The ORGANISERS of Sunday’s Ramsbottom Rake race say the event was the highest-quality entry since the event doubled up as the National Hill Climb championships in 2012.

The event, which started at the library in the town centre and climbed up towards Lumb Carr Road near to the Shoulder of Mutton pub, is only 875 metres long but, though short, it makes up for it in steepness – reaching a maximum gradient of 22 per cent in the steep sections.

Seventy riders took part in this year’s event with current national champion Dan Evans missing out on victory by just two seconds.

The Team Elite/Paul Bethall Electrical rider crossed the line in 2mins 27.1secs but it wasn’t enough to overhaul defending champion Lee Baldwin, with the Champion System man retaining his title with 2:26.4.

Duncan Smith, secretary of the organising Lancashire Road Club, said he was delighted with the stellar field.

“I think it was our best since we held the National Championships.”

The first rider to set a time was Ramsbottom’s own Ian McKinley.

The Lancashire Road Club member clocked 3:19:07 and Smith added: “We thought it would be nice if we got the most local guy to start things off and you can’t get more local than Ian who is from Ramsbottom.”

Despite the hill climb being the usual success, it was not such good news for local club Bury Clarion who were unable to retain the team award for the third successive year.

With Gareth Davies unable to ride, Joe Cadwallader was supported by veteran Jason McDonald and juvenile Francis Woodcock but the Bury-based side lost out to LRC, whose time of 3:45.3 saw them awarded the title for the best team of three.

Bury’s respective times were 3:3.4, 3:29.5 and 3:35.0 respectively and their placings of the 57 finishers were 28th, 42nd and 44th.

Their aggregate team time was 10:7.7 for third-placed team, just 1:27.2 behind the winners.

Cadwallader was not at his best and was 5.6 seconds short of his personal best for the course.

Thirteen-year-old Woodcock improved markedly by 23 seconds from last year, while McDonald’s time was very respectable for a first attempt veteran on the course.