Cycling: Brite continue `faultless' run

JON CLAY and his Brite team continue to ride high in British cycling. They swept to victory in the Travelwise four-day tour of Lancashire to remain unbeaten after eight Premier Calendar races, writes Robin Nicholl.

The Yorkshireman, 34, described his team as "faultless" after they defended his winning lead of one minute and four seconds over five tough laps of Longridge Fell near Preston yesterday.

"We have ridden so strongly that no one could have a go at us," said Clay, who first won the Lancashire tour six years ago and has now contributed four of his team's major successes this year. They have already won a place in Britain's new international stage race, the Prutour, which starts in three weeks' time.

"Obviously, we will become an average team in that company. We just don't have the preparation and therefore the same ability as the Europeans," Clay said. "We certainly want to steal something from that race, though. A stage win would be super."

They also have high-flying ambitions for next weekend's programme. Clay will defend his British 10-mile time-trial title in Cambridgeshire on Sunday, then he and three team-mates will be flown by helicopter to start their next Premier Calendar race, the Lincoln Grand Prix, only hours later.

Victory in yesterday's final leg of the 260-mile race went to Gary Adamson, riding for the Tour sponsor's own team. He outsprinted the pack at the end of an 87.5 mile race in Longridge.

TRAVELWISE TOUR OF LANCASHIRE, fifth and final stage (87.5 miles): 1 G. Adamson (Travelwise), 3hr 33min 42sec; 2 S. Higgins (CC Giro); 3 J. Winn (PDM Sport); 4 M. McKay (Harrod's); 5 M. Illingworth (Brite); 6 C. Farrell (Navan); all same time as winner. Final overall positions: 1 J. Clay (Brite) 10hr 29min 48sec; 2 C Newton (Brite) plus +1:04; 3 Illingworth +1:11; 4 K Dawson (Ambrosia) +1:20; 5 Winn +2:03; 6 McKay +2:23.

Sprints: Dawson. King of the Mountains: Winn.