Keighley-based former professional Sid Barras proved he is still a class act when he won the National Over-50s Road Race Championship near Pontefract.

Barras, 60, took the win ahead of the younger Ray Palin of Kingsnorth International Wheelers, while Palin’s team-mate Malcolm Whitehead – also considerably younger than Barras – was third in that age group.

With a small group having escaped the bunch, Barras attacked with just over a lap to go, and quickly opened up a crucial gap on the chasing bunch as he caught the leaders.

With one lap left, Barras prepared for the finish, and as they started the climb to the line, Barras pulled away with ease.

“I knew I had it with 200 metres to go,” he said. “I’d been training really hard for a race in Austria and I just kept it going for this one, so I was really up for it.

“The leaders had been away a long time, and I said to them ‘let’s pull together and we’re all on the podium here’.

“They really did and nobody missed a turn. I was getting cramp in my arms towards the end because there’s nowhere to take a rest, but I’m really happy with my day’s work.”

* Local riders performed well at the final round of the White Rose Youth League at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Bradford, with several securing medals in the Yorkshire Youth Championships.

East Bradford Cycling Club duo Rebecca Womersley and Alice Oliver-Evans won gold and silver respectively in the girls’ Category A championship, while Billy Harding won the boys’ Category C event.

Georgia Marker was top in the Category D and E girls’ event.