Stuart Bower's absence from the Oxonian CC's Geoff Walker Memorial cyclo-cross meeting at Oxford last Sunday, to compete in the third round of the National Trophy series at Ipswich, left the way clear for Tim Dunford to head the Hargroves Cycles RT squad in the Wessex League.

He showed himself to be a most able deputy in a race that has often been won by Didcot Phoenix riders in the past.

Dunford did not dominate the pattern of the race quite like Bowers and, though he led for most of the eight laps, he was never far ahead of Didcot's Les Lloyd, the British Over-50s champion, Sean Williams (Vectis Offshore Sports CC) who finished runner-up to Bowers in the Wessex League last winter and London-based Robin Wilmott (GA. Cycles) a past member of New Forest CC

That was the order they finished, with fourth-placed Wilmott crossing the line less than a minute after Dunford took the honours and over a minute ahead of fifth-placed Jason Painter, now racing for Artisan RT - the new name adopted by Tricky Dicky Racing.

Bowers returns to Wessex League action on Wokefield Common this Sunday.

Reading CC organises this well-established meeting, held in memory of Bill Higson.

The usual format applies with entries being taken 'on the line' for all three races, starting with a ten-minute 'dash' for under-12 year-olds at 11.30am.

An end-of-season cycling holiday for CTC members in south east Hampshire reunited two cyclists who hadn't seen each other since leaving King Edward VI school in Southampton over 40 years ago.

Neither was aware of each other's presence in the 16-strong party until they were about to board the channel ferry for France.

Tony Adams, 61, a retired school teacher from West End, was making his fifth 'winter wind-down' tour in Normandy with former cycling colleagues in the Portsmouth area and thought, 'that face looks familiar' when introduced to Jim Weeks of Fareham.

Weeks resumed cycling about five years ago and, after retiring from his work as an engineer in August, he decided to spend more of his leisure time cycling with the Portsmouth group of the CTC

In addition to attending King Edwards school, they also discovered they were pupils at Bitterne Church of England Primary school in the 1950s.

FIXTURES:

November 9

Alton CTC meet Farnham Station, 10.30am for ride round Surrey villages

Winchester CTC meet Worthy Road car park, 1.30pm for two-hour ride

November 10

Wessex Cyclo-cross League meeting, Wokefield Common, Burghfield, from 11.30am

Alton CTC meet The Butts, 9am. Elevenses at Bishop's Waltham and lunch at Bighton, Nr Alresford

Fareham Wheelers meet Titchfield Mill, 9am for choice of morning rides

Sotonia CC meet North Baddesley crossroads, 9am for ride to Beaulieu

Southampton CTC meet The Ship, Redbridge 9am. Elevenses at Fordingbridge and lunch at North Gorley

Winchester CTC meet King Alfred's Statue 9am. Lunch at Grayshott