It said group like-for-like sales rose 5.0%, with the strong performance in cycling partially offset by a 28.6% fall in motoring products sales, with car journeys limited by the crisis.

Assuming expected demand levels in September and stability in the relative value of the U.S. dollar, first-half underlying pretax profit was forecast to be 35-40 million pounds ($46-52.6 million).

($1 = 0.7607 pounds)

(Reporting by James Davey, editing by Louise Heavens)