Max Stedman dug deep for sixth place as Karol Domagalski won an aggressive Chorley Grand Prix on Sunday.
The ONE Pro Cycling man’s solo charge left Jonny McEvoy, of Madison Genesis, to settle for second spot.
Stedman, 22, was involved in a four-man scrap for third place which ultimately went the way of McEvoy’s team-mate Richard Handley.
Meanwhile, Matt Nowell capped a gruelling day in the saddle with 15th place and only missed out on the KOM prize to Domagalski when the Pole placed higher at the finish.
A lively opening to the Spring Cup curtain-raiser saw more than a dozen riders jump clear, including Nowell, and quickly build a lead of three minutes.
However the Northwich talent, who ultimately finished an impressive 15th, was outnumbered by the likes of Madison (four), Vitus (three), ONE Pro (two) and Wiggins (two).
And that saw his team-mates spring into action, with the full Canyon Eisberg train pulling a group of around 20 clear of the peloton in a concerted chase.
While Nowell bagged the first KOM points, the gap back to the pursuers had plummeted to around one minute.
After a brief regrouping had occurred back in the main field, a further 21 riders attempted to bridge to the front of the race.
And when they made the catch, Nowell had four team-mates for company, including Tour of Quanzhou Bay hero Stedman.
Unsurprisingly, attacks swiftly followed the junction. And it was Jake Scott, of ONE Pro, and McEvoy who kicked things off.
Seven chasers, including Stedman, set off in pursuit with a further four riders following in their tyre marks.
When these 13 joined up they had eased a minute clear of the other escapees and looked destined to scrap for glory.
Pete Williams (ONE Pro), Madison’s Rich Handley and Steve Lampier, now riding for Saint Piran, were next to go on the offensive.
Domagalski and McEvoy quickly bridged, followed by Stedman, ONE Pro’s Szymon Tracz and Michael Cuming, of Madison, to make eight up front.
With one lap remaining, their closest rivals – a group of nine chasers – were more than two minutes adrift.
When the race entered its closing 30km, the final fight for glory was ignited as attacks and counter-attacks began coming thick and fast.
Domagalski made his effort count, though, as he quickly opened up a lead of more than a minute on McEvoy with Stedman, Handley, Williams and Lampier a further 90 seconds behind.