Two in a row for in-form Dean Callister

Round four of the competition – the Mid Shropshire Wheelers 25 – started in sub-zero temperatures with the riders then having to proceed in drizzle.

Getting going in the wet and cold can be an issue for some, but not so for Callister, who coped best with a course that features hardly any flat, with the rollercoaster ride meaning power is needed to get up the many climbs and drags on the ‘out and back’ between Prees and Battlefield.

The Revolutions Racing rider stopped the watch on 55 minutes 57 seconds and seemed to benefit from starting towards the back of the field when the on/off drizzle finally decided to desist.

“The drizzle decided to stop for my run which was good, although a headwind on the way out meant full gas from the off," said Callister.

"I had a good outward leg but got caught up in traffic on the return leg through Hadnall which cost me, but that’s racing."

Callister’s closest competitor was 2022 Friction Series silver medallist Tomos Hales, who edged out reigning champion Tim Beardmore for the first time this Series.

The pair were split by just five seconds as Wrekinsport’s Hales took the runners-up spot in 56:29, despite enduring the worst of the conditions with an early start.

Hales was delighted with his efforts, saying: “I had an early damp start on the time trial but built into it and felt like I had a strong return leg. One of my best performances on that course."

Beardmore still holds a firm hand at the head of both the Overall and Veterans' standings in a determined defence of both titles, as he opened up a 40-point lead in the former and a 75-point advantage in the latter thanks to winning that category in +11:36, ahead of Bridgnorth CC team mate Jonathan Mills-Keeling (+10:47).

In the Friction Women’s Series, a first time entrant took the win as Paramount’s Hayley Wells gained her first experience of a tough course that tests the mettle.

Wells stopped the watch on 1:07:48, and despite it not being her best she was pleased with her effort.

“This was my first time on this course so it was all about pacing and taking each stretch of road as it came," she said. "Not my quickest ride, but happy to have taken the Women’s win."