THIS year's 32-mile race round the southern half of the New Forest looks like developing into a head-to-head battle on Sunday.

Primera Bournemouth and VC St Raphael Waite Contracts dispute both individual and team honours in the race which New Forest CC organise from New Milton.

Glenn Longland (Antelope RS Holdings RT) a former winner when this annual time trial was almost twice its present distance, will make a token challenge while five of his clubmates spend the Bank Holiday weekend contesting three hilly time trials which make up the Vectis Offshore Sports CC racing programme on the Isle of Wight.

After winning the opening round of the new Team Axion Southern Electric time trial competition with a time of 23min 55sec for the ten-mile race near Wickham on Monday evening, Malcolm Cox competes in the Phil Smith Memorial 10 near Chichester tomorrow morning before lining up at New Milton on Sunday.

The race winner there four years ago, in 1-14-39, Cox lost his event record to Paul Pickup (Liphook Cycles RT) last year, but the latter is concentrating on regaining his early lead in British Cycling's national circuit series this weekend and will not be defending the record of 1-14-16 he set last year.

Cox dismisses his chances of beating this time following his training crash in February which put him out of competition for two months, but in Steve Walking, Aran Stanton and Andy Cook, the last-named another recent signing to boost the club's prospects in the British Best All-Rounder Competition later in the season, the St Raphael squad should have at least one man on the winner's podium even if he doesn't stand on the top step.

Primera Bournemouth's Julian Jenkinson, Brian Greensmith, James Gilfillan and Paul Flight have the form to come between the Portsmouth squad and the winner's laurels, and Mark Sinnott (Epsom CC) is one of several others in the field of 62 who is expected to figure prominently in the result.

The nine, 24 and 46-mile time trials on the Isle of Wight have attracted last year's overall winner, Ray Hughes (Clarence Wheelers) but he returns to contest the three tandem races over the same distances, leaving the way clear for Dave Dent (SP Systems Wightlink RT) to become the first Island entrant to come out on top by Monday - when his international clubmate, Keiron Page, travels to Suffolk for the BC circuit race after starting favourite to win the first two events.

Seventy riders are listed for one or more of these races, but over a thousand more cyclists will be on Island roads for the annual 100-kilometre randonnee on Sunday.

Cowes Ferry Terminal is the popular starting point for the many mainland participants who travel from Southampton for this event which follows an anti-clockwise direction this year, a change of route awaiting them to avoid a road closure near Freshwater Bay. Fixtures:

Saturday (May 3): Hampshire RC Phil Smith Memorial 10, Fontwell, nr Chichester, 7am.

Romsey CTC meet Palmerston Square, 10am for 30-mile ride to West Tytherleigh.

Vectis Offshore Sports CC 9, Scouts Hall, Godshill, 5pm.

Sunday: New Forest CC Circuit of the Forest tt, Scout Hall, New Milton, 7am.

Vectis Offshore Sports CC 24, Godshill, 8am

Isle of Wight Wayfarers Randonnee round the Island, Cowes Ferry Terminal, Yarmouth Square or Havenstreet, from 9am.

Sotonia CC meet Red Funnel ferry terminal, Southampton, 7.40am for Isle of Wight randonnee.

Southampton & Winchester CTC meet Red Funnel ferry terminal, 8am for Isle of Wight randonnee.

Monday: Vectis Offshore Sports CC 46, Godshill, 7am.

Tuesday: New Forest CC club 25, Beaulieu Road, Lyndhurst, 7pm.