HUDDERSFIELD rider Tom Murray is in possession of the yellow jersey in the Girvan Three-Day Cycle Race in south west Scotland.

Riding for Plowman Craven-Madison he went into Stage Four with a slender lead of 10 seconds.

Murray, who has had a great start to the 2009 season after switching from the CandiTV-Pinarello team, won the first stage from former teammate Peter Williams and Marcin Biablocki (Team E12).

Stages two and three finished with bunch sprints, with Murray finishing safely in the bunch to retain his lead.

The fourth stage should prove to the toughest of the race, tackling the fearsome climbs of Hadyard Hill and Nick o’ the Balloch.

Mark Buckingham had his third competitive ride for Huddersfield Star Wheelers at Liverpool when he took part in The Frank Morgan Memorial Road Race.

The race, over 25 laps and a total distance of 59 miles, was contested by 80 riders around a flat course in Knowsley Industrial Park.

Buckingham had enjoyed the tough hilly course near Oxenhope, Keighley, the previous week, but was unsure how to approach this race, more suited to sprinters.

Buckingham missed the breakaway in the closing stages but led the chasing pack, finishing an impressive eighthŠand gaining eight points in the Regional A race – winning firstŠprize for a 4th Cat rider.

A number of riders commented after the race that he had done too much work, but as a complete novice in cycling circles he still has a lot to learn about race tactics!

The race was won by Simon Yates (Sportcity Velo), followed by Dave Hitchen (New Brighton CC) andŠAdam Yates (Sportcity Velo) completing the podium places.

Holme Valley Wheeler Richard Binks got his second seventh place finish in a row in the Bridlington CC Road Race, held on six laps of an eight-mile circuit around Burton Fleming.

After three laps, a break including Binks got away on the climb and got a lead of 40 seconds with two laps to go.

The bunch, realising the danger, reeled the break in just before the last climb. ŠThe resulting bunch gallop was won by James Sharp (York Cycleworks). ŠStar Wheeler Ivan Boyes finished in the bunch.Fellow Star Wheeler Phil Hays, making his time trialing comeback, finished with a time in the top 25 in the 33-mile Buxton CC Mountain Time Trial.