DARWEN’S top time trialist Ian Cox smashed a 28-year-old record at the weekend – and it was my own record that he beat!

The on-form Cox clocked up a new 50-mile record for the North Lancashire Road Club of one hour 46 minutes 42 seconds – at a speed of more than 28mph – on roads between Stoke and Derby, beating my own 1-49-31 for the distance, which had stood since 1983.

Two other North Lancs Road Club riders tested out the Rossendale Road Club 10-mile course ahead of the interclub competition this week and came away with the top two places.

Fastest was Richard Sagar with a 24 minute 37 second ride – just beating team-mate Rob Dickinson’s 24-46, with Paul Warrener of the organising club third in 24-59 and his own team-mate Martin Tonge fourth in 25-02.

At Thornton-in-Craven, Ian Duckworth was again best in the Pendle Forest promotion over 10 miles with 24-55 ahead of Kevin Hickie (25-34), Martin Welsh (25-49) and Steve Singleton (26-34).

At Edisford near Clitheroe, Simon Capstick of the NLRC was winner with 24-03 – beating Paul Warrener (24-39), Dave McDonough (25-23) and Gary Sedgwick (25-44).

Ian Wilkinson, of Barnoldswick and riding for his Endura team, scored another excellent win in the City of Preston Grand Prix on Sunday afternoon. If he can do the same in his event on Sunday he really would make the headlines.

Wilkinson will be up against many of the sport’s top international pros – including recent Tour Green Jersey winner Mark Cavendish – in the Olympic Road Race Test Event, scheduled to start and finish on The Mall in London. Almost 20 countries are sending their Olympic hopefuls to try out the 140km course, which is a shortened version of that to be used for the Big One in 2012.

However there has been much controversy about the roads selected for use next year.

The route includes Box Hill in Surrey but strict restrictions have since been placed on the landmark hill because of the rare habitat that it supports. Tight limits have also been established on numbers of spectators allowed on the climbing section that would be one of the very few viewing opportunities available without charge in an Olympic event.