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8-Oct-89

McEwans LA Professional Series

Another Victory for Lillywhite in McEwans's Series

CHRIS LILLYWHITE (Raleigh-Banana), as ever present on the podium, maintained his sequence when he won the fourth and final race in the McEwan's LA professional series at Heaton Park, Manchester, on Sunday.

There was no official overall classification for the McEwan's series which also featured events in Edinburgh, London and Cardiff (the McEwan's-sponsored national pro. criterium championship), but if there had been Lillywhite would have amassed 51 points on a Star Trophy scoring basis to the 37 of his nearest challenger, Mark Walsham (Percy Bilton).

They went into the Manchester event level pegging but, while Lillywhite outsprinted Bilton's criterium champion Paul Curran for the top honours, Walsham had to be satisfied with winning the bunch sprint for tenth place, almost three minutes adrift.

Shane Sutton (PMS-Falcon) took third place behind Lillywhite and Curran after this trio had split from a nine-strong leading group, leaving pre-race favourite Malcolm Elliott (Teka), beaten by Lillywhite in London, to salvage fourth place from Steve Joughin (Bilton) and Bernie Burns (Ever Ready Gold Seal).

Heaton Park, four miles north of Manchester city centre, was chosen for the final McEwan's event after extensive roadworks, caused by the construction of the city's new Metro-link, had forced a change of date and venue.

Although the park hosted the national cyclo-cross championships in 1971, and a National Trophy 'cross in

1985, the 1.1-mile road circuit had not been used for a top class race since the Fifties. Speed bumps had been removed for the Manchester Festival of Cycling events held there each May in recent years, and it is likely to be a more frequently used venue in the future.

Malcolm Elliott first appeared on the front of the field on the third of 35 laps, but as a lone rider (Darryl Webster was a non-starter) he spent most of the race chasing down attacks as the home teams controlled affairs.

His first chase came a lap later when Mike Doyle (PMS-Falcon), Jon Clay (Raleigh-Banana) and Gary Baker (Ever Ready) went slightly clear, and Elliott had his effort rewarded when he won the first of the day's special sprints on the fifth lap from another singly sponsored rider, Stephen Shaw (Sachs-Aris-Eddison).

The first real split came on the tenth lap when Paul Brown (Crown Graphics-Chafes) led an attack which also saw Steve Douce (Raleigh), Mark Walsham, Nick Barnes (PMS), Paul Curran and Karl Smith (Crown-Chafes) in close attendance, and Dave Rayner (Raleigh) and Gary Baker chasing to get on.

Missing was Lillywhite, and he came through on a spare bike looking muddied but otherwise unhurt after an excursion on to the grass, to be given a lap out.

Raleigh's Dave Mann led the next attack, when Malcolm Elliott was in a group of ten riders slightly clear of the rest, and when Tony Doyle (Ever Ready) made a bid on the front he was marked by Lillywhite, Gary Baker and Walsham.

This developed into a six-man break, Shane Sutton and Simon Cope (Crown-Chafes) also getting on, as Elliott drove along the bunch, 20 seconds down.

National road champion Tim Harris (Raleigh) led the chase, closely followed by Barnes and Elliott, and it was all back together as they approached half distance.

Dave Mann immediately went clear, and had time to sit up and look behind as he took a £100 sprint on lap 20, but his four laps of freedom were ended when Rob Holden (Bilton) brought the rest up.

Steve Douce was the only Raleigh representative when five riders went clear with ten laps to go.

Shane Sutton, Tony Doyle, Paul Curran and Karl Smith were also up there as they stretched out a 20 second lead, and Lillywhite and Elliott were left to chase along with Steve Joughin and Bernie Burns.

The five leaders dangled off the front by eight or nine seconds for four laps and, after Douce had taken the last of the big sprints, all nine came together with just over three to go.

Curran attacked as they came through the finish area, much the same as he had done at Cardiff, but Lillywhite quickly spotted the danger and the two of them opened up a nine second gap.

Elliott was again left to do the chasing, but it was Sutton who got across just before the bell, only for Curran to put in another attack.

Lillywhite and Sutton stayed with him, the Raleigh rider leading out from the last corner, with 200 metres to go, and holding off Curran by two lengths in the uphill sprint.

'I knew what Paul was up to,' said Lillywhite as he donned the McEwan's jersey. 'I was just hanging on to his wheel, and hoping to be there for the finish.'

Lillywhite, second to Walsham at Edinburgh, the winner at Smithfield Market in London, and third behind Curran and Walsham at Cardiff, acknowledged: 'It's been a good series for me. They have been good races, and I've been pleased with the way I've gone.

He explained his diversion on the tenth lap. 'I locked handlebars with Dave Mann and came down, but fortunately I rolled on to the grass so I wasn't hurt at all.'

RESULTS

1. CHRIS LILLYWHITE (Raleigh-Banana) 38.5m in 1-32-37
2. P. Curran (Percy Bilton)
3. S. Sutton (PMS-Falcon) both st
4. M. Elliott (Teka) at 9sec
5. S. Joughin (Percy Bilton)
6. B. Burns (Ever Ready Gold Seal)
7. S. Douce (Raleigh-Banana) all st
8. A. Doyle (Ever-Ready) at 17sec
9. K. Smith (Crown Graphics-Chafes) at 1-10
10. M. Walsham (Percy Bilton) at 2-40.

Unofficial overall placings, McEwan s series: CHRIS LILLYWHITE 5lpt; 2, M. Walsham 37; 3, P. Curran 27; 4, M. Elliott 19; 5 S. Joughin 19; 6, D. Rayner (Raleigh-Banana) 11