THE four year-old record of 19 minutes 15 seconds set by Sussex Tour de France star Sean Yates was well beaten in the Salisbury RC 10-mile time trial at Thruxton Down, Andover in a performance one race official described as "awesome."

The man responsible for posting a time of 18-50 was new British 50-mile champion, Michael Hutchinson (Team MDT Giant) but, just a week before he competes for the national 25-mile title - the "blue riband" of time trial racing - he left race headquarters in Shipton Bellinger unaware that last year's 25-mile champion, Stuart Dangerfield (Camel Valley C&TC) was showing the form to hold onto his crown, setting a new British 10-mile record of 18-19 in the East Midlands on the same afternoon.

While Hutchinson's success on the A303 surprised no one, a little known junior, James Ellet (Team Omega), upset the form book by beating more fancied riders in a closely contested battle for second place.

His 20-38 clipped six seconds off his previous best and beat third-placed Jon Wynn (Somerset RC) by five seconds, while local hope Jake Prior (Andover Wheelers) gave everything in vain to take an agonizing second more than his personal record and share fifth spot with Andy Cooper (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) on 20-50.

This race was the second of two held on the same course during the afternoon. In the first, for veterans, Dave Johnson (High Wycombe CC) missed a pb by six seconds but enjoyed a winning margin of 19 seconds with a time of 20-44.

That would have given him fourth place in the "all-comers" race, but a Northover Veterans RT trio of Alan Dawson, Peter Pickers and "best on standard" Jack Brown really excelled, with a winning team time of 1.5.32 - 11 seconds better than Swindon RC could manage winning the same award in the second race of the day.

Records will show that Mick St Leger (www.Bike-shop UK) won the New Forest CC 25 near Ringwood in 54-21, but the Chandler's Ford rider returned home knowing fortune favoured him. Scratchman Eamonn Deane (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) was less than a minute into his ride when a puncture halted him. With a replacement wheel fitted, he completed a "private" ride, which took him 54-19.

Both he and St Leger did have the satisfaction of finishing faster than the winners of the tandem race which followed.

His absence from the results did not prevent his club from winning the team prize, but the Bournemouth club's woman champion, Philippa Brayford, finished 32 seconds off the pace of Evesham Wheeler Arja Scarsbrook in the women's category.

Darren Dowling (Farnborough & Camberley CC) was one of three juniors in a field of 59 in the Hantspol CC road race on Portsdown Hill and after joining six of his rivals in a successful break which gained two minutes on the rest in the last 20 kilometres he showed his back wheel to all of them coming round the last corner to win this 58km event with a second to spare.

RESULTS:

Salisbury RC 10, Thruxton Down: 1 Michael Hutchinson (Team Clean) 18.50, 2 J Ellett (Team Omega) 20.38, 3 J Wynn (Somerset RC) 20.45, 4 A Russell (VC St Raphael) 20.45, 5 A Cooper (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) & J Prior (Andover Wheelers) 20.50.

Veteran;s Race: 1 Dave Johnson (High Wycombe CC) 20.44, 2 J Williams (CC Abergavenny) & A Both (Dursley RC) 21.3, 4 A Sharpe (Team MDT) 21.15, 5 A Dawson (Northovers RT) 21.20. Women: Claire Newman (Crabwood CC) 24.3.

New Forest CC 25, Ringwood: 1 Mick St Leger (wwwbikeshop UK) 54.21, 2 B Greensmith (Southampton TC) 54.30, 3 S Pye (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) 57.27, D Hambleton (Salisbury RC) 57.29, 5 S Pye (BJW) 57.37. Tandems: 1 Steve Brown & Jon Charman (BJW) 54.32, 2 R Smith & F Parton (Antelope RT) 56.19.

Hantspol CC Portsdown Race - 1 Darren Dowling (Farnborough & Camberley CC), 2 P Seliga (Liphook Cycles RT), 3 K Grant (GS Europa), 4 P Wilson (Bournemouth Arrow CC), 5 M Jones (GS Stella), 6 W Staden (Southdown Velo), 7 G Wrigley (Sussex Nomads), 8 A Ilsley (FS Maestro), 9 S Smart (Southdown Velo), 10 S Williams (Vectis Off-Shore Sports CC).

Border CA 10, Liss: 1 Ray Hughes (Clarence Wheelers) 20.-43, 2 S Walkling (Portsmouth North End CC) 20.56, 3 J Millard (Charlotteville CC) 21-16.