KENT Valley Road Club's Chris Barron (pictured below) rode away from the rest of the field to win Sunday's Ulverston Charter Festival Road Race by three minutes - and then he gave his prizemoney back to the organisers for next year's event.

Chris broke clear after only three miles of the 63-mile, six-lap event for second and third category riders.

"I just kept a steady tempo and treated it as a time trial, expecting somebody to come up to me but nobody did," he said afterwards, adding: "I took all the primes and the King of the Mountains award and won about £65 in total but I gave it back to the organisers Lakes Road Club for next year's event because I know how hard it is to raise money for these events."

A delighted Chris said he knew he was fit after spending three weeks training in the Pyrenees.

He is now planning a bumper end to his season with Kent Valley's invitation time trial around Windermere on October 6 one of his targets, along with the National Hill Climb Championship.

Sunday's Lancashire Road Club 50 miles time trial effectively brought down the curtain on the season-long North Lancs Time Trials Association championship.

A breezy but dry morning greeted riders at Garstang and the winner was Kent Valley's leading best all-rounder Andrew Powell in 1hr 58mins 36secs.

He was nearly five minutes clear of runner-up Colin Hayes, of Liverpool Century, and now seems certain to lead clubmates John Leach and Tim Bennett to the 2002 NLTTA team award.

Lancaster CC just pipped the Kent Valley for the team prizes on Sunday and other local times were: Richard Belk (KV) 2-11-59 who won the veterans 50-59 standard award; Tim Bennett (KV) 2-17-28; and Ann Walters (KV) 2-38-59.

A stiff crosswind dashed any hopes of fast ascents in Sunday's five-mile Hartside Hill Climb promoted by Border City Wheelers

Lancashire Road Club's Craig Battersby was the fastest climber with 19 mins 14sec and was one of only four riders inside 20 minutes.

Kent Valley's Neil Oxley clocked 22.50 for 15th overall out of the field of 36, and was fourth fastest veteran.

Stuart McGurk (KV), finished with 26.10 in about 30th place.