IT WAS another successful weekend for the Blackburn and District CTC hill climb team but the real test of truth will come this Sunday in the National Championship Title Race in Derbyshire.

Last Saturday morning in the Halifax Racing Club two stage hill climb at Luddenden, reigning champion Jim Henderson of the Southport Cycling Club was fastest in 5 mins 57.3 secs with the Blackburn squad packing Carl Helliwell (6:09.7), Ian Stott (6:21.6) and Dave Collinge (6:32.9) into third, fourth and sixth places.

However, in the afternoon on an adjacent hill, Ian Stott pulled a tremendous ride out of the bag to beat Henderson with a time of 5:43.1 to the 5:43.9 of the national champion.

This augers well for Stott for next year when it is planned to hold the title race on this same hill. Carl Helliwell took fourth in 5:57.9 and Dave Collinge sixth in 6:26.4 and the CTC were clear winners of the team award across the two climbs.

Nearer home on the Nick O Pendle at Sabden on Sunday, surprise winner was Steve Feeney of Leigh in 3:59.1 but Helliwell took second in 4:04.9, Collinge third in 4:19.4 and Neil Reynolds fourth in 4:25.0 and it was another team win for the Blackburn and District CTC.

All this was after the in-form Ian Stott produced second fastest ride, but was penalised for arriving late at the start point. Peter Greenwood of the Clayton Velo was again fastest V50 as he had been the previous day.

The CTC Club field their strongest team including the recently absent Dave Ebbrell in the title race on Sunday on the the six mile-long climb of the Cat and Fiddle from Macclesfield. The race has attracted a maximum field of 120 riders with the first rider off at 10.01am.

A BIG prize fund has enticed a top field to the Science in Sport.com promotion at Oakhill College in Whalley Lancashire.

Barry Clarke (Helly Hansen) will be hoping to hold off Stuart Wearmouth from the promoting club and Paul Oldham as he did in last week's National trophy.

Local interest will centre on the duel between the promoting clubs Ian Wilkinson from Burnley who will have teammates Dave Collins and rising star Stuart Wearmouth hot on his heels.