A COUPLE of local racing cyclists have been stacking up victories in recent days.

Andrew Tinsley enjoyed a very successful week's racing in the Isle of Man International Cycling Festival, gaining five wins in a week.

His first win came in Douglas on Sunday evening in a hill climb event starting on the promenade and finishing at the top of the Falcon Cliff, beating national hill climb champion

Jim Henderson by2. 4 seconds, only just missing the course record by 0.2 seconds.

Criterium specialist Andy riding for the Paul Moy Travelwise Peugot

Team travelled to Castletlown on Monday evening for a criterium race and claimed victory again.

On Tuesday he gained his third win in front of a large crowd at Douglas where he and GB International rider Joe Armstrong broke away from the main field and Tinsley took the winning sprint.

Wednesday saw another win for Andy when he travelled to the other side of the island to Port Erin for a third criterium.

Six riders escaped the main field and he again took the final sprint notching up his fourth victory of the week.

Thursday's race saw Andrew celebrating his 35 birthday with a victory on a tight and technical course on Laxey promenade, where he notched his fifth win of the week.

With those wins under his belt, Andy claimed the Liverpool Echo Star Trophy award for the fourth time.

Also hitting form is Rainford's Edmund Leary.

Now back riding for St Helens CRC, Edmund scored one win and a second spot in the racing at Woodvale near Southport on Saturday.

It was a lucky diversion for the Liverpool University student who should have been racing in Yorkshire but Foot and Mouth wiped out that fixture.