WHAT a Spring Bank Holiday Monday it was for Steve Irwin and his North Lancashire Road Club, writes DAVE BROWN.

The 44-year-old Burnley racing cyclist was outright winner of the prestigious Anfield Bicycle Club 100-mile event in Shropshire with a superb 3 hours 46 minutes and two second performance.

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As the event was also nominated as the veterans Time Trials Association 2015 National Championship, with awards based on age allowance, Irwin also won both the individual title and a led his club to the team award backed by Darwen’s 45-year-old Ian Cox (3hrs 56mins 10secs) and Blackburn’s Dave Hargreaves 68-year-old (4hrs 25mins 42secs).

Although the Blackburn and District CTC 2-up on the A6/A586 10 mile course was won by a Fibrax-Wrexham Road Club pairing.

One of them was ex-BB CTC member Chris Edmondson who has moved that way and along with team-mate David Williams clocked a winning time of 20mins 53secs.

Blackburn’s Martin Kerry and son Will - of the Lancashire Road Club - won Team with a Juvenile award with 23mins 35secs, Simon Philips and Jason Bateman the Team with a 50+ veteran in 22mins 3secs where Gary Sedgwick and Austin Foy were second with 22mins 23secs.

Incredibly Sam Boast of Colne and Wheelbase Altura MGD again took third place in the main senior event at the Steven Burke circuit at Barrowford as he has done in all six rounds this year.

Of the Cycle Sport Pendle riders Bailey Paine, of Earby, was second in the fourth category race with Harry Pate of Hapton third.

Winner of the under-16s was Nelson’s Nathan Hawthorn while Charles Page of Clitheroe’s Green Jersey RT won the under-14 event.

The Lancashire Road Club 10-mile at Garstang had Mark Holton of drag2zero.com winner in the outstanding time of 19mins 33secs with Steve Irwin second in 20mins 5secs, Mark Haydock 20mins 55secs and Duncan Park 22mins 54secs clinched the team award for the NLRC.

Mark Haydock won the Rossendale Road Club 10 in 23mins 56secs with second going to Chris Smith (Condor RC) (25mins 52secs) and Rossendale members Dave Hunt (28mins 7secs) third and Luke Dabbs (28mins 17secs) fourth.

The Festival of Britain Trophy will be held on Thursday, June 4.

At Edisford, Shaun McHugh enjoyed his first win in his club’s 10-mile with a time of 24mins 33secs followed by Rossendale’s Andrew Russell in 26mins 19secs, Nathan Mitchell (Clitheroe Bike Club) followed with a time of 26mins 24secs just ahead of Dave Tomlinson (NLRC) in 26mins 28secs.