Cycling

Murray, captain of the Science in Sport.com team, who won the series in 2002, clocked 19min 33sec to win the event by 25 seconds from Cleveland Wheelers rider Phil Huntsman, while Dave Lund (Bike Traks RT) was third with 20-13.

Any one of four riders could have clinched the series going into the final round but Murray, who has won four of the five events he has ridden, was not about to let his lead slip.

"I was pretty confident that I could do well enough in the final event to win it overall," he said. "It's been a cracking series this year, with several riders in with a shout until the final event."

Murray finishes on 599 points - one away from a perfect score, having been beaten into second spot by Leeds-based Carl Saint in the Wensleydale Wheelers event.

Sunday's event, promoted by the Teesside CA, will be the final event of the series once again in 2005, and looks set to be doubled in length with two laps of the course being covered.

This weekend, Murray starts as favourite for the Hartlepool CC 25-mile time trial on the Knayton to Dishforth course, but will face some stiff opposition from a quality field.

He will renew his rivalry with Dave Lund (Biketraks RT), who finished second in the SPOCO Series, while 2003 series winner Steve Fullerton (Richmond and Darlington CC) is also expected to ride.

Meanwhile, Murray was also victorious in the Houghton CC 10-mile midwek event, beating Fullerton into second spot by 50 seconds, with Mike Harris (Northumbria Police CC) third.

But proving that even the best rider has an off day, Murray was beaten into second spot in the Preston Wheelers ten-mile event by junior rider Peter Williams on the Levens to Lindale course in Cumbria.

Wansbeck CC rider Jonathan Gavaghan was beaten into second spot in the Sunderland Clarion CC 25-mile event at Ponteland on Sunday.

Cumbria's Neil Payton (Pete Read Racing) won the windswept event with a time of 59min 39sec, while Gavaghan's 1-00-42 gave him second place by 30 seconds from Peter Rasmussen of Ferryhill Wheelers.

The David Craig Memorial Trophy went to Ian Taylor of Sunderland Clarion with a time of 1-01-23, while the best rider on handicap was Derwentside CC's David Logan.

Elsewhere, Premier Calendar leader Malcolm Elliott maintained his overall grip on the season-long competition, despite settling for second in the fifth round, the East Yorkshire Classic at Beverley.

Elliott, the 42-year-old Pinarello RT rider, was beaten into second spot in the 95-mile race by his young Recycling.co.uk-MG X-Power rival Russell Downing.

For much of the race a six-man break had looked set to battle out the finish, but they were caught by the rest of the 100-strong field with ten miles remaining.

However, Downing attacked two miles out and opened up a 17 second lead by the line, while Elliott salvaged second place after out-sprinting former Premier Calendar winner John Tanner.