SKIPTON'S Ian Taylor (Jedi Cycle Sport) was involved in the day's hard luck story in the National Trophy Series in Bradford on Sunday.

He was leading Darren Atkins in the men's 40-49 years' race when his rear mech broke in the closing stages.

This meant that former Cononley resident Taylor had to carry his bike and back wheel up the last incline and along the finishing straight.

Atkins won by 25 seconds but they were far enough ahead so that Taylor was still able to finish second, 38 seconds ahead of Pete Middleton.

Taylor said: "Darren got away when I slipped off on the third lap but the same thing happened to him later and I was able to catch up.

"It was nip and tuck for a while between us until my rear mech broke when I put the bike down.

"I had to carry it for about 250 metres but I was too far ahead to be caught for second."

National Trophy Series challengers Atkins and Taylor had created a gap before the end of the first lap, and by the end of another lap they had a 30-second gap over the chasing group of Pete Middleton, Dan Alexander, Tim Davies and Taylor's team-mate Andy Peace from Haworth, who finished seventh.

Taylor is still leading the series with 232 points but is only four points ahead of Atkins with the sixth and final round to go in Derby on Sunday, January 5. Peace is a distant third on 151.

The Horrocks family from Barnoldswick were much in evidence.

Father Mark (Hope Factory Racing) was 11th in the veteran men's over-50s race in 51min 51sec, and is 20th overall, while mum Juliet, from the same club, was sixth in the women's veterans' race in 52min 30sec and is sixth overall.

However, the leading light Lucy, who has had an injury-hit season, pulled out after finishing the first lap over three minutes behind the rider in front of her in the under-16 girls' race, when she was almost five minutes to the rear of the leader.

Lucy has only completed the first two rounds of the series, winning round one at Shrewsbury and coming second at Southampton.

She is also sixth overall, with her incidents including crashing into a wooden post in round four at Milton Keynes.