Keighley cyclist Tom Barras had to settle for fourth spot in the Yorkshire Road Race Championship, despite being the driving force behind a break which stayed clear for much of the 150-kilometre event at Fewston, North Yorkshire.

Barras, 28, attacked on the first of eight laps of a circuit which took in Pennypot Lane, and with six other riders all working well together they stayed clear until the final few kilometres.

The Merlin Racing Team rider said: "We got caught by another group of six with ten miles to go and the guys who had been in the bunch all that time were as fresh as daisies.

"We took the gamble and it almost paid off but once we were caught there wasn't much chance of going on to take the win."

Eventual winner Dean Downing, from Rotherham, and Barnsley's Wayne Randle pulled off the front of the lead group and got a lead of about 20 seconds, despite the best efforts of their rivals.

"I tried to get back across to the leaders on the last lap because I was desperate to get on the podium," continued Barras, "but Randle's team-mate John Tanner was on my wheel and wouldn't let me get across, because obviously he didn't want his team-mate to get caught."

While Downing took the win from Randle and York's Alistair Kay, Barras easily held off the remains of the original break for fourth spot.

This weekend, Barras travels south to take part in the next two rounds of the National Elite Circuit Series.