Partridge (second left) has represented Wales in the Commonwealth Games

Around 120 of Britain's top cyclists defied appalling weather in the annual Ryedale Grand Prix, part of the British Cycling Premier Calendar series.

Welshman Rob Partridge won a sprint finish to the line at Duncombe Park to win his first Premier Series race.

Rain turned the Hovingham to Grimston Moor road into a series of streams.

"It was grim, for one lap it was like riding in a monsoon. The only thing we could do is laugh about it and shiver," Partridge said.

The Endura rider outsprinted Darren Lapthorne and Wouter Sybrandy up the hill to the finish, the trio having broken clear of the pack much earlier.

It's a big event, we feel it's something different in Ryedale Race director Bob Howden

Partridge's Endura team-mate Scott Thwaites won the under-23 prize, finishing 15th overall.

Race director Bob Howden said he was aware that there were heavy storms moving north from Leicestershire, but they arrived sooner than he expected.

"Much of the course was awash," he told BBC Radio York, "but it was a really great team effort from the marshals."

One of them, Keith McKay from Poppleton near York, was on duty at Hovingham, the hub of the two race circuits.

"We had around 100 people here at this time last year, it was a lovely day. This year we could probably count them on one hand," he said.

The event is, in effect, a continuation of an earlier one, the Peter Longbottom Memorial Road Race, inaugurated as a tribute to the Olympic team time trial medallist from Malton who died in 1998.

Alastair Milner, who rode with Longbottom for many years and watched the race at Hovingham, said: "He was a good friend of mine. He was well respected, he was a true star to us all and a brilliant rider."

Norton college won the Schools Mountain Biking event which was staged at the Duncombe Park starting and finishing point.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version