The Tour of Pendle has suffered some pretty un-summer like weather over recent years but at least Sunday’s version will have kept the 120 starters relatively happy.

That is until they had to tackle three ascents of the 1000-foot Moorcock climb through Blacko, which always sorts the wheat from the chaff.

Our Halford’s-Bike Hut professional Ian Wilkinson lives just off the course at Barnoldswick so knows the roads like the back of his hand, which probably helped him to a well-earned fourth place at the chequered flag in Nelson.

Overall winner of the Pendle race was top British-based road man of the moment Russell Downing of the Candi-TV pro team.

Come the first of September it will be interesting to see whether Downing has done enough this year to gain a place in the newly formed Team Sky road cycle racing team which is scheduled to be announced that day.

With the evenings drawing in there are not many local evening time trials to be held but on-form Paul Warrener of the Rossendale Road Club continued his run of success by winning two and missing a third with only three seconds.

In his own club’s 10-mile at Hapton, Warrener clocked 23minutes 54seconds beating North Lancs Road Club member Rob Dickinson into second (24-15), Roy Flanagan of Rossendale third (25-10) and Dave McDonough of North Lancs. Fourth in 25-54. Warrener won the Pendle Forest promotion with the 10 miles in 22m 17s beating three Forest riders with Craig Holden second (24-23), Steve Singleton third (24-54) and Martin Welch fourth (25-50).

Duncan Park of the promoting club had the beating of Warrener in the North Lancs 10 mile at Clitheroe with Park clocking 23-25 and Warrener those 3seconds behind in 23-28. Bob Matthews was third in 24-23 and Richard Wilson of Pendle Forest fourth in 25-15 with the tandem of James Prossor and Gill Craske in between with 24-48. There will be no 10 mile at Clitheroe next Wednesday but the annual Hill Climb will be held on Close Brow Rishton at 7pm.