Sussex riders found Farnham ace Richard Prebble to hot to handle in the Bognor Regis CC Goodwood Classic hilly time trial.

He won the event for a third successive year and reduced his own course record by 26 seconds.

Prebble covered the 28-mile course, much of which was used for the 1982 world road race championships, in 1hr.8min.38sec. Paul Smith (API Essex) finished second in 1hr.12min.46sec.

First Sussex rider was Mark Staden (Southdown Velo) from Bognor, who was third in 1hr.13min.58sec.

Also making the first ten were Worthing's Roger Smith (VC Etoile) who was seventh in 1hr.15min.47sec and Mike Marchant (Bognor Regis CC), eighth in 1hr.15min.55sec.

Liam Terry (Bognor Regis CC) won the prize for fastest junior with 1hr.21min.26sec and Marina Bloom (Crawley Wheelers) won the women's event in 1hr.33min.18sec, despite two punctures.

Earlier in the week, Bloom broke the Southern women's 119-mile Winchester to Canterbury record. She finished in 5hr.28min.18sec. to break Jan Kirkham's 1989 record of 6hr.16min.0sec.

Bloom hasn't given up her other record-breaking ambitions for the year just yet. She said: "If the weather holds then there's still time for one more attempt this month."

Sussex hill-climb champion James Harris (East Grinstead CC) warmed up for the defence of his title on November 3 by finishing seventh in both the Bec CC and Catford CC annual hill-climbs.

The Catford event, first held in 1887, is the world's most prestigious hill-climb.

Prebble, wearing number 120, will be the last rider to start Brighton Mitre's 25-mile men's time trial on Sunday.

Sussex 25-mile champion Alan Curtis (In Gear) has beaten Prebble this season and would like to cause another upset.

Other top riders include Steve Elms (In Gear), Tim Stevens (Team Clean), Tristan Court (Brighton Mitre) and Mark Sinnott (Epsom).

Bloom rides in the women's event and Mark Jones and John Limpus (GS Stella) compete in the tandem race.

The HQ is the Steyning Centre in Church Street, Steyning and the first rider starts at 8.20am.