Wheelbase rider Tom Armstrong got the better of prolific North West League winner Giles Drake (Team Elite) in a thrilling finish to round 14 of the North West League, staged by Horwich CC at Bolton’s Leverhulme Park on Sunday.

Armstrong crossed the line just a matter of inches ahead of Drake, who has secured several wins so far this season including a run of four in a row recently.

The day started with snow showers, but the sun ensured it did not hang around for long and softened up the course, although the day was still cold and there was little mud for the race, which was postponed from September 11.

Armstrong and Drake were neck and neck throughout the race, while Pete Middleton (Zepnat RT) was not far behind, and crossed the line third, around 30 seconds back.

Top veteran was the over-50 Dutch and Wolf rider Roy Hunt who was seventh overall, while Adrian Lawrence (Team Bglobal) was best over-40, back in tenth.

Results:

Seniors:
1 Tom Armstrong (Wheelbase)
2 Giles Drake (Team Elite)
3 Pete Middleton (Zepnat RT)
4 Paul Bethell (Bethel Electrical)
5 Martin Woffindin (CS Pendle)
6 Roy Davies (Team Elite)
7 Roy Hunt (Dutch and Wolf)
8 Jerrod Hartley (Horwich CC)
9 Richard Knowles (HCTB)
10 Adrian Lawrence (Team Bglobal)
Over-40s: Adrian Lawrence. Over-50s: Roy Hunt. Women: Becky Preece (Red Rose Olympic).

Youth:
1 Dylan Kerfoot-Robson (Rhos on Sea CC)
2 Robert Rogers (unattached)
3 Alex Braybrooke
Girls: Jess Wilkinson (Birkenhead North End CC).

Under-12s:
1 Alistair Leivers (Blackpool Youth CA)
2 Nathan Hawthorne (CS Pendle)
3 Lewis Hartley (Eastlands Velo)

British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.