Brighton Mitre rolled out the red carpet for guest of honour Nicole Cooke at the club's annual dinner.

The women's World Cup winner and Commonwealth Games road race champion presented an impressive collection of silverware to Mitre members, most of which went to Tristan Court.

The Portslade rider's many wins included the Sussex 10-mile and 100-mile championships.

Other members who did well included Andy Green, who beat Court in winning the East Sussex 100, road race winners Toby Leyton, Rob Fuller and Stuart Fahey and juvenile champion Jack Smith, who will never forget the kiss he received from the World Cup winner.

Cooke then took part in a lively question and answer session.

She revealed that Olympic rowing champion Sir Steven Redgrave is helping her to focus on achieving her many ambitions which include winning a gold medal in next year's Olympics in Athens.

Mitre, founded in 1894, announced that it has two new sponsors, frame importers USE of Pulborough and Active Physio of Hove.

Meanwhile, New Zealander Warrick Spence (Cyclefit) won VC Etoile's 14-mile cyclo-cross at Lancing Manor by ten seconds from Welshman Craig Cooke (Cardiff Ajax) with Kent rider Ian Field (SFA) third at 14sec.

Friston rider James Dear (In Gear) was fourth and the first Sussex finisher in the field of 63.

The other local riders in the top third of the field were seventh placed Jonathan Sharpe (Boreas); Andy Seltzer (East Grinstead) in 10th, Simon Scarsbrook (Etoile), who was 16th, 20th-place Tom Roberts (Brighton Excelsior) and Dave Clark (Brighton Mitre) who was 21st.

Dear beat Sharpe in two of the three rounds of the Sussex League, but he missed a round due to illness and his points total was 200.

Sharpe won the league for a record fifth time with 288 points and Seltzer was second with 267.

Subject to confirmation, Scarsbrook was third with 256.

Dear is now hoping for a high placing in Sunday's South East Championships at London's Eastway Circuit.