BACKBARROW's Tom Gibbs was in imperious form to take victory in the opening round of this year's Lakeland Lanequest series.

Organiser and series founder Carol McNeil set out 30 perfectly located controls sited on fingerposts mainly at the top or bottom of steep climbs around her local pub, the Manor House, Oxen Park.

Now in its 21st year, the first of the six strong Wheelbase sponsored series attracted 111 competitors on Tuesday evening.

And it was Gibbs who collected all thirty controls, some two more than his closest rivals, Ulverston rider David Heffernan and Graham Tibbot.

With a perfect summers' evening in prospect, a great pub, and pie and peas awaiting at the finish, competitors battled up hill and down dale in amongst the beautiful wooded areas around the Rusland Valley.

In the Solo Women category, last year's series champion Helen Jackson was this time down in third place on 245 points, with close rival Jo Cleary taking the honours on 260 points and Zoë Harding second on 258 points.

Jo's daughter Hannah, fresh from taking an A-Level exam that day, came home in equal fourth place with former ladies champion Anne Plant on 240 points

In the Generation Pairs, Eddie and Andrew Leedham scored 210 points to take first over Paul and Jim O'Reilly on 172 points.

The Adult pairs/3s is always hotly contested and on this occasion, regulars Bruce Attwood and Sally Ward tied for first place with James Annan and Julia Hargreaves jointly on 240 points.

Full results available at www.wheelbase.co.uk/event/lakeland-lanequest.

Lakeland Lanequests have now been running for 21 years, and are mainly fun events for cyclists of all abilities, but also hotly contested at the top.

They run on each Tuesday evening in June. The events usually raise around £350 for a nominated charity and can attract in excess of 150 riders.

Forthcoming events are at the Woodlands Hotel, Silverdale, (charity- Kendal Mountain Rescue) on June 14; Derby Arms, Witherslack, (charity- Motor Neurone Disease Association), on June 21; The Fleece Inn, Dolphinholme, south of Lancaster, (charity- Multiple Sclerosis Society) on June 28, Endmoor Village Hall, (charity- Crosscrake School PTFA) on July 5 and Wilf’s Café, Staveley, as well as the series winners' prizegiving (charity- The Will Clark Fund) on July 12.