The junior men’s race in the third round of the National Trophy Cyclo-Cross Series in Ipswich was perhaps the best of the season so far.

Luke Gray (Hargroves Cycles) strung the main protagonists out over the opening laps before Perry Bowater (CC Giro) attacked midway through the race, distancing Gray and taking Keighley’s Tom Moses (Team Wallis) for company.

As the race continued, however, all three riders came back together for a thrilling final-lap showdown where Gray attacked and held his lead to the finish, with Moses taking third.

In the under-14 race, Harvey Lowe (Hargroves Cycles) escaped an early spill over the hurdles to win comfortably from Billy Harding (Paul Milnes RT/Bradford Olympic).

In the youth category, Joseph Fox (Solihull CC) took a surprise win, with Joseph Moses (Bronte Wheelers CC/Neophix Engineering) a strong fifth.

A sprint finish was all that separated Chris Young (JD Cycles Ilkley) and Noel Clough (Fietsen Tempo) in the vets after 40 minutes of wheel-to-wheel action, while, in the under-23s, Bingley's Robert Watson (Paul MilnesRT/Bradford Olympic), despite having an excellent start and being in the top ten on the first lap was ‘switched’ into a concrete block by another rider, smashing his front wheel and blowing his front tyre and any chance of retaining the series leader's green jersey.

Watson managed to get a bike change in the pits after running over 500 metres with his bike but lost over two minutes on the leaders.

After a further puncture and bike change, he came in sixth place and dropped to second overall in the series.

David Nichols (Arctic Cycles Uno) took the win and the leaders' green jersey but is only 12 points ahead of Watson.

In the elite event, Tim Baldwin (Paul Milnes RT/Bradford Olympic) rode a strong race to finish 23rd behind some top-class British and European competitors.

Kendal's Rob Jebb (Wheelbase.co.uk/Cannondale), who used to live in Bingley, took eighth place.

The event was won by Johannes Sickmuller (Stevens Racing Germany) with Paul Oldham (Hope Factory Racing) from Lancashire second with Belgium's Bjorn Rondelez (Beachbikers) third.