Hope take lead in Rapha Super Cross

Hope Technology will take a slender lead into the final round of the Rapha Supercross Series after the first two rounds of the innovative team competition were run off last weekend.

The invitation only three-race series culminates at Alexandra Palace on Sunday, and if it is anything like the first two rounds in Windermere and Huddersfield last Saturday and Sunday, it should prove a great day out.

Team Wiggle's Lee Williams was first over the line in Saturday's event in Cumbria, but Hope placed more riders higher up the rankings and so took a lead into the second round in Huddersfield 24 hours later.

National Champion Paul Oldham was third in Windermere, and victory eluded him once again at Huddersfield when he was second to reigning National Trophy Series champion Jody Crawforth (Hargroves Cycles).

Sunday's Rapha Supercross was the finale to a great day's racing in Huddersfield, where the fifth round of the Yorkshire Points Series was being held.

And victory in that event went to promising junior Ed McParland (GT Racing UK) who crossed the line just inches ahead of Zepnat RT rival Nick Barnes, while Malton Wheelers Tom Stockhill took third.

McParland and Barnes had been well clear and were eyeing each other up to see who would attack first towards the end. But as they were concentrating on each other Stockhill had come steaming up, and closed the gap to just eight seconds at the line.

Elsewhere, another junior rider was also taking victory in their local league event.

Elmy Cycles' 16-year-old Hugo Robinson won the sixth round of the Eastern League at St Helena School in Colchester on Sunday.

He was 1:05 ahead of league leader Andrew Nichols (PCA Ciclos Uno) in a repeat of his last victory in round one in Chelmsford last month, while Shaun Aldous (Iceni Velo) was just seven seconds further back.

There was also a victory for another junior in the CXE League event where 17-year-old Adam Martin (Cestria Cycles) finished 1-16 behind Tony Fawcett (Black Hawk Bikes), but a mechanical problem and subsequent bike change ended his hopes of the win and he settled for second place instead.

In the London League, Sylvain Garde (LA Fuga Sigma) took victory in the sixth round to secure his first win in the 2011-12 season.

Garde has been in the top six in the first six rounds including second and third in the last two races, but finally got the better of his rivals to win by 20 seconds from VC Londres rider Jules Birks.

Meanwhile, Team CF rider Dieter Droger took victory in the latest round of the Notts and Derby League at Alfreton Park in Derbyshire on Saturday.

The 30-year-olf from South Yorkshire was just inches ahead of rival Adam Biggs (Buzz Cycles) at the end of the Belper BC promotion.

But with Droger not being eligible for league points, Biggs took a maximum 200 points to give his ambitions of winning the league a major boost with his third 200-point haul this season.

In a close finish, Gareth Hewitt (RST RT) was third, just five seconds off the pace, while Ben Eedy (Empella) was inches behind in fourth and Andrew Naylor (Ashfield RC) was only eight seconds further back.