Bradford sisters Stephanie and Rachel Simmonite finished an overall ninth in the Sony Manx International Rally - the final round of the Mobil One RAC British Rally Championship - but it was not enough to land them their fourth consecutive ladies title.

Battling against heavy downpours, their Auto Windscreen Ford Escort clipped a tree on a sharp bend and became wedged on a bank for two minutes.

They also suffered a bent steering arm and Stephanie was philosophical about losing the British crown to her great rival Barbara Armstrong.

"Obviously I'm disappointed because we would have liked to have won a fourth title," she said. "But Barbara drove very well and we've had a fantastic battle. I'm really happy with a top ten finish."

Meanwhile Dougie Lampkin, Graham Jarvis, Steve Colley and Martin Crosswaite head for Italy hoping to win the annual Trials des Nations again for the second year in succession but the task will be tough as they take on the Spaniards and Italians on virtual home ground.

The international team contest has been a Spanish preserve for years till Dougie and company changed the history book last year.

Crosswaite was the best of the Brits in south east Germany at Rornbach on Sunday where he finished eighth out of a huge field in the last round of the European Trials Championship.

Dougie Lampkin was in the thick of the action as minder to the British contingent, brother Harry who was 40th, cousin James (24th), Skipton's Aran Drachenberg (41st) and former Silsden rider Warren Laugesen (28th) spot.

On the home front Wayne Braybrook will be out to win the West Leeds Club's national White Rose Trial at Ribblehead on Sunday where around 90 riders contest the old established event on the wild moors south of Hawes.

Road race fans have two days of biking at the Croft Circuit, with the Laird of Croft is the big event.

Jason Griffiths, from Pontypool, former Honda UK team-mate of now retired Allerton race ace Nick Jefferies, raced to his first international Gold Cup victory at Oliver's Mount on Sunday in a close battle with Hull's three-time winner Dean Ashton.

Addingham racer Mark Dale took fifth spot in the 125cc race on his Coffeecare backed Honda.

The main sidecar race went to TT winner Dave Molyneux, from Douglas, on his Honda.

Robin Luscombe and passenger Wayne Kershaw won the Yeadon and Guiseley Club's Mel Harrison Trophy Trial and with it made up some ground in the British Sidecar Championship on Sunday at Dob Park.

"We probably had the best ride of the year and now Robin Morewood knows he has to fight hard to win the championship," said Luscombe afterwards.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.