SOUTHPORT CC's Jim Henderson made it a hat-trick of successes over Ramsbottom's Rake course when he won the Lancashire Road Club's open hill climb on Sunday.

For Henderson, whose finishing time was 2 minutes 24.5 seconds, ten seconds outside the course record, the win was his third in the last four years.

And was fully a deserved triumph as he finished more than five seconds ahead of his closest rival, clubmate Robert English (2.31.1).

Third place went to Darren Atkins of Coventry.

Blackburn and District CTC took the team prize their riders being Ian Stott, Carl Helliwell and Dave Collinge, in a time of 9 minutes 12.5 seconds.

The team prize was three tickets to the Isle of Man cycling week in July 2002, the tickets being presented by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company.

Other main prize winners were: 1st Veteran: 49-year-old Peter Greenwood of Clayton Velo in 2 minutes 56.6 seconds; 1st Junior: Paul Riley of GS Strada in 3 minutes 9.3 seconds and 1st Juvenile: 14-year-old Matt Winston of GS Strada in 3 minutes 34 seconds.

First lady home was Pauline Cooper of Trans Pennine CC in 5 minutes 5.3 seconds.

Pauline suffered a puncture seconds before she was due to start and only a hastily changed (and borrowed) wheel from Veteran winner Pete Greenwood ensured she could compete.

As always the event was a big success and the early morning mist lifted to give a relatively mild and calm day.

A total of 43 riders from 47 entransts started at one minute intervals from outside the library on Carr Street and finished just at the top of Rawson's Rake beyond the gates of Emmanuel Church, Holcombe.

For his efforts Henderson picked up the first prize of a Fausto Coppi "Torino" cycle to the value of £600 supplied by Geoff Smith Cycles, Bolton.