MORE than 100 riders turned out for the third Lakeland Lanequest, based at The Redwell Inn, Arkholme.

Planners Andy and Sarah Crozier with Martin Oglesby provided lots of head scratching among many of the regulars with several deviously placed controls which included a finger post on the shoreline near Carnforth, urban streets around Carnforth, riverside tracks and even the spectacular Aqueduct carrying the Lancaster Canal over the River Lune.

Expert navigator and second overall in the series so far, Ulverston’s David Heffernan found route plotting an efficient route particularly tricky.

“What a challenging plan this was. I spent so long trying to work it out and really had no idea whether my route was any good when I set off,” he said.

The top of the male solos was hotly contested with Backbarrow’s Tom Gibbs imperious as always.

All the top riders gained lateness penalties, Gibbs Included, proving this to be the hardest event so far.

Dave Sproston also bagged all 30 controls but was a further three minutes in arrears.

Heffernan was a close third to retain his second overall in the series, still within touching distance of Gibbs for overall honours and the chance to cut the cake with the eventual ladies’ solo champion at Wilfs Café, Staveley after the final event on July 10.

In the women’s solos Jo Cleary scored highest on 244 points to maintain her class lead over Helen Jackson, with Iona Wilson and Angela Brand-Barker equal 3rd on the night.

The Generation class was won again by the Winnards plus Tony Watson, with the Brooks 2nd in class.

In the Pairs another high score from James Annan & Julia Hargreaves put them ahead of Sally Ozanne who teamed up with Kieran Hodgson this week after her great solo score at Oxen Park.

At the series half way point, Gibbs and Heffernan lead yet again, with the ever-consistent Dave Hollingham in third place.

The generation teams of Gerard Winnard, Toby Winnard and Tony Watson lead Mike and Henry Brooks, while in the Adult Pairs, it looks like a three-horse race between Richard Davies and Julia Richardson, Rachel and Mike Toyn and Garry Thomson and Ian Ramsay.