WHAT a weekend it was for our East Lancashire racing cyclists with a new British 100-mile record and new British team record.

On Sunday morning the in form Richard Bideau, of Pendle Forest Cycling Club, smashed the 12-year-old British 100-mile record. Not only that, but he also took the average speed above 30mph for the first time.

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The record breaking did not end there as the trio of Steve Irwin, Ian Cox and Brian Fogarty of North Lancashire Road Club set a new British team record.

Bideau’s time of an incredible 3 hours 18 minutes 54 seconds took almost four minutes off the 2003 best of Kevin Dawson and the 3hrs 25mins 19secs of Irwin plus 3hrs 34mins 39secs of Cox and 3hrs 42mins 4secs of Fogarty gave a new British team record of 10hrs 42mins 2secs for their club.

Burnley’s Peter Greenwood returned a personal best of 3hrs 42mins 17secs, which gave him a national record for his age of 63.

Dave Hargreaves of NLRC just missed the four-hour barrier at the age of 69 with 4hrs 2mins 55secs.

Amazingly Bideau had clocked 47mins 57secs and Irwin 48mins 28secs in a 25-mile event on the previous afternoon taking second and third placings.

The East Lancashire duo were beaten only by the 46mins 38secs of National Champion at the distance Matt Bottrill.

“It was totally unexpected – I am quite amazed,” said Bideau after his record breaking effort.

“About 50 miles in I started to realise that I wasn’t far off competition record pace, it was all a bit insane, and I kept thinking ‘am I going to pay for this?’ “But it didn’t happen and I even managed to raise my power a little bit towards the end. I kept saying to myself ‘don’t blow it now, you might not get the chance again.’ “I felt fine until I crossed the line and then I was in bits. I struggled to turn the cranks to get back to HQ.”

Bideau was not the only East Lancashire man to impress over 100 miles at the weekend.

Simon Wilson, who rides for Polypipe Cycling, came equal fourth in the national championships in Wales.

The race took place in wet conditions and Padiham’s Wilson rode strongly for fourth in a time of 3hrs 38mins 53secs.

That was a little over six minutes behind winner Charles Taylor (South Pennine Road Club).

Next year’s national championships will be held over the course that Bideau broke the record on in Stockton.

Elsehwere, with other cycling events at Skipton clashing with the usual Thursday series on the Steven Burke Hub at Barrowford, there was just one event for third and fourth category riders, with Cycle Sport Pendle taking the top places.

Joe Auty was the winner and Harry Pate was second.

Chris Smith of the Condor Road club was again winner of the Hapton ‘10’ with a time of 23mins 30secs followed by three Rossendale members - Paul Warrener 25mins 44secs, Andrew Russell 26mins 45secs and Roy Flanagan 26mins 49secs.

The entry for the annual Whalley to Settle was reduced due to the threat of thunderstorms but Chris Smith was the winner in 47mins 43secs beating Warrener (48mins 53secs), Paul Target of Pendle Forest (53mins 25secs) and Nic Rowley of Rossendale who came home in 1hr 4mins 55secs.

Billington’s Mark Haydock was again the winner of the Edisford based 10 mile of his own North Lancs Road Club in a time of 23mins 12secs - followed by team mate Duncan Park (24mins 5secs), Rossendale’s Nick Cooper (24mins 17secs) and Shaun McHugh (NLRC) in 25mins 3secs. The ever improving Haydock clocked a personal best ‘25’ of 51-24 on Saturday.