York Cycleworks junior rider Stephen Ward has hit a rich vein of form with a hat-trick of wins in the space of a week.

He took victory in the Chesterfield Spire Midsummer Road Race from an eight-man gallop on the hilly Baslow course in the Peak District.

He followed this with a sprint victory in the East Yorkshire Road Race Series, despite Cottingham Coureurs trying to set up their star sprinter Paul Purdy.

This success took Ward to within one point of series leader Adam Hardy (Peter Read Racing Team).

Ward showed superb all round ability in taking his third win, at the City Road Club Hull 66m race.

After a six-man breakaway had gained a lead of over a minute, Ward dropped the rest of the field on the climb before using his time-trialling ability, which made him the national junior 25-mile champion last year, to catch the leaders.

A good sprint brought Ward victory and moved him into the top five ranked juniors in Britain despite having missed several weeks' racing through illness early season.

Muir keeps Border title

Jonathan Muir brought York Cycleworks another win when he defended his Border Trophy title at Ponteland.

Having infiltrated a ten-man breakaway, the Tockwith rider attacked on the difficult Bilsmoor climb with 55 of 95 miles still to go.

Only Ian Helliwell (Middridge CRT) followed and the two built an 11-minute lead by the line where Muir easily outsprinted Helliwell.

The Ellis Briggs Grand Prix on the tough Beckwithshaw curcuit, meanwhile, saw Alastair Kay come close to making it three wins in a day for York Cycleworks.

He ended a close second to Barnsley's Wayne Randle (Planet X), after the pair had produced an epic breakaway, which left many of Britain's best struggling in their wake on a day of torrential rain.

Bishopthorpe-based Kay was awarded the most aggressive rider trophy having won four of the seven primes (lap prizes).

Thorpe sets new record

YORK rider Nigel Thorpe (Brough Wheelers/British Aerospace) swept to a record-breaking victory in the Yorkshire Sporting Courses TT series at Sheriff Hutton.

The Acomb postman broke Strensall rider Nigel Goscinski's year-old lap record for the Sheriff Hutton-Bulmer-Terrington circuit as he recorded 27 minutes 14 seconds over the opening 11-mile lap.

He was more than two minutes faster than his nearest rival, Martin Shaw (Knaresborough RT).

Thorpe slowed fractionally on his second lap but was still able to set a new two-lap record and collect a maximum 40 points to enhance his overall lead in the competition.

Other York riders' times were: Jim Laycock (Knaresborough RT) 1-06-06 and Andy Fraser (Velo Club York/Sanyo).

Thorpe maintained his form to win the latest round of the Sports City Online Cycle Racing League, a ten-mile time trial on the Marton-Walshford course, in 22 minutes 23 seconds.

Harrogate teacher veteran Shacklock (Otley CC), 56, was runner-up, while York's Stuart Spencer recorded 26-0 and his 17-year-old Knaresborough RT clubmate won the junior race in 26-19.