Brighton teacher Mike Coyle believes he is still a force to be reckoned despite having limited time time for training and racing.

Coyle (VC Etoile), a former winner of the Surrey Three Day and Brighton to London race, beat East Grinstead ace Steve Dennis by eight seconds at the weekend to win the Sussex CA's 15-mile time trial at Ashurst in 33min.51sec.

Dave Dent was third in 34min.44sec and led local club GS Stella to the team prize, with Mark Jones fourth in 34min.50sec and Steve Woodbridge eighth in 36m.55sec.

Marina Bloom (Crawley Wheelers) clocked 39min.36sec. to win the women's event ahead of Angela Nainby (East Grinstead) with 40min.29sec. and Susan Uncles (Worthing Excelsior) with 43min.3sec.

The following day's 25-mile SCA event at Horsham, which was also run in windy conditions, was won by Stewart Jardine (Twickenham) in 59min.8sec. Dent finished second with 59min.14sec.

Coyle, who was hoping to complete the double, was disappointed to finish ninth in 1hr.3min.38sec.

He said: "I was really flying and I caught the rider who started a minute ahead of me within four miles, but then a spoke broke.

"I waited for several minutes hoping I might get a wheel from someone. Then another competitor, my clubmate Peter Scarsbrook, saw I was in trouble and offered me his bike. Without this delay I believe I would probably have won again."

Coyle had some consolation as Etoile won the team prize. Mike Kingsbury finished fifth in 1hr.2min.22sec and Clive Oxborrow was 11th in 1hr.4min.9sec.

Angela Nainby won the women's event in 1hr.12min.4sec. Harry Featherstone (Eastbourne Rovers) was fastest veteran in 1hr.4min.33sec. The tandem event was won by Stella pair Mark Jones and John Limpus in 55min.27sec.

MARK SENNER (Blazing Saddles, Rustington) broke clear of the field to record a solo win the 40km race at the Thruxton motor circuit.

STEVE DENNIS and Eastbourne's James Dear are among the riders for the two Southern Counties time trials in Surrey this weekend.