THE Nelson Wheelers Cycling Club are celebrating their centenary year and what could be better than having a record entry for their annual Circuit of the Dales Classic Time Trial which is now in its 66th year.

The event will be held on Sunday taking in the same 50 mile route that the inaugural event took from Ingleton, Burton-in-Lonsdale, skirting the Devils Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale to Sedbergh, Hawes and back over Ribblehead to Ingleton.

The honours list is a record of some of the top names in British cycling including our own Alan Ramsbottom who now lives in Nelson, Stan Brittain, Vin Denson and Chris Boardman – all of who went on to ride in the Tour de France.

Event secretary Steve Wilkinson has a total entry of 153 of which 150 will start at minute intervals from 8.01am with the additional three certain of a ride in place of any non starters.

The prize list is a record pot at more than £800 and the HQ is at the Ingleborough Community Centre in Ingleton.

The circuit is a qualifying event for the on-going Sporting Courses (SPOCO) competition which presently has Clitheroe Bike Club’s Rob Dickinson in the lead with the North Lancs Road Club top of the team table.

In the latest counting event over a 20-mile course in Cumbria Peter Greenwood of Burnley and riding for Team Swift was seventh, Duncan Park (NLRC) ninth and Dickinson tenth with the winner 16-year-old Alex Foster of the promoting Border City Wheelers club. SPOCO riders should note that the final event of the series – the Rossendale Road Club 11 mile at Bolton-by-Bowland – scheduled for Saturday, July 5, at 2pm will now be held on Saturday, June 29, at 4pm.

The sad news this week is the death of Harry Law. He was a Rossendale Road Club stalwart over many years.

A service will be held tomorrow at Burnley Crematorium at 10.40am.