WILLEMSENS BACK ON TOP AT MALLORY PARK

AFTER crashing heavily in last year?s race, Belgian visitor David Willemsens repeated his 2004 win on the Mallory Park course when he took today?s third round of the National Trophy cyclo-cross series.

Willemsens, 31, took the lead after the first of 11 laps of the Mallory course and, despite riding for half a lap on a flat front tyre when he punctured near half distance, crossed the line with 44 seconds to spare over Germany?s Malte Urban, the winner of round two at Ipswich.

Lancashire?s Ian Bibby (Trek-SiS) salvaged the final podium place for the home riders and, with Willemsens and Urban not qualifying for points, Bibby takes over the series yellow jersey from his team-mate and previous leader Phil Dixon, a disappointing ninth today.

Jody Crawforth (Evans Cycles RT), second to Willemsens at Mallory Park in 2006 and the Trophy winner for the past two seasons, took sixth place and is now third overall.

Bibby also retained his lead in the under-23 classification ahead of Steve Adams (Sherwood CC), eighth at Mallory.

National Trophy (round three, Mallory Park, Leicestershire).- David Willemsens (Belgium) 15 miles in 1-00-10; 2, Malte Urban (Germany) at 44sec; 3, Ian Bibby (Trek-SiS) at 1-22; 4, D. Booth (unatt); 5, D. Collins (Scott UK); 6, J. Crawforth (Evans Cycles RT) all same time. Overall (provisional).- Ian Bibby 126 pts; 2, P. Dixon 122; 3, J. Crawforth 120.