Endura Racing got back to winning ways at the Canary Wharf round of the Halfords Tour Series after Zak Dempter’s victory helped the squad to the team prize for the fifth time in seven rounds.

Endura dominated the first four rounds of the series, maintaining a 100 per cent record in the team competition, before UK Youth and Raleigh-GAC upset the apple cart in Aberystwyth and Peterborough respectively.

But Dempster’s victory in London’s financial centre, combined with top ten finishes for Scott Thwaites and Russell Downing, helped Endura take the team honours and extend their overall lead to 11 points.

Dempster outsprinted breakaway companions Mike Northey (Node4-Giordana Racing), Chris Opie (UK Youth) and world team pursuit champion Andy Tennant (Rapha Condor Sharp) at the end of the hour-long race to take his second ever Tour Series win, following victory in Durham in 2011. Olympic gold medallist Ed Clancy, winner of the Peterborough round, led in the bunch sprint for fifth.

Downing had kick started the evening’s success, leading his Clifford Chance team to victory in the IG Markets Canary Wharf Corporate Grand Prix ProAm relay

“It was pretty easy for me”, said Downing, “The guys had done all the hard work so it was pretty cruisey. It’s very windy out there tonight so all these guys did awesome out there.”

Yanto Barker took the honours in the evening’s Boardman Bikes Sprints competition, but once again it was Australian Bernard Sulzberger of Team Raleigh – GAC who kept hold of the yellow jersey and now enjoys a ten point lead over Metaltek Scott’s Marcel Six.

World road race champion Mark Cavendish dropped the flag to start the race and later presented the winning Endura team on the Canary Wharf podium.

“It’s wicked to be here and to see the racing,” said Cavendish. “When Mick [Bennett] explained the format it is really good. I’ve been watching on TV so I wanted to come down and watch it and it’s been really good.”

Round seven highlights will be broadcast on ITV4 on Friday June 1 at 8pm, while Torquay welcomes the Tour Series back to the south west after a year’s absence, hosting round eight on Tuesday June 5.

Halfords Tour Series round seven – Canary Wharf

1) Zak Dempster – Endura Racing
2) Mike Northey – Node4-Giordana Racing
3) Chris Opie – Team UK Youth
4) Andy Tennant – Rapha Condor Sharp
5) Ed Clancy – Rapha Condor Sharp
6) Rico Rogers – Node4-Giordana Racing
7) Scott Thwaites – Endura Racing
8) Stephen Adams – Cycle Premier-Kovert
9) Russ Downing – Endura Racing
10) James Stewart – Team UK Youth

Round seven team result
1) Endura Racing
2) Node4-Giordana Racing
3) Rapha Condor Sharp
4) Team UK Youth
5) Cycle Premier-Kovert
6) Team Raleigh-GAC
7) Team IG-Sigma Sport
8) Team Hope Factory Racing
9) Metaltek Scott
10) Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes

Team standings after round seven
1) Endura Racing – 66pts
2) Rapha Condor Sharp – 55pts
3) Team UK Youth – 53pts
4) Team Raleigh-GAC – 50pts
5) Node4-Giordana Racing – 49pts
6) Cycle Premier-Kovert – 34pts
7) Team IG-Sigma Sport – 28pts
8) Metaltek Scott – 18pts
9) Herbalife LeisureLakesBikes – 16pts
10) Team Hope Factory Racing – 14pts

Boardman Bikes sprints standings after round seven
1) Bernard Sulzberger – Team Raleigh-GAC – 65pts
2) Marcel Six – Metaltek Scott – 55pts
3) Kristian House – Rapha Condor Sharp – 32pts