught a lead group of four riders just after the halfway mark in the 66 mile event over nine laps of the Little Weighton/Riplingham circuit.

Victory went to Cottingham Coureurs' Richard Moore, who attacked in the closing miles and managed to hold on to the line, with Huddersfield RC's Richard Binks leading in the chasers for second place.

Clark's team-mate Tom Shepherd, York Cycleworks' Lloyd Jones and Clifton's Nick Scull and Paul Musgrave all finished with the main field over a minute down.

Updated: 11:03 Saturday, July 05, 2003