IAN Wilkinson missed out on the chance to claim a CiCLE Classic hat-trick when he finished fifth in Sunday’s race.
Team Raleigh GAC’s Wilkinson, from Barnoldswick, had won the event twice before but couldn’t make it a treble as NFTO star Steele Von Hoff took the victory with Wilkinson fifth in the sprint finish although the Australian didn’t realise he’d won.
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“It was a real surprise because I thought there were four other riders away up the road,” said Von Hoff.
“I thought there was a group that went earlier.
“I thought they were a long way off and we had no chance of catching up so I honestly thought we were sprinting for fifth.”
In the end the race come down to a bunch finish after no-one managed to make a break stick but Wilkinson didn’t quite have the firepower to prevail.
Team Raleigh GAC’s Bradley Morgan, from Chorley, also rode but was a non-finisher.
Polypipe Cycling’s Simon Wilson missed the race with injury while Team Wiggins’ Steven Burke was also a non-finisher in what is billed as Britain’s toughest one-day race.
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