CLARENCE Wheelers' Ray Hughes took full advantage of VC St Raphael Waite Contracts' missing time trial stars who were in the British ten-mile championships near Coventry.

Hughes won two races on southern roads, finishing fastest in 20m 32s in the Wessex Veterans' group Championship over the same distance near Andover before adding the Paragon Cup to his successes in the Sotonia CC 25 near Poole.

The 44-year-old London visitor took over a minute out of older veteran, Terry Icke (Poole Wheelers) to win his second race in 53-53, and there was a double winner in the women's category, with Judith Walton (Fareham Wheelers) setting times of 24-56 and 1-7-10, the latter coming in a 25-mile race organised by Portsmouth North End CC near Chichester.

Only one second separated the winner Tristan Court (Brighton Mitre) from the runner-up, Ray Robinson (Off the Record Velocity) but the latter had the satisfaction of leading the winning team against the numerically stronger Eastbourne Rovers.

Other winners included 66-year-old John Woodburn (Maidenhead CC) whose ten-mile time of 22-1 gave him the Wessex group title with an advance of 9m14s on the standard set for his age, and he followed that up with a second convincing performance in the Sotonia 25, gaining 21m.29s from a time of 58-58 which was also fast enough for seventh overall.

A change of partner for Mary Corbett (Sotonia CC) in her own club's time trial produced a winning time of 56-46 for the tandem prize shared with Steve Brown (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers).

RESULTS:

Sotonia CC Paragon Cup 25, Lytchett Matravers - 1 R Hughes (Clarence Wheelers) 53-53, 2 T Icke (Poole Wheelers) 55-15, 3 J Gilfillan (Primera Bournemouth) 55-30, 4 P Evans (Sport Fagley) 56-45, 5 M Cot (VC St Raphael) 57-30, 6 W Grainger (Andover Wheelers) 58-4, 7 J Woodburn (Maidenhead CC) 58-36, 8 M Parton (Antelope RT) 58-58, 9 S Clark (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) 59-14, 10 I Bishop (New Forest CC) 59-15.

Wessex Veterans' Ten Championship Thruxton Down - 1 J Woodburn + 9m.14s on 22-1, 2 J Brown (Northovers RT) + 8m.34s on 23-11, 3 R Fairchild (Bognor Regis CC) + 7m.50s on 24-25.

Crabwood CC 10, Thruxton Down - 1 R Hobson (Science in Sport) 20-21, 2 J Wynn (Somerset RC) 20-52, 3 C Birch (Evans Cycles RT) 21-4, 4 M Parton (ART) 21-9.

Portsmouth N End CC 25, Fontwell - 1 T Court (Brighton Mitre) 56-23, 2 R Robinson (Off the Record) 56-24, 3 P Younghusband (Tri UK) 56-33, 4 P Pickers (Northovers RT) 56-47.

Former Europa stage race winner Jeremy Hunt, who won the Southampton club's two-day promotion at Bishop's Waltham four years ago, came close to winning the three-day Tour of Picardy in northern France, after taking the overall lead with a stage victory at Laon on the second day.

He successfully defended his one second advantage in another sprint finish which decided the third stage, but lost it in the short 5.5 kilometre time trial to Creil a few hours later, handing over the yellow jersey to another Briton, David Millar, who boosted his confidence for the Tour de France in July with this well-timed victory.