STEPHEN Barker (Caygill Frames RT) entered on the line and took victory in Clifton Cycling Club's Road Race.

Forty-five riders signed on for the 63-mile event over six laps of a tough ten-mile circuit near Stittenham, Flaxton and Bulmer.

Early breakaway attempts had come to nothing and about 25 riders were in contention on the penultimate lap when Leeds Premier's David Stevens and Aire Valley Cycles' Tim Gill broke clear near Thornton-le-Clay.

It proved to be the decisive move and they quickly rode clear. Barker jumped away from the bunch in pursuit on the steep climb to the Castle Howard monument and caught the escapees with a lap to go.

The trio had built a minute's lead by the finish in Sheriff Hutton with Barker taking victory from Stevens, repeating his second place in 1999, with Gill settling for third.

A small group, which included the promoting club's Paul Musgrave, attacked on the climb of Stittenham Hill with two miles to go and just managing to stay clear of the bunch.

Leeds RRC's Paul Green led in this group from Huddersfield RC's Richard Binks and Dinnington CC's Dave Thorpe. Musgrave won a tight sprint with Doncaster Wheelers' Adam Weaver to take seventh place.

Private member Martin Ruepp, a Swiss employee at theNestl York factory, finished with the bunch as did York Cycleworks Lloyd Jones and John Muir after all contributing to a fast race.

Updated: 11:52 Saturday, September 13, 2003