AS the riders in the Tour de France toiled their way across France, four members of Leigh Premier Road Club knew exactly what they faced in the high mountains of the Alps, having just returned from their own personal Tour de France.

The four riders, Darren Topping, Paul Fish, Derek Unsworth and Bill Fairhurst spent the week prior to the start of the actual Tour in the French Alps, tackling the huge mountain passes that traditionally decide the final result of the Tour.

Staying near Bourg D'Oisans in the heart of the Alps, and at the foot of the legendary 1850m Alp D'Huez climb, the four riders climbed the legendary 21 hairpins of "the Alp" twice during the week, following in the wheeltracks of Lance Armstrong who won the stage there last year in front of an estimated one million spectators.

The quartet also climbed six other mountain 'cols' over 1500m, incuding the legendary Galibier, where the road reaches a height of 2650m, and where the thin air combines with the gradient to make it even tougher.

However, the hardest day of the trip was the 18 mile climb up to the Col de Croix Feu at 2067m, which they rode when the temperature reached 36 centrigade, as the region was officially declared by the French government as enduring a heatwave.

The club has continued to post good results in road races, with Mark Turnbull now having acheived an Elite Category racing licence as a result of his high placings this year.

In the North West Divisional Road Race Championships he finished 4th, with brother Nathan Turnbull seventh and Simon Bridge eighth.

Mark is also leading the season long North West "Recycling UK" Points League, a competition he also won in in 2004.

He continued to impress, finishing 10th in the tough "Tour of Snowdonia" Road Race.

In the Horwich Road Race, Simon Bridge finished in third place, while Nathan Turnbull finished 11th in the Horwich Carnival closed circuit criterium.

In the time trial competitions, it has been left to the veterans to fly the flag, with Derek Unsworth recording a season's best 1h-2m-50s in the Inter Club 25mile time trial at Rainford. Bill Fairhurst recorded his fastest 10 mile time for more years than he cares to remember, recording 23m-24s on a course at Levens near Kendal.

Andy Fox now has a commanding lead in the club's season long 10 mile points competition, based on the Tuesday evening 10 mile time trial series at Raniford. In second place is Eddie Doyle, with Andy Owen, Neal Sherratt and Pete Moore challenging strongly with six of the 15 events remaining.