Everything is in place for the annual Circuit of Hambledon time trial on Sunday.

The only problem facing the organising Hampshire RC this year is a fall in entries. Last year's winner, Malcolm Cox of Hedge End, is still recovering from a fractured shoulder - broken while out training close to the course a month ago.

Even though numbers are down, race promoter Dave Whitmore, is upbeat about the quality saying: "We've got so many good riders we will be starting the ten best ones at two minute intervals just like they do in time trials abroad."

Although those ten include only one former winner in Mike Marchant (Bognor Regis CC) he is not expected to match the speed of Dave Dent (SP Systems Wightlink RT) Dave Shepherd (Rother Valley CC) or Peter Younghusband (TriUK Giant).

The Isle of Wight man showed a good turn of speed to beat both the other two over the slightly shorter Liphook cycles sporting time trial last Sunday.

But Shepherd and Younghusband finished third and fourth respectively in this event a year ago and all three will start with realistic hopes of doubling the prize money which awaits the winner if the race record is beaten.

That is 58m.42s for the hilly 39 kilometres and was set 5 years ago by Glenn Longland of Southampton's Antelope RT - a club which somewhat bizarrely is organising two open time trials, over 10 and 25 miles, near Reading this weekend.

The second year of racing in British Cycling's enlarged divisions brings a new fixture to the South's programme, in the form of a circuit meeting at Castle Coombe, near Chippenham.

The programme of events will be similar to the one chosen by VC Venta at Thruxton last weekend, but this one is enhanced, as the first in a new series of divisional meetings being arranged at different locations during the season.