AFTER taking a beating in the previous week's Booths Grand Prix Time Trial around Windermere, Preston's Gethin Butler returned to winning form in Saturday's Lakeland Land Rover Grand Prix.

Gethin showed just why he is the course record-holder in the Barrow Central Wheelers event, which also incorporates the John Mortimer Memorial Time Trial, with a decisive time of 48 mins 43 secs for the 20-mile course.

The course takes in the Furness Fells road to Broughton and the massive climb of Grizebeck before returning via Water Yeat to Torver; and Butler was also the fastest rider up the separately timed climb of Grizebeck with a 7-32 clocking.

Second place overall went to Circuit of the Dales winner Dave Cook (Middridge) in 49-48 with Dave Ebbrell (Blackburn CTC) third on 49-54.

The fastest woman was British best all-rounder Karen Steele (Caygill Frames RT) in 56-17 but there were no record-breaking performances on a mainly dry but blustery afternoon.

The star local performers were Ulverston's lady veteran Anne Plant (Caygill Frames RT), who clocked 1-00-27 to be second fastest woman, and the Lakes Road Club's Paul Mashiter who rode a promising 54-15.

Other local times were: Andrew Powell (KV) 54-23; Matthew Woods (KV) 58-06; Jeff Standley (LRC) 58-30; Ben Lawson (KV) 58-55; Mike Speight (Barrow Central Wheelers) 1-00-02; Richard Belk (KV) 1-00-50; Tim Bennett (KV) 1-01-15; Neil Oxley (KV) 1-02-10; Terry Smith (BCW) 1-02-51; and Graham Harcourt (BCW) 1-04-30.

Sunday' s wind and rain turned Southport CC's open 25 into a wind-tunnel test on an emergency course at Skelmersdale because of roadworks at Tarleton.

Kent Valley's Tony Dixon and Howard Richards battled to a 1-08-55 and a 1-19-00 respectively.

Only one rider in the field beat the hour!

Andrew Powell comfortably won the latest Kent Valley midweek 10 at Milnthorpe in 22-41.

Other leading times were: Andrew Barlow 23-26; Simon Mackereth 23-32; Adrian Yate 23-37; David Farrer (J) 24-51; Stefan Wilson (J) 24-55; Ben Lawson 24-57; Nigel Hooker 25-07; Doug Davies 25-18; and Richard Lannaghan 25-31.

The fastest woman was Heather Addison in 27-12.