Lancing ace Natacha Maes has won her second national championship silver medal in a week.

She followed up her second place in the women's national circuit championship with a tremendous effort in the national ten-mile championship in Cambridgeshire.

Maes (In Gear) was up on her opponents at most of the checkpoints and was being cheered on by former Tour de France star Sean Yates.

But Sally Ashbridge (Deeside) had earlier put in a storming finish to cross the line in 23min. 13sec.

Maes' brave effort ended with her finishing in 23min.19sec and just seven seconds away from the gold medal. Emma Davis (Team Alsager) was third in 23min. 32sec.

Maes said: "It was close but it was really tough due to the wind."

In Gear riders Suzanne Davies and Lisa Thompson recorded 24min.43sec and 25min. 21sec respectively.

Peacehaven rider Alan Curtis (In Gear) finished seventh in the men's championship, which was won by Walsall rider Stuart Dangerfield in 20min.18sec. Curtis clocked 21min.23sec, three seconds faster than Yates who was ninth.

Yates (Team Clean) had expected to do better but took consolation in being a member of the winning team.

Brighton Mitre's Tristan Court was the first Sussex rider in the East Sussex 10-mile time trial at East Hoathly, won by Keith Coffey (Bec CC) in 22min.5sec. Court finished third in 22min. 20sec and backed by Andy Green (22min.40sec) and Tim Holmes (23min.49sec) the Mitre were the winning team.

The East Sussex 25-mile event was won by Steve Dennis (East Grinstead) in 55min.50sec. Eastbourne Rovers (Boyd Johnson, Alan Rolfe, Stuart Davis) won the team event.

Brighton's Jonathan Sharpe (Cycleweb-Saucony), the Sussex cyclo-cross champion, begins his season on Sunday in a race at London's Eastway circuit.

The first of the five races in the Sussex Cycle-Cross League takes place at Deer's Leap Park near East Grinstead on October 7.