Horsham's Ray Venis (21st Century Airports) might be 72 but he isn't ready to hang up his racing wheels just yet.

He is enjoying a run of top form which began when he broke away from the field in the League of Veteran Racing Cyclists' National Criterium Championship at Lichfield.

Unfortunately he was caught just before the line and had to be satisfied with the bronze medal.

He made up for his disappointment by winning the gold medal in the LVRC's over-70s national track championship at Calshot's indoor track. He said: "I know the track so I can handle the steep banking. One rider I beat was Peter Sandy from Somerset, the new world veteran champion."

Lancing's Natacha Maes (In Gear) has just returned from a successful racing trip to Belgium.

Belgian-born Natacha won the silver medal in the women's National Time Trial Championship, covering the tough 17-mile course in 43min. 42sec. She then finished fourth in a 90km road race against many of Belgium's top women riders.

Portslade's Tristan Curt (Brighton Mitre) won the gold medal in the International Cycling Federation's Time Trial Championship in Cheshire, covering the 22km in 29min.35sec. Court beat a field that included riders from America and Australia while British entrants included the Seventies superstar Eddie Adkins.

University lecturer Mark Jones, from Storrington, came top in the Eastbourne Rovers 25-mile time trial. Jones (GS Stella) sped round the undulating Maresfield course in 56min.51sec, 50 seconds faster than second-placed Richard Sutton (VC Etoile) from Keymer.

County road race champion Jon Sharples (Eastbourne Rovers) placed third in 58min.10sec, followed by his teammate Lloyd Grayston with 58min.28sec. Portslade's Andy Payne was fifth for GS Stella in 59min.34sec, but Eastbourne's new recruit, Graeme Hadlow, recorded 1hr 0min.32sec to clinch the team prize for the Rovers.

Bournemouth ace Bryan Taylor won the penultimate circuit race in the Hove Park Series 2000. He outsprinted Londoner Lee Day (Sport & Publicity) by half a length.