moderate success at the Platt Bridge Station Stage Race over the weekend.

Looby placed 25th out of 60 riders in the four-stage event in Wyoming in what was his first taste of international competition.

"Overall I think I did well,'' said Looby, who was second last week to Whayman Butterfield in the Heritage Day Cycle Classic. "For me to finish the last stage, which was a 7.1 mile (loop) with five miles uphill at a 10 percent grade without being lapped was good, especially being that I was the only guy in the race that was not from the area.

"It definitely gives me encouragement. I'm going back next year and I intend on placing and bringing back some of that money they give away. Hopefully, I can take a group of guys with me.'' The first stage on Saturday involved a 77-mile road race with two rolling hills, including Monkey Mountain, which Looby likened to Knapton Hill, except that it was "two miles straight up''.

Looby was involved in an early breakaway attempt only to be reeled in by the chasing pack.

He would cross the line bunched in the main group just a second behind the leader in a time of 3 hours, 12 minutes, 38 seconds. He noted the average speed to have been over 28 miles per hour.

Sunday witnessed two stages, the first a 16-mile time trial in which Looby finished 28th with an average speed of 22.4 miles per hour and a top speed of 40 miles per hour.

However, a low point followed as the lanky cyclist crashed in stage three after just five laps and was ordered out of the race.

A final mountain stage concluded the event, with participants climbing from a point 1,500 feet above sea level to 5,000 feet above and Looby was once again in the thick of the action finishing 25th in the stage.

A confident Looby said that while he was never overawed by the competition he was "definitely hanging on a bit, but had just enough strength'' to stay with the pack.

Home for a brief rest, Looby is due to return overseas, this time travelling to Vancouver, British Columbia for an event which he hopes will qualify him for the Commonwealth Games later this summer.

McINNIS LOOBY (right) during last week's Heritage Classic.