James Harris came from nowhere a year ago to win the Sussex Hill Climb Championship.

Now he is keen to prove that was not a freak result when he defends his title at Storrington on Saturday.

Harris will lead a strong team from East Grinstead CC of Steve Dennis, Andy Seltzer.

Others to watch out for include John Limpus and Tom Walker (GS Stella), plusTristan Court of Brighton Mitre.

Harris said: "I'm hoping for a good result again. I was seventh in the recent Bec CC hill climb in Kent which had a very good field and I've been training regularly on Ditchling Beacon, one of the hardest climbs in Sussex, to prepare for the championship on Chantry Lane."

The one and a half mile climb of Chantry Lane starts near Storrington village centre and leads up to the South Downs Way. There is a car park at the summit and the first rider starts at 2pm.

Jerry Manthorpe (Horsham Riders) won the main six-lap race at the Horsham Riders mountain bike events at Mannings Heath on a muddy circuit, ahead of Gordon Smith (Southwater Cycles) and Dave Clark (Brighton Mitre).

The four-lap race was won by Barry Dunstan and the two-lap race by Adam Kish, both of Horsham Riders.

Officials often complain that not enough riders nowadays take an active interest in the running of the sport and are just content to turn up at races.

The Sussex Cycle Racing League's committee were therefore pleased when over 50 riders turned up for the league's AGM at Shoreham.

Next year the league will promote track meetings every Wednesday at Preston Park from May 8 to August 7, plus a Sunday meeting on August 11.

There will also be eight circuit race meetings held on alternate Friday evenings at Hove Park starting on April 26.