SKIPTON'S Ian Taylor (C and N Cycles RT) defied his wife's wishes and competed in the fifth round of the National Trophy Series in Bradford on Sunday.

Nick Craig (SCOTT Racing) won the men's 40-49 years' race, with Rob Jebb (Hope Factory Racing), who was brought up in Eldwick, coming second and Taylor third.

(C and N Cycles RT) third in the men's 40-49 years' race.

Former Cononley resident Taylor, who had finished third in the UCI World Masters Cyclo-Cross Championship men's 45-49 years' race the previous weekend in Mol, Belgium, confessed: "I have been bunged up since I got back and my wife didn't want me to race, but I thought I would give it a go.

"I took it out hard in the first half but I couldn't breathe in the second half, and it was very cold."

As for his race in Mol, he said: "I had won the event the year before there, so to get two podiums in as many years is great as there is a lot of pressure on you as defending champion.

"Plus I was only beaten by Erik Dekker, who has won four stages of the Tour de France, and Arne Daelmans, who has beaten cyclo-cross ace Sven Nijs."