SCOTT Thwaites took the local bragging rights when he won the first Science Fitness Skipton Cycle Race on Thursday.

The former Ermysted's pupil just edged out his training pals Pete Williams from Embsay and Keighley's Joe Moses in a thrilling sprint finish.

Thwaites, who came into the race just four days after finishing fifth in the National Road Race Championships at Lincoln, certainly had to work hard for his victory.

The 25-year-old from Burley-in-Wharfedale is currently building up his fitness for the second half of the season with his Germany-based BORA Argon 18 team which will see him head for Canada next month for the Tour of Ontario.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games champion literally won the race by inches from Williams, who had won the previous week's town centre race in neighbouring Ilkley.

Williams (One Pro Cycling) was keen to secure the win in his home-town race but his attempts to shrug off Thwaites and Moses (JLT Condor) and avoid a sprint finish, were unsuccessful.

The trio were attacking from the start and among the riders who was unable to stay with them was Barnoldswick's Ian Wilkinson who was returning to action after a recent virus.

In the last five laps the leading three all made attacks to try and force a break which would enable them to secure a solo win, but in the end it came down to a dramatic spring which Thwaites just edged.

Elite Race: 1 Scott Thwaites (Bora Argon 18), 2 Peter Williams (One ProCycling), 3 Thomas Moses (JLT Condor), 4 Peter Barusevicus, 5 Alex Orrell-Turner (Wheelbase Altura MGD), 6 Ryan Perry (SportGrub Kuota), 7 Martinn Woffindin (Cycle Sport Pendle), 8 Ben Rowe (Achieve Northside Skinnergate), 9 Mathew Kipling (MTS Cycle Sport Scott RT), 10 Ben Hetherington (Achieve Northside Skinnergate), 11 William Brown Achieve (Northside Skinnergate), 12 Alex Luhrs (Achieve Northside Skinnergate), 13 Edward McParland (All Terrain Cycles), 14 Tom Mazzone (Polypipe Cycling Team), 15 Mathew Wallis (Velocity, Globalbike), 16 Stuart Reid (Wheelbase Altura MGD), 17 Ian Wilkinson (Raleigh GAC), 18 Jack Rees (w121), 19 David Clarke (Giordana-Mitsbishi Electric RT), 20 Robert Ormrod (Ilkley Cycling Club).

Under-16: 1 Jim Brown (Holmfirth Cycling Club), 2 Alex Ridehalgh (Speedflex Race Team), 3 Jack Ford, 4 Alistair Leivers (Blackpool Cycle Association), 5 Will King (Prologue Racing Team), 6 Euan Cameron (East Bradford CC), 7 Nathan Hawthorn (Cycle Sport Pendle), 8 Jordan Reed (Kirklees Cycling Academy), 9 Halley Woods Inspire (VCUK Racing Team), 10 Lewis Martin, 11 Croy Edmonson (Cycle Sport Pendle), 12 Mathew Dobbing (Stockton Wheelers CC), 13 Tyla Loftus (Wheelbase Altura MGD), 14 Robbie Pollard (Otley CC), 15 Harry Hunt (Otley CC), 16 Joe Hawcroft (Otley CC), 17 Luke O’Connel (East Bradford CC), 18 Alasdair Lloyd (Richmond Cycling Club), 19 Laurence Solloway (Skipton Cycling Club), 20 Mathew Lister (Skipton Cycling Club), 21 Thomas Booth (Skipton Cycling Club), 22 James Robbins (Skipton Cycling Club), 23 Harrison Cooper-Oldroyd (3RT), 24 Jamie Ridehalgh (Speedflex Race Team).

Under-14:1 Joshua Greenwood (Kirklees Cycling Academy), 2 Finlay Cooper-Oldroyd (Paul Milnes – Bradford Olympic RC), 3 Joe Wilson (Achieve Northside Skinnergate), 4 Ava Oxley, 5 Sophie Thackray (Paul Milnes – Bradford Olympic RC), 6 Lucy Horrocks, 7 Jonny Gill (Ilkley Cycling Club), 8 Matthew Finegan (Cycle Sport Pendle), 9 William Thackray (Paul Milnes – Bradford Olympic RC), 10 Jack Lucas (Cycle Sport Pendle), 11 Lewis Dobbing (Stockton Wheelers CC), 12 Sam Jackson (Skipton Cycling Club), 13 Joe Hudson (Skipton Cycling Club), 14 Lewis Dollar, 15 Grace Horrocks, 16 Rebecca Gregson (Sport City Velo), 17 Charlie Paige, 18 Kate Taylor (Cycle Sport Pendle), 19 Charles Booth (Skipton Cycling Club).