Adam Blythe moved one step closer to his maiden professional victory on Wednesday afternoon after finishing third in the Omloop van het Houtland.
The race was won by former Dutch champion Stefan van Dijk (Veranda Willems), with Kenny van Hummel and Blythe just behind.
Meanwhile, James Spragg (Qin) and Mark McNally (AN Post-Sean Kelly) finished 62nd and 64th respectively.
"We came into the finish and I was in a good position for the sprint, but had to go a bit early," he told Cycling Weekly.
"I came into the finish and I was just running at Kenny van Hummel. The road bended a bit, and he kept his line and sort of just put me into the railings, and I had to freewheel a bit. But first... he was well gone."
Coming after recent fourth places at the Schaal Sels and the GP Fourmies, this ranks as Blythe's best result of the year, and continues his strong run of autumn form.
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He will be a contender for stage victory at next week's Circuit Franco-Belge (September 29-October 3), which falls during his 21st birthday.
To see a brief highlights clip of the Omloop van het Houtland, visit the Sporza link here: http://tinyurl.com/23vb8lz
Bec CC hill climb: entries filling up fast
The Bec CC hill climb up White Lane is a staple of the season.
Coming hours after Catford CC's haul up nearby York's Hill, the steep 700-yard - reaching 20% in places - Kent ascent is swamped by fans screaming support at jelly-legged riders.
It takes place on October 10 and will enjoy one of the most talented fields in years, with Rapha-Condor-Sharp sending Dean Downing, Graham Briggs, Jonathan Tiernan-Locke and Kristian House.
Liam Holohan (Team Raleigh) has also entered, with teammate Dan Fleeman and Dave Clarke (Pendragon) expected to follow suit in the next few days.
"I'm looking at a bumper entry, and they're all new names," organiser Garry Beckett said.
76 of the 120 places had been filled when we went to press.
There is also an enchanced prize list this year, with a £1,000 prize going to the men's winner.
Entries close officially on Tuesday, so it's a case of enter now or miss out on one of the seminal hill climb events of the season.
For more details and the entry form, visit http://www.beccyclingclub.co.uk/spage-time_trailling-bec_hill_climb.html
Bradley Wiggins rides the Bec hill climb in 2005
Tour de Trossachs boasts top field
The Tour de Trossachs is not just the penultimate round of the Rudy Project Series, but also a history-steeped Scottish race with one of the most scenic time-trial courses in the whole country.
In-form Alistair Robinson (Team Leslie Bike Shop) is a Rudy Project contender who could challenge the top guns, while Simon Baxter (Adept Precision RT) will be looking to better last year's third place.
Debutant Robert Hassan could finish highly after a season racing Premier Calendars too.
Past winners include Graeme Obree, Robert Millar, Billy Bilsland and the late Jason Macintyre.
In the women's event, record holder and defending champion Mari Todd will be the one to beat. However, Jane Kilmartin (Cult Racing) travels to Scotland for the race, while British 12-hour champion Christine McLean (Shetland Wheelers) will also be up there.
The first rider starts at 10am on Sunday October 3.
For more information, visit www.ivycc.co.uk
Rapha-Condor-Sharp head to the Caribbean
The Tour of Britain might have finished last week, but the season isn't quite over for some.
A Rapha-Condor-Sharp team is preparing to fly out for the Tobago Cycling Classic, which starts on Wednesday.
With four short stages punctuated by a rest day and parties and boat tours put on by the organisers, it's fair to say that the riders are expected to let their hair down and enjoy an end-of-season celebration.
Of course, racing-wise, there's also prize money and plaudits up for grabs: last year, Motorpoint rider Pete Williams won the overall competition.
Vintage tricycle missing
A Victorian tricycle used by model Kelly Brook at the launch of this year's London Sky Ride has been stolen from Leicester based charity Cyclemagic.
The vintage bike was taken from the charity's city centre premises along with thousands of pounds worth of modern bikes and computer equipment.
Founded ten years ago, Cyclemagic is one of the UK's leading community cycling groups and hires out historic tricycles, tandems, Dutch bikes and hand cycles to raise essential funds to deliver its projects for people with special needs. In 2008, the charity supplied fifteen 1930's tandem bikes for the filming of a Stella Artois advert.
Also stolen was a laptop containing the first draft of a book on early cycling history by the charity's joint founder Roger Lovell.
Got a news story or race information? Send it to andy_mcgrath@ipcmedia.com
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Founded in 1891, Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews, extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing, as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features. Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms, from good old-fashioned print to online journalism, and video.
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