Harry Tanfield produced an aggressive ride to finish second in the National Circuit Race Championship in Sheffield.
But he could do little to prevent 17-year-old sensation Tom Pidcock adding yet another trophy to his cabinet on the streets of the Steel City.
Pidcock, who has already won world and European titles in cyclocross and put a similar field to the sword in the Durham round of the Tour Series earlier this season, powered up the final climb to glory.
Tanfield, who had been involved in a series of failed attacks during the hour-long scrap, had to settle for second, edging out JLT Condor’s Jon Mould.
Jack Pullar, Chris Opie, Dexter Gardias and Matt Nowell were all prominent during the early laps as Tim Elverson’s men aimed to take the race to their opponents.
But after a few failed attacks, it was Tanfield who made it into a six-man breakaway around the midway point of the breathless battle.
The group included Alex Paton and Tobyn Horton, of Madison Genesis, JLT Condor’s Matt Gibson, ONE Pro Cycling’s Kristian House and world junior cyclocross champion Pidcock.
JLT’s Graham Briggs and Matt Cronshaw, of Madison, dug deep to bridge the gap but their efforts proved in vain when, with around 10 minutes to go, the peloton ate up the ground and the race was back together.
There were clearly some tired legs as riders tried and failed to move up the bunch to the sharp end. And when the sprint was lit, it was left to the night’s aggressors to fight for the title.
Pidcock appeared to hit the front very early but there was no stopping the teenager as he soared up the climb to hit the line a couple of lengths clear of Tanfield, with Mould third and Horton leading the remainder of the bunch home.
Five-star Tanfield in Beverley