BENIGN conditions across the country gave time trialists the opportunity to race faster than ever in the Andover Wheelers Weyhill Fair weekend near Thruxton and the British 100-mile Championship in Derbyshire.

But while many local riders improved their personal performances in one or both the two events in Hampshire, the long journey north for VC St Raphael's quartet ended in disappointment.

While the British Best All-Rounder champion, Kevin Dawson (Life Repair RT) was setting a new national record of 3h.22m.45s to win his fifth 100-mile title in seven years, Malcolm Cox and Andy Cook found themselves completely outpaced with times of 3-50-26 and 3-50-43,.

Clubmates Rowan Horner and Wayne Levet failed to finish.

But the club's short distance star, Steve Walkling, overcame a two-second defeat in the 10-mile time trial at Weyhill by winning the 25 mile race on Sunday morning with 41 seconds to spare.

Walkling's success on the second day was overshadowed by Clarence Wheeler Ray Hughes in two of the supporting events which have become a feature of this popular weekend fixture.

Racing in a category for veterans under 50, Hughes set the fastest individual times of 19-34 and 51-56 to achieve a weekend "double" - the only one recorded this year.

As expected, the two tandem races produced even faster times. But after sharing second place with a Marcia CC pair with a sub-20-minute ride on the first day the former national record holders, Glenn Longland and Neville Stroud (Antelope RS Holdings RT) finished over a minute clear to win the 25-mile race in 51-50.

RESULTS:

British 100 mile Championship, Derbyshire 1 K Dawson (Life Repair RT) 3-22-45, 2 M Hutchinson (Team MDT) 3-24-8, 3 Z Carr (API Bikes) 3-29-47, M Cox (VC St Raphael) 3-50-26, A Cook (VC St R) 3-50-43.

Women - 1 R Dorrington (Pete Read Racing) 4-11-53, 2 L Taylor (Walsall Roads CC) 4-11-58, 3 M Bloom (WRCC) 4-12-6.

Andover Wheelers Weyhill Fair 10 - 1 P Haggerty (Army CU) 20-8, 2 S Walkling (VC St R) 20-10, 3 C Nicholls (High Wycombe C) 20-37, 4 J Ball (Bournemouth Arrow CC) & A Russell (VC St R) 20-40, 6 L Smith (VC Meaudon) 20-43. Veterans under-150 - 1 R Hughes (Clarence Wheelers) 19-34, 2 J Prior (Andover Wheelers) 20-5, 3 C Absolom (Yeovil CC) 20-19, 5 A Dodkins (Team Velo Vet) 21-1. Veterans over-50 - 1 P Hamilton (34 Nomads CC) 20-38, 2 R Robinson (Off the Record Velo-city) 20-47, 3 D Cottington (Charlotteville CC) 21-5. Women - 1 C Gandy (San Fairy Ann CC) 22-38, 2 LA Allen (VC St R) 22-49, 3 H Carter (Eastbourne Rovers) 23-6. Tandems - 1 K Neary & A Rochford (Leo RC) 18-45, 2 P&R Beddows (Mercia) and G Longland & N Stroud (Antelope RT) 19-47.

Weyhill Fair 25 - 1 S Walkling 53-35, 2 N Coleman (Endura Sport) 54-6, 3 J Ball 55-15, 4 S Berogna (VC St R) 55-34, 5 P Haggerty 55-36, 6 B Instone (A3 CRG) 55-46, 7 P Bowley (AW) 55-56, 8 I Ayliffe (Salisbury RC) 56-13, 8 M Parton (ART) 57-57. Veterans under-50 - 1 R Hughes 51-56, 2 J Prior 53-29, 3 C Absolom 54-5, 4 J Short (Vectis OffShore Sports CC) 54-24, 5 A Dodkins 54-44, 6 M St Leger (Sotonia CC) 55-9. Veterans over-50 - 1 R Robinson 54-26, 2 P Hamilton 54-52, 3 P Fox (21st Century Airports CT) 55-48, 9 C Crocker (SCC) 59-39. Women - 1 LA Allen 1-0-13, 2 H Carter 1-0-57, 3 H Goulding (Caesarean CC) 1-2-30, 6 J Walton (Fareham Wheelers) 1-5-0. Tandems - 1 G Longland & N Stroud 51-50, 2 R&P Beddows 53-13, 3 I Knight & P Jacobs (AW) 54-32.

Surrey League Isle of Wight stage race, Yarmouth - 1 R Downing (Life Repair RT) 187 miles in 7h.26m.47s, 2 J Tanner (LRRT) @ 1m.21s, 3 D Downing (LRRT) @ 1m.48s, 4 R Sharman (SP Systems Wightlink RT) @ 4m.57s, 5 D Axford (Stilton RT) @ 5m.44s, 6 R Enslin (VC Prestige) @ 5m.45s, 7 K Page (SPSW) @ 6m.22s. Supporting Race - 1 G Bryant (Old Portlians CC) 142 miles in 6h.6m.0s, 2 J Towner (Kingsnorth International) @ 32s, 3 B Perex (Addiscombe CC) @ 34s.

Bournemouth Arrow Fircroft Hotel Chase Classic, Sixpenny Handley - 1 M Brammeier (Great Britain Juniors) 81 miles in 3h.27m.11s, 2 A Illingworth (Team Milton Keynes), 3 T Wallis (GBJ) - both same time.