THE shock news this week has been the announcement that the long-running Lancashire Road Club 12-hour time trial, due to be held this Sunday, has been cancelled.

Not since the first promotion of this famous event in 1924, excepting the World War Two years, has it been cancelled.

The club received only 18 entries for the half-day ride and, with a requirement of around 70 marshals and timekeepers as well as other helpers on the day, the decision was that it will not be held this year.

Two issues hit the entries, with the event having to change its date due to the National Championship on Cheshire and Shropshire roads on August 14 as well as a clash with the Yorkshire ‘12’, which is also scheduled for this weekend.

Our local 12 hour will be back in the program of events in 2012 and hopefully will have a better entry and carry on as normal.

The same club, the Lancashire Road Club, promoted a 25-mile time trial on the Garstang course last Sunday and Darwen’s on-form Ian Cox was our only local rider in the overall placings, taking fourth with his best ride on that course of 55 minutes 59 seconds.

The event was also a counter for the Lancs and Lakes Veterans TTA after one of their 25-mile events had to be cancelled in June.

Frank Kerry of Egerton again reigned supreme when it came to performance against age, with his 1hr 2mins 49secs at the age of 75 giving him a beating of the standard time for his age of 22mins 45secs.

The duo of James Prossor and Gill Craske, of the North Lancs Road Club, clocked up a new personal best at the distance of 59mins 45secs to take the tandem award.

In our East Lancashire based time trials, Rob Dickinson of Burnley was fastest in the Rossendale ‘10’ with 25mins 24secs beating Roy Flanagan (25-50), Paul Warrener (26-15) and a tie for 4th between Mark Bateman and Jason Craven in 26-35.

Dickinson had to settle for second in the Pendle Forest six mile with Craig Holden winning in 14-39, Dickinson 14-50, Kevin Hickie 15-16 and Martin Welsh 15-54.

At Clitheroe the close weekly battle between the top riders continued with a mere 12 seconds separating the top four. Simon Capstick repeated last week’s win with 24-38, followed by Paul Taylor (24-41), Richard Sagar (24-47) and Duncan Park (24-50).