HALESOWEN cyclists were out in force for the third round of the West Midlands Series.

Set in the shadows of the Malvern Hills, the 65-mile race last Saturday turned out to be the fastest this season averaging 27 mph through the roads of Worcestershire.

Halesowen Cycling Club were out in force with Jack Stanton-Warren featuring prominently in the series and Joe Hobbs another one to watch after his third place last week.

The flattish nature of the course meant it was hard for any breaks to stay away and all escapees were rounded up long before the final sprint.

Coming into the last turn about one kilometre from the finish, Stanton-Warren made a move and attacked the bunch along with two others. Although this move was swallowed up on the long approach to the line, he did well to hang onto 10th place behind winner Joe Atkins.

Oliver Dighton, in his first year as a junior, recorded another top-20 finish closely followed by Joe Hobbs, Patrick Fotheringham and first-timer Nick Clayton who slotted naturally into his debut West Midlands race.

Next week the series moves to Shrewsbury for round four where Halesowen will be keen to consolidate their position in the team rankings and Stanton-Warren in particular will be looking for more points towards his first category licence.