THE final tables of the four month long Lakes and Lancashire Sporting Courses Competition – known locally as the ‘SPOCO’ – have been published with our East Lancashire based riders claiming more than their fair share of the spoils.

In the individual table our local riders claimed six of the top 10 places and in the team table they took five of the top 10.

In the final individual placings Mark Haydock was second, Peter Greenwood third, Duncan Park sixth, Bill Belcher eighth, Rob Dickinson ninth and Roy Flanagan tenth. Richard Bickley of the Carlisle-based Border City Wheelers came out overall winner.

In the team placings the North Lancs Road Club trio of Haydock, Park and Austin Foy were winners, Rossendale Road Club’s Flanagan, Paul Warrener and Derek Schofield third, Nelson Wheelers’ Chris Smedley, Ian Wilcock, and Stephen Moorhouse fifth, Clitheroe Bike Club’s Dickinson, Karl Mason and Andrew Hodgson seventh and Clayton Velo’s Belcher, David Tinker and Dave Smalley eighth.

Road works on the north end of the Clitheroe bypass resulted in the cancellation of the Nelson Wheelers 10 promotion on the A59 course and also caused the annual Rossendale Road Club Whalley to Settle time trial becoming Sawley to Settle.

The on-form Mark Haydock was fastest to Settle in 37 minutes 54 seconds with North Lancs. Road Club clubmate Duncan Park just half a minute slower in 38mins 24secs, Rob Dickinson third in 40mins 59secs and Paul Warrener fourth in 41mins 52secs.

Haydock was also winner of his own clubs’ 10 mile at Edisford in 23mins 29secs with John Foster of the same club second in 25mins 14secs, Karl Smith third (25mins 31secs) and David Haworth fourth (25mins 53secs).

This was Smith’s first placing in the top three in the 10 mile event since his recent come-back began.

Karl, now 47, was a successful professional rider a quarter of a century ago with rides in the Milk Race and Kelloggs Tour of Britain.

A thunderstorm half an hour before the start of the Tuesday evening 10 mile event at Hapton caused some riders to give it a miss but a good number braved the conditions.

The winner was visitor Chris Smith of Bronte Wheelers in 25 minutes 15 seconds followed by Rossendale’s Roy Flanagan (25mins 46secs) and Andrew Russell (27mins 58secs) and Alan Sagar of NLRC (29mins 26secs).

Meanwhile, Blackburn’s Dave Hargreaves beat his previous best 50 mile time at the weekend.In the event in Yorkshire Dave returned over the Pennines with an excellent 1hour 57mins 36 secs.