Neil de ste Croix took line honours for the first time this season in the men?s open category but was pushed to the very end by a determined and fast improving Geoff Wing as mountain bike racing continued on the long Ferry Reach course on Sunday.

De ste Croix was aided by Garth Thomson?s continued bad luck as the winner of this season?s first two races was at the front and looked to be cruising to another victory when disaster struck on the third lap of the six-lap race.

Thomson lost last season?s National Championship because of two flat tyres on the same course and once again flatted on the rocky technical section. This time, however, he was unable to repair the puncture and had to watch the rest of the race from the sidelines.

De ste Croix took advantage of Thomson?s misfortune and surged into the lead but then had to contend with Wing breathing down his neck for the rest of the race and with a lap to go Wing even took the lead for a brief spell before de ste Croix produced another burst to pass him.

De ste Croix held on over the last lap for a slim nine-second victory in a time of 65 minutes 43 seconds with Wing finishing in 65.52.

Dave Padega was never far behind the leaders and took third place in a time of 68.06 followed closely by Alan Reid in 69.56. Wayne Scott, in only his second mountain bike race, finished fifth in 75.53 and young Geoffrey Smith managed to overtake Grant Gouge with just a third of a lap remaining to take sixth place in 77.17 with Gouge (77.30) placing seventh.

Peter Matcham took eighth place in 81.33 just ahead of Rolf Runkels (84.33).

Women?s open category winner Kim McMullen was again the sole competitor and rode the same course and number of laps as the open men, finishing in 79.54 which put her in eighth place overall.

Paulo Madeiros ground out another victory over seven laps of the slightly shorter course in the veterans? category, finishing in 58.05 with Ian Fox again taking the runners-up position in a time of 61.48. Jeff Amaral was a little off the pace and took third in 67.45 with Nigel Godfrey placing fourth in 74.37 after surviving a minor crash. Tim Palmer, contesting his first ever mountain bike race, found the going tough and recorded a DNF.

In the boys? 15-16 category, Matthew Godfrey took advantage of the absence of series leader Conner Burns and easily recorded his first win of the season, finishing four laps of the long course in 54.02 ? well ahead of second placed Aaron Fenn (74.35).

James Burrows was not far behind Fenn and took third in 76.49.

In the boys? 13-14 category the see-saw battle between Tim Fox and Ricky Sousa Jr. continued. This time it was Sousa who got the better of Fox, leading from start to finish in their five-lap race, taking first place in 42.14 with Fox finishing second in 44.01. Marc Smith beat Geoffrey Burns by just one second to take third in 61.43.

First time racer, Miguel Butterfield, enjoyed his ride, taking first place in the novices? category in a fast 61:16 over seven laps of the shorter course. His competitors did not have such a good day, however, as both series leader Tristan Smith and Rickai Lightbourne recorded DNFs.

In the boys? 11-12 category Alex Godfrey was able to earn an easy victory when winner of the first two races, Dujuan Simons, failed to make the start. Godfrey finished in 38.40 for three laps of the shorter course.

In the boys? and girls? 10 and under category several of the competitors were directed the wrong way by a course marshall and rode a longer course than they should have. Nathan Amaral finished first followed by Leonard Williams and Ben and Amy Green.

Next race is this Sunday at Hog Bay Park in Somerset, starting at 9 a.m.