TOM Gibbs continued his dominance of the Lakeland Lanequest Series with a royal display from Spark Bridge.

The Backbarrow rider – who missed the 2016 series through injury – added to his opening victory with another in round two.

Among nearly 100 riders setting off from the Royal Oak, Gibbs was the only one to reach all 300 checkpoints in the warm summer sunshine, though he reached the finish four seconds beyond the two-hour time limit, to deny him a 300-point haul.

Course planner Graham Christian devised what turned out to be one of the most challenging routes in recent years for the race, which raised money for Duddon and Furness Mountain Rescue.

His optimum route to take in all 30 checkpoints covered 50km (31 miles) with a hefty 1,200m (4,000 ft) of climbing.

The area included Bouth, Oxen Park, Kirkby Moor and Ulverston, offering many hills and little cycling on the flat – even if competitors were rewarded with fine views over the Leven Estuary, Crake Valley and Coniston Fells.

Whichever route was selected it was hills, hills, and more hills, and riders had to make a choice as to whether they could skirt the hardest climbs early on, or in the case of Gibbs, simply tackle the likes of Knottallow and Bessy Bank head-on. That route added an extra 100m (300ft) of climbing.

Round one's runner-up David Heffernan, of Ulverston, was pipped to second place this time round by Kendal's Dave Hollingham, who won admiration all round for a cunning route no-one else spotted.

Away from the 39-strong hotly contested men's solo class, the women's solo race saw 12 riders set out, including former champion Anne Platt and Lanequest legend and series creator Carol McNeill.

As usual it was Kendal rider Helen Jackson and Ulverston's Jo Cleary battling it out at the head of the field, with the honours going to the former.

With no entries in the junior class for the second week in succession, it was onto the generation pairs, with Michael and Matthew Fell beating Lucy and Dennis Dixon into second.

With a second win in successive weeks, brothers Ben and Lee Procter moved into a healthy lead in the adult pairs/threes class – which has a 43-strong entry.

Behind the fell-running twosome, the opening week's second and third places swapped, as Robin Everingham and Tim Seddon were beaten by James Annan and Julia Hargreaves.

The upcoming courses offer slightly less climbing, which many will look forward to with a sense of relief.

Tonight's race starts from Crosby Ravensworth Village Hall, with the racing heading to the Strickland Arms, Sizergh, a week tomorrow.