Mark Walker was the best placed of the 3 Thursday riders when finishing 15^th in the first of the Yorkshire road race league series at Harrogate.

Held on the Penny Pot Lane circuit the 44 mile race was blessed with near perfect weather conditions with a rear wind up the main climb to the finish.

The race set off at a furious pace which caught out junior Joe Rainey on the first lap, a split in the bunch on the fast decent on the rear section of the circuit saw Rainey caught out on the wrong end of the race which never regrouped.

At the front  the gradual wearing down of the bunch left a leading group of 25 riders with Walker and junior Jacob Trotter both looking comfortable.

However it was not to be Trotters day again when a rear wheel puncture for the second week running with only 2 miles to go put pay to a potential top placing.

On the final climb Sheffrec CC rider James Allan broke clear of the front group to claim victory with Walker finishing strongly to claim a creditable 15^th place.

Walker heads to Active CP road race on Easter Sunday whilst Trotter rides the Maureen Bain Memorial road race at Morpeth on Easter Monday.