Former national 25-mile champion Richard Prebble, from Farnham, had a clear-cut win in the Worthing Excelsior open 25-mile event at Broadbridge Heath.

But he was disappointed that his team-mate, Sussex ace Sean Yates, was a non-starter.

Yates, the race favourite, turned up but forgot to pack his racing shoes.

Prebble (Team Clean) produced a stunning ride to record 52min.36sec, Nick Green (Peter Read Racing) was second in 54min.58sec and Paul Woodman, of Eastbourne Rovers, was third (55min.59sec).

Fourth and fifth places went to Epsom CC riders. Brian Molloy (55min.41sec) and Mark Sanders (56min.16sec) Steve Yeates recorded 1hr.1min.57sec to seal the team win for Epsom.

Sixth fastest was Tristan Court, of the Brighton Mitre, with 56min.51sec.

Former Sussex road race champion Mike Coyle (VC Etoile) made one of his now infrequent appearances.

The Brighton teacher said "I found it hard. I don't get much time to train nowadays so my time wasn't very good."

Most riders would have been very pleased, though, to clock 57min.18sec which gave Coyle eighth place in the field of 100 riders.

Crawley's Steve Elms (In Gear) was ninth in 57min.32sec and former Central Sussex rider Tony Goodsell, now with the Amphibians Tri-Club, recorded 57min.36sec for tenth place.

The amazing Harry Featherstone (Eastbourne Rovers), still going strong at 68, clocked 1hr.2min.1sec to win the veterans' handicap prize.

The male/female tandem event was won by John Limpus (GS Stella) and Nikki Treacy (Brighton Excelsior) in 53min.28sec.

Dutchman Gerritt Oplaat, who rides for the East Grinstead club, won the Surrey League's 35-mile road race at Newchapel.

Oplaat broke away from the main field with teammate Simon Andrew. The pair built up a lead of two and a half minutes but Andrew began to flag so Oplaat pressed ahead and just managed to hold on for a well-deserved win. Andrew finished fourth.

Report by Brian Hutton
sports@argus-btn.co.uk