VC YORK rider Jamie Sharp enjoyed his second win in only two weeks as he weathered dangerous conditions to land the 101-kilometre Bolsterstone Road Race north west of Sheffield.

However, the former mountain bike professional admitted afterwards it was a case of the bravest survived on a slippery circuit which saw countless crashes and numerous falls.

Racing a 2.9km course - described as testing, technical and not one for the faint-hearted - Sharp completed a VC York double following up club-mate Chris Clarke's victory in last year's race.

"It was slippery and a bit dangerous," said the 26-year-old.

"About 15 people came off and injured themselves. It was a two-mile circuit, and a bit of it went past a farmyard where there was a load of mud on the road.

"Even on the neutral lap (where riders do a circuit before the actual race) there was a crash and as the race went on nearly every time you went round there was somebody lying on the floor with cuts and bruises."

Right from the flag the pace was furious and it never slackened throughout the hectic laps. Sharp and Clarke, with club-mate Craig Gath also in the thick of it, made their move at one-third distance, featuring prominently in a chasing group 45 seconds down on leader Neil Smith (VC Lincoln).

But while Gath failed to keep up, Clarke too faded at around 70km, with Sharp forced to break clear of the group along with Paul Dixon (Van Tuyl).

Smith overcooked a corner on the penultimate lap and became another on the list of fallers, leaving Sharp and Dixon to fight out the final sprint, which the York rider won by some five lengths.

"I'm delighted to have won but it was more a case of the bravest survived," he added.

Clifton CC's Paul Musgrove, who placed tenth last year, was unhappy with his form and failed to finish.

Sharp will next do battle on the road race circuit in the York Cycleworks RR on Bank Holiday Monday, August 27, over six and a half laps of the 17km Sheriff Hutton/Bulmer/Terrington course.

Topping the entry are Premier Calendar man Mark Lovatt (Ribble Pro-Vision), Yorkshire regional champion Glynn Shirley (Fausto Coppi) and elite category top roadmen Chris Young (Marie Curie) and Dave Cooke (Middridge CRT).

Sharp's VC York club-mates Clarke, Tom Shepherd, Paul Fairburn and Andrew Fraser will also compete.

The start is at 10am in Sheriff Hutton with the finish 112 kilometres later on the lane up to Ganthorpe. Spectators are asked not to park on the circuit.

VC York are looking for new riders and sponsors, and anyone interested is asked to call club secretary Richard Welburn on 07903 564137. Alternatively, new riders can meet team members for practice runs on Sunday mornings, 9am start beside the bus shelter outside Nestl Rowntree on Haxby Road.

Updated: 12:08 Wednesday, August 22, 2001