Favourite Chris Newton broke the lap record on his way to winning the prestigious Ron Kitching Classic 25.5 mile invitation time trial at Ripon.

Stockton-on-Tees professional Newton, the national 25 mile and British Cycling Federation TT champion, recorded a first lap time of 25.15, taking two seconds off the record set last year by Stuart Dangerfield of Wolverhampton.

The Knaresborough Racing Team/Cromwell Polythene promotion, which has become one of the top two events of its type in the country, was based on two laps of a 12.5 mile circuit, taking in Kirby Hill - Dishforth - Sharow and the two climbs of Windmill Hill and Dishforth Bank.

One of the first to complete his first lap was junior Andrew Saunders (Knaresborough RT) with a 30.23 ride and that was beaten by Steve Gibson (GS Metro) in 28.10, Wayne Randle of Barnsley in 26.37 then Leek rider Mark Lovatt (Pro Vision) in 26.35.

RTTC National Circuit TT Series champion Michael Hutchinson quickly reduced that with 26.02 before Newton's record breaking time.

Randle was the first top seed to complete the race in 54.05 and Scunthorpe Polytechnic's Julian Ramsbottom came close with 54.22. Both riders were eclipsed when Hutchinson came home in 53.17 but Newton did enough to win in 51.47, two seconds outside Dangerfield's course record.

He picked up £200 and the Peter Longbottom Memorial award for the fastest lap.

Best of the local entrants was Kanresborough RT's Ben Patton who finished 13th overall in 58.36, followed by York's Nigel Thorpe (York Cycleworks/Trek) in 59.35 for 16th place.

Harrogate pair Mike Gill and Mike Shacklock recorded 1hr 6min 14sec and 58.56 respectively, Andrew Saunders of the promoting club came home in 1-02.10 to finish as third best junior while his team-mate, veteran John Fenwick, finished in 1-06.24.

Carlisle 16-year-old Jamie Bell was fastest junior, Huddersfield's Frances Newstead was fastest woman and Bell's clubmate Peter Smith was best veteran in 54.41.

York's Jim Laycock (Knaresborough RT) was second in his age category in the TLI Cragg Vale Hill Race in the Pennines which takes in an eight mile climb - the longest continuous climb in Britain - from Hebden Bridge to the summit.

His junior clubmates Andrew Saunders and Andrew Darbyshire competed in the North Eastern Cyclo-Cross Association's open cyclo-cross event at Middlesbrough, Saunders finishing 12th and Darbyshire two places behind.

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