A YEAR ago, Ian Taylor was salivating at the prospect of taking on cyclo-cross ace Nick Craig.

Shibden Cycling Club member Taylor, of Austwick, has moved up an age group from the men’s 40-49 years to the men’s 50s this season.

But SCOTT Racing’s Craig again proved unbeatable, defeating former Skipton and Cononley resident Taylor in five rounds of the National Trophy and, last weekend, the National Championships in Milnthorpe, Cumbria.

Taylor led by 0.3sec on the small outlap at the Westmorland County Showground but was five seconds adrift of Craig by the end of the first lap proper and ended up finishing second in 45min 34.4sec, Craig winning by over a minute and a half in 44min 4.6sec.

Barnoldswick’s Vicky Peel (Hope Factory Racing) finished seventh in the elite women’s race in 40min 28.1sec, while team-mate and former Skipton resident Will Weatherill was eighth in the men’s elite race in 48min 4sec.

Settle College student Matilda McKibben (Shibden Cycling Club), from Skipton, was 10th in the junior women’s race in 44min 31.8sec.

Glusburn’s Cat Ferguson (Hope Factory Racing), one of the favourites for the same race, pulled out during the third lap.