Although individual time trial records have been recognised by the North Lancashire Road Club since it was founded in 1950, team records have only been recorded since 2004.

On this basis, a new 25-mile team record was set on Saturday when the 53-32 of Blackburn’s Fraser Snape, along with the 56-41 of Mark Goodchild of Knowle Green and the 58-19 of Blackburn’s Mal Gill, set a new record aggregate time of 2h48m32s.

Additionally, Goodchild and Gill clocked personal bests and apart from a chain problem that delayed Snape another PB would have been guaranteed.

Other great performances on the course between Stoke and Uttoxeter came from Rossendale Road Club’s Roy Flanagan, whose superb 54m- 37s ride smashed his own previous best and 57-29 from Clitheroe‘s Neil Fort.

The weather conditions were not quite so favourable for time trialling 100 miles further north on the Levens 10-mile course where Burnley’s Mick Ellerton did an excellent 20m 22s ride to win the veterans event.

In the senior race, Ian Stott of Blackburn and District CTC was fastest of our local riders with 20-55.

The tandem of Gil Craske and James Prossor also clocked a new PB of 20-42.

On the following morning in heavy rain on the same roads, Jason Bateman of Pendle Forest CC produced a 54m 04s ride for second place in the Lancaster CC ‘25’ with Stott fourth in 54-39 and Forest’s Simon Phillips eighth in 56-40.

There is still time to get along to watch the National Track championships which are ongoing at the Manchester Velodrome.

Today the women’s sprint with Victoria Pendleton is scheduled, tomorrow sees the Men’s Sprint with Sir Chris Hoy and also the Men’s Pursuit with the last day being Saturday.

The reunion for 1950’s and 1960’s CTC riders was a great success last week when held at The Bonny Inn in Salesbury.

Furthest travelled was Derek Mayall who had emigrated to Perth, Australia, 40 years ago, and Jim and Anne Read who made the journey across the Atlantic from New England to be present.

Among the 100 or so present were around 20 riders from the Blackburn Eagles Cycling Club that folded in around 1956 but is still very much fondly remembered by it’s members.