The Science-in-Sport/Trek team leader proved the first in the event's five-year history to win in the wet, too, as the rain-soaked 800m town centre circuit made for an even more challenging ride.

Cheered on by more than 1,500 fans along Market Street and Craddock Road in two hours of non-stop close contact cycle racing, Wilkinson took up a challenging position from the start and was one of five to break away from the 50-strong elite field.

The lead continually changed between the five-man pack until the 55th minute when, with 10 sprint laps of the race to go, the 29-year-old powered away.Within four laps he had taken a 13-second lead from his fellow riders, as team-mate Ian Bibby, Simon Richardson, Tom Murray and Graham Briggs dropped back into the bunch.

The rest of the field shaved a few seconds off Wilkinson's lead in the remaining laps of the National Elite Series stage, but the Barnoldswick rider, who finished third in 2006, took the race by 10 seconds ahead of Pinarello riders Malcolm Elliot and Russell Downing.

Mayor of Pendle Coun. Shelagh Derwent waved Wilkinson over the line, having also started the race, and the support event for junior and class 3 and 4 riders before it, with an air horn.

Several local riders were in the 40-strong support event but not on the podium, as teenage twins Simon and Adam Yates (Sport City Velo) were inseparable in first and second place, ahead of Chris Pritchard (Stealth RT) in third. Seventeen-year-old Hannah Mayo (Longstaff Cycles-BH), who briefly led the race, was also commended for being the first woman across the line.