CYCLING: A LATE surge gave Scott Chalmers victory in the Cricklade Festival Road Race on Saturday.

Chalmers (Leisure Lakes RT), who rode as a junior last year and spent most of this season racing in Holland, took the win on the final ascent of Common Hill, finishing just ahead of breakaway companion Ian Guffick (Cheltenham CC).

Attacks started almost as soon as the riders left Cricklade Leisure Centre, but were brought under control by an alert peloton.

A fast-paced race saw speeds of 35 miles per hour through Chelworth Lower Green until two riders eventually gained a 40-second gap with just two laps to go.

Some strong riding by the local GWR Team ensured that local rider Daniel Smith (GWR Team) led the bunch into the sprint to take third place at 30 seconds behind the winner.

Promoting club Swindon saw two riders place in the top 10 Nick Stephen in seventh and Sam McCurdy ninth. First junior rider home was Ed Griffin (Somer Valley CC) who placed 11th overall.

Results 1 Scott Chalmers, Leisure Lakes, 1hr 26m, 2 Ian Guffick, Cheltenham & County CC, st, 3 Daniel Smith, GWR Team/Scott Wilson/TotalBike/Steel Davies/Meta, at 30 secs, 4 Rupert Beale, Didcot Phoenix CC, st, 5 Tim Benham, VC St Raphael/Waite Contracts, st, 6 Stuart Salmon, Sodbury Cycle Sport/Terry's Cycles/Nelson Butchers, st, 7 Nick Stephen, Swindon RC/TotalBike.Rudy Project, st, 8 Nicholas Beale, Didcot Phoenix CC, st, 9 Sam McCurdy, Swindon RC/TotalBike.Rudy Project, st, 10 Julian Thacker, CC Weymouth, st, 11 Edward Griffin, Somer Valley CC, 1st Junior, 12 Simon Mears, Ridecycleworks, 13 Stuart Curtis, Bath CC, 14 Phil Parsons, Evesham & District Wheelers, 15 Mark Rickaby, Clevedon & District RC, 16 Mike Edwards, Cheltenham & County CC, 17 Ewan Tarrant, CC Weymouth, 18 Ian Lawrence, Swindon Wheelers, 19 Martin Young, Severn RC, 20 Martin Aldam, Westbury Wheelers, 21 David Hayward, Private, 22 Anthony Miller, Glendene CC/Biketrax, 23 Alec Huckin, Didcot Phoenix CC, 24 Scott Franklin, Swindon RC/TotalBike.Rudy Project, 25 Michael Gray, Newbury RC, 26 Christopher Davis, PSUK, 27 Chris Campbell, London Dynamo/Cyclefit.co.uk, 28 Ian To, Swindon RC/TotalBike.Rudy Project, 29 Nick Davies, Reading CC/Mar Services/Hale Partnership/Pro-Vision, 30 John Cumming, Cheltenham & County CC, 31 Phil Bayton, GWR Team/Scott Wilson/TotalBike/Steel Davies/Meta, 32 Stephen Bale, Reading CC/Mar Services/Hale Partnership/Pro-Vision, 33 Andy Smith, Swindon RC/TotalBike.Rudy Project, 34 Keith White, Private, 35 Steven Coulam, www.bikeshop.co.uk, 36 John Buxton, Cycling Bargains RT/Mainline Print Ltd, 37 Jonathan Gaunt, Climb On Bikes RT, 38 Geoff Loveman, Fareham Wheelers, 39 Christopher Springett, Cheltenham & County CC, 40 Jeremy Cooper, SP Systems/Wightlink RT, 41 Gavin Spiers, Reading CC/Mar Services/Hale Partnership/Pro-Vision, 42 Iain Collins, Banjocycles.com, 43 Gary Smith, GWR Team/Scott Wilson/TotalBike/Steel Davies/Meta, 44 John Sneed, Sports Test, 45 Luke Brashier, CC Basingstoke/Wella, 46 Simon Martin, Newbury RC, 47 Rebecca Dutton, Agisko-Viner.com.

Tilling lasts the league pace

Nic Tilling took victory for Swindon's Great Western Racing team at the third round of the Cotswold Cycle Racing League held south of Brinkworth.

Teammate Grant Bayton finished third, after joining a breakaway group with Tilling and another rider while Dan Smith finished in the peloton, coming in 11th.

Tilling and Bayton both claimed top-10 finishes as a small field of 50 riders lined up for the seventh round of the Castle Combe Summer Series.

Split into three groups, Tilling went clear on his own for two miles before being caught.

In a blanket finish, Bayton was fourth, Tilling fifth and Phil Bayton was 12th.