Hampshire cyclist Robert Hurd has been barred from the British Cycling Championships which take place in Wales today and tomorrow - because he made comments about safety there two years ago.

On that occasion Cardiff Docklands was part of the course and Welsh CU chairman Bill Owen took exception to Hurd's comments at the time. As organiser of this weekend's championships, he has returned the Belgian-based man's entry.

Winchester's other international rider, Danny Axford (Parrot Print Stilton RT), the runaway winner in the recent Colin Carfield Memorial Race in Somerset, will be riding, and so too will Hampshire-born Rob Hayles, now a teammate of Britain's Tour de France hope David Millar in the French-based Cofidis squad.

Hopes are high for Welsh wins in both events.

Nicole Cooke, who won a gold medal for Wales at the Commonwealth Games last year, will be defending the national title in the women's race tomorrow and her compatriot, Julian Winn, pictured, will be doing likewise in the men's race on Sunday, after raising his profile on the world stage by completing the Tour of Italy - second only in prestige to the Tour de France - last month.

Winn, now racing for Fakta, will be among a small group of Continental-based professionals who will line up outside the Celtic Manor Resort. He will start as one of the favourites to win the British title again.

The six-month-old Team Axiom, one of several new cycling clubs formed during the past year, organises two time trials, over ten and 25 miles, near Petersfield this weekend, and both incorporate the Inter-Service championships for the two distances.

Race organiser Luke Myers of Southampton has enlisted the support of E Composites for both events, and has Steve Walkling (VC St Raphael Waite Contracts) holding pole position on each day, with the RAF's Jon Surtees fastest of the two dozen service personnel taking part.