THE sun shone on all but three Sundays, albeit briefly on some of them, last year, and it has continued to do so this month, to give the 110 entrants who set out from Kings Worthy one of the best days ever recorded for the annual Watership Down randonnee.

All but a few completed the 108km course within the time limit imposed.

Held under the auspices of Audax United Kingdom, the national cycling body formed in 1976 to promote long distance riding at speeds between 15 and 30km per hour, this South Hampshire CTC event has become a well established ride since it was first held nearly 20 years ago, but its date in the calendar has given riders a hard time on several occasions when the weather has been decidedly wintry.

This was certainly not the case on Sunday and though most of the opening 45km to the first intermediate control point at Lower Chute, north of Andover, were uphill, most participants checked in within a few minutes of each other to keep the staff dispensing light refreshments in the village pub very busy for half an hour or so.

This part of the course lies just across the Wiltshire border a short distance from Chute Causeway, a road running along an 800ft high escarpment leading to Conholt Hill, chosen by Andover Wheelers for its first race of the year, which time trialists will climb on February 21.

Sunday's randonneurs did not have the worry of an icy surface to worry about as they swooped down this hill, but breathing became a little laboured a few minutes later as they headed up Sleepless Hill to cross the 900ft contour line by Inkpen Beacon in Berkshire.

Kintbury, in the Kennet Valley between Hungerford and Newbury, marked the halfway point of the ride and after returning to Hampshire the route turned skyward again, with the steep northern flanks of Watership Down overlooking Sydmonton giving everyone the hardest climb of the day.

Though just as demanding as many forms of competitive cycling, Audax events do not recognise individual winners, instead each rider either finishes inside the time limit or fails, and, with an increasing number of time trial courses being outlawed on safety grounds, they are appealing to riders who are becoming disenchanted with riding on roads carrying high volumes of traffic.

Ranging in distance from 50 to 1,000km, all Audax events are held on roads which avoid busy trunk routes, and the next local one, from Denmead, near Portsmouth, to Whitchurch and back, takes place this Saturday.

The same day has been chosen by Oxonian CC for a cyclo-cross meeting, brought forward by a day and no longer a counter for the Wessex League.