Chris Birch from Oakhanger and VC St Raphael team-mate Rowan Horner won the Bournemouth Jubilee CC 10-mile TT tandem event in a staggering time of 18mins 29secs.

Conditions were not that favourable on the Andover by-pass for a record attempt, but the duo, in their first outing of the year on the tandem, were just 33 seconds short of breaking the national record for the distance.

Birch, 24, has this season set a goal of breaking the tandem record. Last year, he won two national team championships and, on the evidence of this first outing, other honours look likely to follow.

In the veterans event, the Liphook-based Northover's Team had to be content with second place this time. They had won on their last visit to the A301 course, but even though they all rode faster, had to concede victory to the promoting club. However, all four Northover riders were placed in the top 20. Pete Pickers was still the fastest in 21-42, followed by Alan Dawson, having his best ride of the year, in 22-34, Jack Brown (22-58) and Tom Wollard (22-59).

The following day, Northover's rode the Poole Wheelers two-up time trial over 26 miles. Pickers and Dawson came fourth in 58mins 12secs, but were the fastest veteran riders.

The Border Cycling Association staged their first solo event of the season and Alton CC rider Carole Bather won the women's award for the 15-mile event by just one second. The Passfield rider, in her first year of racing, could not believe she had beaten the previous champion at that distance, Wendy Pails of Farnborough & Camberley CC.

Patrick Brennan, the lone Rother Valley CC entrant, got round the course on the fringes of Windsor Great Park in 39mins 24secs.

The Shepherd brothers, David and Chris, of Rother Valley rode the Redmon CC 25-mile event that finishes on the Southwater by-pass. David, 24-hour champion in 1999 and current Sussex champion, was caught in the closing mile by the national champion, Michael Hutchinson, and eventually finished in 1hr 18secs, with his brother just four minutes behind.

Hutchinson won in 52mins 03, while Farnham rider Richard Prebble a former 25-mile champion, was just 13 seconds behind in second place.