Paul Oldham wins third consecutive National Trophy round

Paul Oldham strengthened his grip on the National Trophy Series with a third consecutive victory in Durham on Sunday.

The Hope Factory Racing rider took victory at Durham University Cricket Club by 19 seconds - and that was even having survived a rear wheel puncture which saw him ride half a lap to the pits.

Oldham took victory ahead of Oli Beckingsale (Endura MTB), while Under-23 rider Adam Martin (Metaltek-Knights of Old) continued his great form with third spot overall.

But Oldham's Hope team-mate Annie Simpson had to settle for second spot and lost the yellow jersey to race winner Hannah Payton (Kinesis Morvelo Project) who beat her by 31 seconds.

Many riders had taken part in the previous day's CXNE Rat Race Series event which used largely the same course, but victory on Saturday went to Alan Nixon (Blackhawk Bikes) who held off veteran Adrian Lawrence (Team Elite) while organiser Keith Murray (Team Scott) took third.

Elsewhere, Rugby Velo's Luke Markham won round nine of the West Midlands League staged at Leicester, the 18-year-old powering on to victory straight from the off, leaving Peter Banham (Fred Williams Cycles) to take second spot.

Securing his first Lincolnshire League win for more than a month, Mark Cotton (Ellmore Factory Racing) held off Clay Cross RT rival Gareth Whittall by just six seconds at Nettleham on Sunday.

He has been third in two London League races so far this season, but Michael Butler (Activ Cycles) finally took a win when he was victorious in round eight of the London League, staged at the Cyclopark in Gravesend on Sunday.

The 22-year-old from Dover took the win ahead of Matt Holmes, the Arctic-SRAM rider who won five consecutive rounds of the league earlier in the season.

In Wales, CC Abergavenny veteran Tim Davies proved a comfortable winner of the seventh round of the Welsh League at Newtown, Powys.

The 46-year-old former pro MTB rider beat team-mate Joe Lally to the line by more than a minute, with Andrew Baum (unattached) third.

In Somerset, Matt Loake (Southfork Racing) led all the way in the latest round of the South West League at Chard.

The 34-year-old from Newquay gradually pulled away to win from Tim Carpenter (3 Sixty Performance), with Robin Delve (Mid Devon CC) third.

And in Yorkshire, Ilkley Harriers' Tom Adams was first home in the annual Cyclists versus Harriers challenge at Bingley. He held off Andy Peace (Jedi Cycle Sport) by 1-18, while another cyclist, Neal Crampton (Torq) was third.

Also in Yorkshire, Tom Seaman (Nutcracker) won the Ilkley Charity Cross in West Yorkshire. The 16-year-old led from the start and worked well with Edwin Oliver-Evans (CX Magazine) before shaking him off.

In the Western League in Bath, John Whittington (Diabetes UK) won at Odd Down circuit, the 25-year-old beating Joe Griffiths (Strada) and Scott Chalmers (Dream Cycling) to secure his third victory of the season.