WORCESTER riders have been in action both on and off-road.

The road racing season drew to a close for Worcester-based Gavin Poupart (Parrot RT) and Malvern's Tim Wood (Stourbridge CC).

Poupart needed a top ten finish in Ottershaw, Surrey, to maintain his elite category status. The 55-mile race was run at a fast pace, with riders determined to grasp the last chance of a win this season.

Poupart was feeling the effects of a long season but made it into the leading group with assistance from regular training partner, Wood. Poupart's mission was accomplished as he crossed the line in seventh place with Wood on his wheel for eighth.

Conditions at Pittville Park, Cheltenham were dry for the first round of the National Trophy competition. The 86 entries included most of Britain's top international riders .

The super-fast Pittville course soon had the riders spread across the circuit as a nine-man elite group set the pace. Matt Ellis (Ace RT) soon pulled away from this group after 20 minutes to build a commanding lead over two chasers, Stuart Blunt (Team Corridori) and Barry Clarke (Diamond Back).

The two chasing riders never looked like denting Ellis' lead during the hour's racing, and he crossed the line 1-29 clear of Blunt and Clarke.

Worcester St. Johns rider Jon Newey's lack of fitness this season and early mechanical trouble saw him struggle against the big hitters. A hard chase eventually saw him finish in 58th place.

Round three of the Midlands Cyclo-Cross League took place in heavy rain in Rugeley, Staffordshire.

With the previous round's top two finishers competing at Cheltenham, the way was clear for Malvern's Ben Dale and Jake Stow to resume their friendly rivalry that had seen a race long battle for third and fourth place the previous week.

Stow clearly revelled in the tricky conditions and turned the tables on Dale, pulling clear in the early stages to eventually win by over a minute from Dale. Jon Star-key of Worcester St. John's finished in 12th place.