REIGNING 'King of the Rake', Southport CC's Dr Jim Henderson, got a taste of his own medicine when he lost out by three-tenths of a second to Lancaster's Ben Greenwood in this year's Rake Hill Climb event.

The popular annual Lancashire Road Club race along the winding roads above Ramsbottom, doubled up as the RTTC National Hill Climb championship on Sunday, and a big field of 134 made the 947 yard lung-bursting haul from Carr Street to Holcombe Village.

Greenwood of the Recycling.co.uk club, finished in a time of 2 minutes 26.5 seconds with Henderson - who has won the race six times in the last seven years - a fraction behind on 2.26.8. David Clarke (Rayon D'Argent) was third in 2.31.9.

His prize for winning was the CTT championship trophy and a silver gilt medallion as well as the Lancashire Road Club prize of a Bianchi cycle valued at £800.

Thankfully for competitors and organisers the early rains of Sunday morning cleared as the day went on making conditions on the course less hazardous than it might have been.

Nevertheless, Jeff Wright's 1994 record time of 2.14 was well out of reach and the £150 for anyone breaking the record was unclaimed.

One man who bit off more than he could chew was British Allround champion Michael Hutchinson who took up organiser Peter Graham's invitation to try his luck.

Hutchinson (API Metrow) is the current national champion at 10 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles and is also 12-hour champion.

However, he found the tough incline with an average gradient of 1 in 8.8, hard going and had to settle for a disappointing time of 3.24.8.

Last year's national champion Jonathan Dayus finished in sixth place in 2.34.8 while the reigning ladies champion, Guernsey's Ann Bowditch retained her title in a good time of 3.34.6 just short of the ladies' record 3.30.

Of the local riders, John Hey of West Pennine RC finished the highest in 18th place with a time of 2.41.8.

Dayus and his Arctic Shorter Rochford RT teammates James Dobbin and Peter Bissell took the team prize.

Peter Graham, who held the course record for 32 years with 2 minutes 18 seconds, said: "We'd like to thank all residents on the course for their understanding and co-operation on the day.

"Everything went off well and crucially the weather held up for us."

Prizes were presented by the Mayor of Bury Coun Steve Treadgold on the Shoulder of Mutton car park, Holcombe.