The Division One field sample the steeplechase at Foote’s Lane on the fifth stage of the Challenge. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0614309)

STEVE DAWES overcame a scare to continue his procession towards the All Terrain Challenge title.

The fifth of the seven-event series was changed from the usual 800 metres to a steeplechase, using the devil takes the hindmost system, whereby the person in last place at the end of each lap sprint is knocked out.

On the final lap, Dawes and Mark Mercier had a shootout, with Dawes easing to victory on the home straight.  However, it was on the previous lap with Tristan ‘Tricky’ Robilliard still in the shake-up, that Dawes nearly came unstuck.

The pacemaker Robilliard started his sprint early, something that Dawes said ‘caught him totally off guard’.

Just when it seemed Dawes would have to settle for third, he pipped Robilliard to the line.