CARL Helliwell, of Great Harwood, demonstrated that he was the local rider with the early season form when he clinched third place overall in the Rossendale Road Club time trial on Sunday.

Held over a 10 mile course based on the Ribble Valley village of Bolton-by-Bowland, the hilly roads suited Helliwell, an ex-National Team Championship member with Blackburn & District CTC, when he clocked 25 minutes 20 seconds for the distance against the winning 24m 19s of Craig Battersby of Bolton.

Other local cyclists in the top 20 in a start list of 90 entries were: 10 John Morgan (Chorley) 26m 21s, 12 and fastest Vet 40plus was event organiser Billy Rodgers (Blackburn) 26m 29s,13 Dave Metcalfe (Barnoldswick) 26m 30s, 16 Dave Collinge (Twiston) 27m 11s and 19 Julian Markham (Blackburn) 27m 23s.

Fastest Junior was Michael Forte of Great Harwood with 29m 04s and Derek Schofield of Rossendale was equal fastest Vet 50plus with 28m 15s.

This Saturday, the Clayton Velo Cycling Club promote the 36th annual Spring Classic over 15 laps of a circuit of just short of four miles close to Bashall near Clitheroe.

Event Organiser Billy Belcher of Haslingden has attracted some of the country's top cyclists including Kevin Dawson of Doncaster, and also a good number of local riders.

The event will be held as a handicap race with the scratch riders giving the lower category riders as much as eight minutes start. The race begins at 10am near Higher Hodder Bridge.

On Sunday the North Lancashire Road Club promote their annual Circuit of Pendle Time Trial and 72 riders will be starting at one minute intervals from 9am from close to Spring Wood Picnic Area near Whalley and returning 27 miles later after a course taking in the 1000 foot climb from Blacko.