SOUTH of England champion Stuart Bowers (Hargroves Cycles RT) is hoping tomorrow's Wessex League meeting at Oxford will be his last cyclo-cross race of the season.

A victory in this Oxonian CC promotion will assure him of his second successive league title - without having to worry about the result of the final meeting on February 9 - the date he has chosen to start his road racing season.

Bowers goes into the race trailing teammate Tim Dunford by 22 points.

But, after competing in the National Trophy series in preference to several Wessex League meetings before Christmas, he is still one short of the maximum number of events on which the local league championship is determined.

This means a win at Oxford will bring him another 30 points, while Dunford can only add to his score by improving on any one of his previous nine performances.

The race for the women's and under-12 titles are also undecided, with both Catherine Pascoe (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) and Lydia Gould (Hargroves Cycles RT) still lying within reach of Deana Dibnah (Mountain Mania) in the former competition.

Only four points separate New Forest CC's Peter and Jonathan Dibben in the latter.

Andrew MacDonald, one of six GA Cycles men in the top ten of the senior league, has retained the veterans title again and Philip Gough (Portswood Cycles) has won the youth championship.

Gough's brother, Andrew, can make it a family double if he can overcome his six-point deficit on Thomas Budd (GA Cycles) for the junior title.

Oxonian CC has a change of venue for this penultimate event. It will now take place at Oxford School in Cowley but times of start for all three races remain unchanged.

Fareham Wheelers have been unable to a find suitable alternative course after flooded roads caused the cancellation of their 40-mile reliability ride.

Sotonia CC are hoping their 50-mile route into the north of the county will be clear for their third reliability ride of the winter. It is open to all.