No hill high enough as Sagar’s at the double (From Lancashire Telegraph)

No hill high enough as Sagar’s at the double

12:31pm Thursday 25th August 2011 in Cycling By Dave Brown, Cycling correspondent

BURNLEY’S Richard Sagar has scored a double success in winning both his North Lancashire Road Club Hill Climb Championship and also their 10-mile series Points League, which has been contested over the 2011 season.

Sagar was fastest up the steep climb of Close Brow from Rishton to the old ‘New Inns’ clocking a winning time of 1 minute 52.3 seconds, just three seconds ahead of Aidan Holgate, also of Burnley, in 1-55.3 with David Tomlinson third in 2-03.8, Simon Capstick 2-04.4 fourth and Shaun Whitehead fifth in 2-06.0.

This same hill has been used since the early 1950’s for local club’s hill climb title with Norman Whitehead of the Blackburn Eagles club – who now lives in Derby – handing over the winner’s trophy to the North Lancashire Road Club in 1956 after the Eagles club had folded.

Sagar will be presented with the Whitehead Trophy at the upcoming dinner and prize rresentation of his club.

The 10 Mile Series is based on the Wednesday evening 10 mile time trials held on a circuit near Clitheroe.

Sagar rode 12 of the 13 weekly events and in the one he did not ride performed one of the marshalling jobs necessary each week which gives a rider the maximum of 20 points – but only one stint of this is allowed each year.

The rider’s best 10 rides count for points and in the ones he rode he was either first or second in his other nine counters to give him a winning total of 195 points for the season.

Very close in second place came Darwen’s Paul Taylor, who was just one point behind with 194 points, followed by Simon Capstick third (179 points) and Dave McDonough fourth (148).

A new counting system for tandems had been devised for this year and the pairing of James Prossor and Gill Craske finished fifth and sixth respectively with 141 and 134 points, some of their rides being on the tandem and some solo.

The Rossendale 10-mile at Hapton had Paul Taylor in the driving seat with a 25 minute 26 seconds ride, just ahead of a trio of Rossendale riders with Paul Warrener next in 25-38, Roy Flanagan third in 25-56 and Derek Schofield fourth in 26-07.

It was an end-of-season feeling in the Pendle Forest 10 mile with only two riders turning out, with regular winner this year Ian Duckworth clocking 24m 40s and Martin Welsh 26-08.