CHRIS Newton completed a hat-trick on Wednesday evening when a photo finish confirmed that the Rapha-Condor/Recycling rider had just edged Russ Downing out of top slot in the third Rochdale Grand Prix.

Maybe it was the Murray/Nadal match on telly, or the threat of rain that kept spectators to a disappointing minimum, particularly on the fast St Mary’s Gate stretch, or simply most folks were not aware that an exciting sport involving most of Britain’s top cyclists was taking place right here in their home town.

They missed a treat, right from the moment the flag dropped until the bunch finally thundered in along the South Parade finishing stretch.

In between it was thrilling high speed action, as very quickly into the elite race Newton, along with Pinarella’s Malcolm Elliott, initiated a break that had all the makings of being a re-run of last year’s outcome.

A lap or so later in the one-hour event the repeat drama was over as the escapees were hauled back into the high speed peloton, a peloton already shedding riders out of the back.

Making sure he was not one of them, Rochdale’s Daniel Shand, riding for the Belgium based Profel-Prorace team, tucked himself nicely just about midway in the bunch.

Drifting back on the descent back to the town centre, Shand invariably regained a few places on the strength sapping repeated climbs of Penn Street.

Midway through the race and no real pattern had been established save the frequent bursts to break free from sundry riders including an impressive show of power from Pinarella’s Downing which was negated by some hair-raising descending by the Plowman Craven team.

It was just prior to that descent, at the end of Hunter’s Lane, that Sigma Sport’s Neil Swithenbank came to grief. Crashing heavily, the Heywood man sustained shoulder injuries, his race over. It was over too for West Pennine’s Peter Hey who, as a team associate of Swithenbank, stopped to check on the injured rider.

A couple of months ago Newton himself suffered a broken collar bone after a confrontation with a car. That fact didn’t seem evident in the final phase of the race as he and Downing launched a devastating attack that had the haulmarks of a successful bid on a podium spot.

Very quickly a lead of more than 20 seconds was established over a bunch which seemed a little slow in getting its act together at the front, and with the race time of an hour almost expired, these final laps looked to be the ones putting the lid on the race.

So they were, but with only two laps to go, the crowd on the finish line, and sadly that’s the only place there was a crowd, cheered with Wimbledon/Murray-like passion as Daniel Shand headed out of the bunch into what appeared to be a last lap heroic attempt for third place.

The bunch was having none of it, and Shand was overhauled on the circuitous approach to the finish line.

Third spot went to Kristian House of the Rapha-Condor/Recycling team, with Shand slotting in at a very satisfying 16th place.

It was a performance which earned him the prize and plaudits for the best local rider at the presentation ceremony, attended by Rochdale’s deputy mayor Councillor Keith Swift, immediately after the race.

The presentations also featured the winners of the shorter support race, with team Crosstrax’s Scott Thwaites clinching first place, and Adam Yates and Chris Sherriffs of Sportscity Velo youth team taking second and third spots.

As expected, the race for third and fourth category riders was hectic from the gun, with attempt after attempt to gain some advantage.

But with every attempt to put distance between the leaders and the chasers there were consequential affects behind, with riders being shed like confetti.

One early victim was West Pennine veteran Kev Shand who was lapped fairly early doors and unceremoniously pulled from the race. He wasn’t the only one as the Sportscity Velo youngsters headed for the finish line.

Their win whetted the appetite for what followed on a great evening of bike racing, greatly appreciated by the enthusiasts who did turn up to cheer this event, which was supported by Kingsway Business Park.

Recent track sessions at Manchester Velodrome have done wonders for young Robert Hulme’s time trailing speed as well as boosting his enthusiasm for the sport.

Not yet 14, the West Pennine Road Club junior posted another personal best, by 1 minute and 26 seconds, for 10-miles when he finished in 27.03 on the admittedly fast A63 course at South Cave in East Yorkshire.

Promoted by Brough Wheelers, the event featured plenty of fast times including the 21.15 from Robert’s dad Mark, a result which sent a warning to Pennine’s short distance championship contenders.

The winner at South Cave on Saturday afternoon was Chris Isats of Berwick Wheelers who posted a time of 19.58.

Back in Lancashire on Saturday, West Pennine’s focus was on the slightly more pedestrian Rainford bypass course near Southport for the Prescott Eagles 10.

With the club’s Sel Ives and Mick Standring in the field it was set to be another joust in their long running rivalry. This time Ives came out on top, his time of 25.49 bettering Standring by 18 seconds.

Dave Matthew’s time of 27.23 was enough to convince his club-mates that his previously announced retirement from time trailing is less believable now than way back at the beginning of the season.

Clinching third spot was Pennine’s second claim member Dave Isherwood, riding for Team Swift, who finished with an impressive time of 21.52, only nine seconds down on winner Robin Brennan from Preston Wheelers.

Not yet firing on all cylinders, Daniel Shand climbed off at around the 100-mile point in Sunday’s British national road race championship at Ampleforth in North Yorkshire.

After starting cautiously in a packed 120-strong field which featured high speed action from the gun, Shand stayed tucked in a peloton which stretched and reformed in response to the race determining pattern of the breaks and chases ahead of it.

Dominating the race, Rob Hayles of the Halfords Bikehut team featured in most of the action, a scenario that saw most of the country’s continental based professionals out of the picture.

There was an impressive attempt by Slipstream’s Robert Millar to bridge the all-important gap by dragging the peloton with him, and that perhaps sealed the fate of Shand. He slipped back on a nasty little climb with just one smaller lap to be covered.

The worthy winner was Hayles who made sure second placed Peter Kennaugh of the 100 per cent ME team was well out of the running when the finish line was almost in sight. Bronze medallist was Dean Downing of the Rapha Conder/Recycling team.