A top amateur cyclist who joined in a race he hadn’t entered and tried to prevent riders joining a break containing a pair of his clubmates has been banned for four months and fined £100.

Michael Ashurst of the VCUK Champion System Racing Team – which on its website says he is also known as ‘Lance’ – joined the Frank Morgan Memorial Race in Knowsley, Merseyside on 27March despite not being on the start list.

In a Disciplinary Complaint filed on its website, British Cycling said that although he had not entered the race,

Mr Ashurst became involved in the event and undertook some racing moves; chasing down riders and riding to prevent other riders bridging the gap between the breakaway group which contained two of his club mates. Mr Ashurst joined the event after the first six laps and he continued his disruption for approximately eight laps. Mr Ashurst was asked by riders in the peloton to leave the race, however Mr Ashurst refused.

His ban runs from 28 March to 27 June 2016, according to the Disciplinary Notice, which is dated 19 April 2016.

According to the British Cycling website, the Wigan-based rider was still racing after that date, however.

Ranked 51st among the country’s Category 1 riders, he won a Regional C+ race on 21 April, and was second in another on 4 May.

Two days prior to the Disciplinary Notice being issued, he had also won the National B event, the Danum Trophy Road Race.