Harry Tanfield‘s challenge for National Circuit Series honours continued with third place in the Stockton Town Centre Race.
The Great Ayton talent, who studies at Teesside University, was unable to match the kick of JLT Condor’s Brenton Jones and Enqrique Sanz, of Team Raleigh, after a breathtaking contest.
But in front of his home crowd, Tanfield did manage to notch his third successive series podium, adding to second in Skipton and third in the Wales Open.
Jack Pullar also made the select front group, scrapping it out for sprint points in an aggressive ride which culminated in a superb seventh-place finish.
As soon as the flag dropped, JLT set a searing pace which blew the field apart. As the race settled into some order, Tanfield and Pullar emerged in a decimated front group of just 16 riders.
Jones, Tom Moses, Graham Briggs, Matt Gibson, Alex Frame and Ali Slater were there for JLT, while Connor Swift, Tobyn Horton and Johnny McEvoy represented Madison Genesis.
Team Raleigh had Sebastian Mora and Enrique Sanz involved, with the group completed by Will Fox of Catford Banks and Brother NRG Driverplan’s Charlie Tanfield, brother of Harry.
Rory Townsend soon hit the front of a bunch of chasers, eager to boost BIKE Channel Canyon‘s numbers among the leaders.
But his group quickly found themselves 17 seconds adrift, with another bunch a little further behind as the race swept around the Stockton-on-Tees high street.
Pullar was second to Frame in the opening sprint of the night before Tanfield hit the front and put the hammer down, stretching the advantage over the chase group to 30 seconds.
And there it held. Townsend & Co were unable to make significant inroads into the deficit as Tanfield swept up the second sprint of the night, crossing the line ahead of Horton.
A brief move led by Pullar and Horton dragged Frame and Mora clear. But despite them opening up a gap of 10 seconds over their rivals, they were quickly brought back.
Frame then took the third sprint, from Swift and Pullar, before Tanfield won his second prime as the race ticked beyond the hour mark. Then it was all or nothing for the final five laps.
Swift took a flyer with four laps remaining. He was reeled in before the bell, while another dig from his team-mate McEvoy also came to nothing with the finish in sight.
And in the end the reduced bunch kicked for home, Jones taking the win from Sanz with Tanfield powering across the line in third place.
The third successive podium moves the BIKE Channel Canyon man, who was also named best local rider, up to third position in the National Circuit Series standings – behind Jones and leader Gibson.