SOME of the country's top specialists dominated a jamboree of hill climbing when Cleveland Coureurs Cycling Club promoted their two-day event comprising of four separate stages.

Clifton CC's George Young, 50, achieved the notable distinction of taking the top veteran placing with his 13th place overall, an extremely creditable performance for the Stamford Bridge rider.

All the climbs were around Upper Swaledale to the west of Reeth, and the action started with the ascent of the 2.17-mile Buttertubs Pass, on the northern side.

Blackburn and District CTC's Ian Stott beat Coventry's Darren Atkins by just four seconds in the final stage on the 1,086-yard Feetham Hill.

The slender margin of victory proved decisive however as Stott took the overall crown from Atkins, with Blackburn's Carl Helliwell claiming third place.

Doncaster Wheelers' 25-mile time trial on the Hatfield Woodhouse course in South Yorkshire was won by Barry Charlton (Stone Wheelers) in 57m-22s, beating Dave Thomas (GS Orion) by 46 seconds.

The Clifton CC tandem pairing of Rob Osman and Claire Gilmartin pulled out a fine performance to win the tandem event with a highly respectable time of 1hr-00m-30s: putting them over four minutes clear of the second place pairing.

The annual Clifton CC club hill climb takes place on Sunday, October 7, with the first rider off the line at 11am. The 2km course is on the Worsendale climb, out of Bishop Wilton, almost to its junction with the A166 above Garrowby Summit.

Guest riders are welcome who to test their hill-climbing abilities against the stopwatch. Those riders wishing to ride out to the event should meet at 9am at Exhibition Square.

Updated: 12:01 Saturday, September 29, 2001