ULVERSTON veteran Mike Speight is the early leader of the Lakes and Lancs Sporting Courses competition.

The vet 50 category Barrow Central Wheeler has already completed eight qualifying rides, even before his own club's Coniston Grand Prix promotion from Torver Saturday.

Speight chalked up more SPOCO points in Sunday's windswept 34-mile Circuit of Bassenthwaite time trial won by Blackburn's Ian Stott in 1-10-57. Kent Valley's Ben Lawson had another sparkling ride to clock 1-14-43 for eighth place and Speight did 1-18-12. Other local times were: Andrew Barlow (KV) 1-20-12; Barry Fittes (BCW) 1-20-36; Richard Belk (KV) 1-29-53; Lois Gosnay (KV) 1-37-34 and Fred Pickstone (KV) 1-39-07.

Colin Hill made the best of an unseasonally balmy April evening to record 22-29 in the latest Kent Valley Club 10 at Milnthorpe. Ben Lawson was second on 23:07 and Bruce Attwood was third with 23:15. Other leading times were: Adrian Yate 23:26; John Leach 24:23; Ian Bullough 24:30; Tony Dixon 24:44; Sharon Padley 24:58; Terry Bell 25:08; Tim Bennett 25:20; Ian Padley 25:21; Richard Belk 25:24; Kevin Preston 25:31; Mark Hayton 25:45; and Neil Oxley 25:52.

Local riders figured prominently in Wednesday's North Lancs Veteran Time Trial Association 25-mile event on the Fylde near Garstang. The winner on veteran standard time was Preston's Bev Woods with an actual time of 1-03-20, giving him a plus of 21-02. Fastest on actual was Neil Mercer of the GMC Fire Service CC with 56-54.

Ulverston rider Mike Speight (BCW) clocked 57-48; Kent Valley's Terry Bell did

1-01-59; Barry Fittes (BCW) 1-02-14; Ian Saunders (BCW) 1-08-39; and Frank Kilburn 1-13-19.

April 24, 2003 16:00