Brighton rider Jonathan Sharpe, the Sussex cyclo-cross champion, faces an agonising wait this week to see if he has retained his position at the top of the London Cyclo-Cross League.

Sharpe (Cycleweb), with good placings in all his events, went top after finishing ninth in the League's Christmas race at Foot Cray, which was won by Surrey International Stuart Blunt.

Riders' points are calculated on their eight best performances from 13 counting events and Sharpe has already accumulated 674 points.

However, he could be overtaken if any other riders can improve on their performances in the final race this weekend, especially as he won't be riding.

He said: "It has been a tough year so I am taking a break from racing now until GS Stella's time trial in February."

Other Sussex riders who rode at Foots Cray were; Steve Burgess (10th) and Mark Burgess (24th), both of Lewes Wanderers; 31st Simon Scarsbrook (VC Etoile); 40th Andy Seltzer (East Grinstead), 41st Andy Scarsbrook (VC Etoile).

Roger Sumner, who was a well-known Sussex rider in the early Sixties before he migrated to Canada, had died in Vancouver following a road accident. He was 63.

Sumner raced for the Chichester-based Velo Club Noviomagus and in 1963 was selected for the Sussex Road Race team.

In 1974 he rode for Canada in the World Championships in Montreal. Later he coached Brian Walton, who won the round-Britain Milk race in 1989.

Sumner continued to race himself and in 1996 he won the Canadian veterans' road race title.

A meeting will take place in Dartford on January 28 to elect the committee which will run the new South East region of the British Cycling Federation. Regional road and track championships will be held and a regional squad established to ride in major open races.

- Brian Hutton