CYCLING fans were treated to two races of the highest calibre as top class competitors returned to Tynedale.

The annual Beaumont Trophy and women’s Curlew Cup attracted a top field of international cyclists to Stamfordham and surrounding villages, with two exciting races justifying the hype surrounding the event.

There was a repeat victory for former England cricket wicketkeeping star Matt Prior’s ONE Pro Cycling team as Pete Williams just saw off the challenge of JLT Condor’s James Gullen, while teammate Tom Stewart scored the final place on the podium.

Last year, Dion Smith took the honours for ONE Pro and Prior was again celebrating after Williams took it by several lengths following a tense finish. Coming in at almost 120miles, which included four climbs of the famed Ryals ascent, conditions were extremely tough for the 150 competitors due to the scorching heat.

The field was split as early as the second lap with a number of teams working hard at the front, the young GB National Team in particular putting in a good performance to end with the team prize, headed up by fourth placed Matthew Bostock.

As the race hit its final lap, JLT’s Steve Lampie found himself 20 seconds clear of a small chasing group and looking good value for the win.

However, ONE Pro duo Williams and Stewart were instrumental in chasing down their rival with less than 10 miles to go and, with Lampier fading, it was a three horse race between them and Lampier’s teammate Gullen.

Stewart eventually tailed off, but he was still celebrating as Williams outsprinted his opponent for the victory.

He said: “I had good legs today. I always seem to go well on this course, and it seems to suit me.

“We had to go pretty hard to get Lampier back but, luckily, the roads took their toll on him.”

There was an equally pulsating finish to the Curlew Cup, part of the HSBC UK National Women’s Road Series, as a clever break on the Ryals helped Team OnForm rider Julie Erskine to first place.

On the third and final climb, five riders broke and it was Erskine who was on form as she had too much for her fellow challengers on the slightly downhill finish.

In a field including Olmpic champion Katie Archibald, it was Hannah Payton, one of the country’s best cyclo-cross riders, who finished second to help Drops Cycling to the team prize, while Bianchi Dama UK’s Georgina Panchaud was just behind in third place. While Archibald finished in sixth overall, she was consoled by the fact she took bot the Queen of the Mountain and sprints prizes.

A jubilant Erskine said: “I didn’t know if I had the legs to sprint, but I saw Hannah go, got on her wheel and just managed to somehow go round round her. Hannah’s really strong so I was pretty surprised to do that!”

The Beaumont Trophy and Curlew Cup were the highlights of the weekend-long Cyclone Festival of Cycling, which saw close to 2,000 amateur riders take part over four varying distances during a sportive.