STUART BOWERS rode like the champion he is to win the Wessex Cyclo-cross League Bill Higson Memorial race on Wokefield Common, Burghfield.

But, though he had no trouble ending the hat-trick hopes of Paul Lloyd (Artisan RT) - winner of this Reading CC promotion for the past two years - he faced an unexpected challenge from former champ Andrew MacDonald (GA Cycles).

Still the undisputed master at veterans level in Wessex, MacDonald made a lightning start to leave Lloyd and Sean Williams (Vectis Offshore Sports CC), another rider who lacked his usual form, and most of the other 45 entrants well behind on the opening lap and join last week's winner, Tim Dunford (Hargroves Cycles RT), and Tony Parker (North Hampshire RC) in pursuit of Dunford's teammate, Bowers.

Picking a perfect line over the potential hazards round the technical course, Bowers enjoyed a trouble-free race to lap all but three of his rivals.

MacDonald stopped to make one bike change after puncturing before finishing on a softening tyre having punctured again on the last lap. But he overcame both mishaps without losing second place to Lunford, the second of four Hargroves men to finish in the top ten.

Course conditions, made slippery by several hours of steady rain, remained constant for all three races and were considered ideal for cyclo-cross by both riders and officials. The tasks of the latter were helped when the rain stopped shortly before racing started.

"New boy" Andrew Hargroves showed the skills learnt from his father and squad manager, Peter, to win the first event, for under-12-year-olds, and record his second league success of the season.

Gary Amos, a past racing member of Chandler's Ford-based Sotonia CC for several years and now living on the Isle of Wight, has become the new racing secretary of the Vectis Offshore Sports CC. He was elected to succeed Andy Turner and will be responsible for an extensive programme of time trials his new club organises on Island roads between March and September.

Steve Chapman, promoter of the club's time trial festival on the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, told members at their annual meeting in Carisbrooke that the second of three races, over a 24-mile course south of Newport, has been approved as a counting event for the Rudy Project national series of time trials next year. Results:

Wessex Cyclo-cross league, Wokefield Common: 1 S Bowers (Hargroves Cycles RT) 12 miles in 53m.40s, 2 A MacDonald (GA Cycles) @ 2m.15s, 3 T Dunford (Hargroves Cycles RT) @ 3m.12s, 4 A Parker (North Hampshire RC) @ 3m.50s, 5 L Lloyd (Didcot Phoenix) @ 4m.48s, 6 R Wilmott (GA Cycles) @ 5m.12s, 7 J Painter (Artisan RT) @ 5m.42s, 8 T Budd (GA Cycles) @ 6m.30s, 9 M Cross (Hargroves Cycles RT) @ 6m.59s, 10 P Hargroves (Hargroves Cycles RT) @ 7m.42s.

Youth Race: 1 P Gough (Portswood Cycles), 2 G Dickinson (Farnborough & Camberley CC), 3 A Bates (Farnborough & Camberley CC).

Under-12s winner: A Hargroves (Hargroves Cycles RT).