THE Cleveleys Road Club promoted an innovative two-day time trial at the weekend when they held a 10-mile event on Saturday on a sporting course in the Fylde and a more traditional 25-mile event on Sunday morning on the well-used Garstang course with a points system across the two events deciding the final overall placings.

A strong contingent of East Lancs riders competed in the events, but in the end it was the up and coming short distance star of the Preston Wheelers, Darren Perry, who was overall winner with top placings in both events with times of 22mins 26secs and 54min 56secs respectively.

After all the on-going controversy over the use of performance enhancing drugs in the professional side of the sport of cycling, it was good to hear that Darren used one of the tried and tested methods on the Saturday evening before his 25-mile win when he claimed that he consumed eight pints of draught Guiness which had helped him to his outstanding ride the following morning!

Riders from local clubs who beat 24 minutes or 25 mph in the 10 mile were Keith Turner (North Lancs RC) 23mins 09secs, Neil Cooper (NLRC 23mins 28secs), Chris Briggs (NLRC) 23mins 32secs, Chris Lee (Blackburn & District CTC) 23mins 54secs and Dave Brown (NLRC) 23mins 56secs.

In the 25-mile, the following East Lancs club riders beat the hour - or 25mph! Keith Turner (NLRC) 56mins 46secs, Dave Brown (NLRC) 57mins 22secs, Fraser Snape (NLRC) 57.43, Neil Cooper (NLRC) 57.43, Chris Briggs (NLRC) 58.18, Chris Lee (Blackburn & Dist CTC) 58mins 24secs and Ian Stott (Blackburn and District CTC) 59mins 59secs.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.