Crawley star Steve Elms warmed up for his defence of the county 25-mile time trial title next month with a victory.

He won Brighton Excelsior's Ringdale-sponsored event over the championship course at Steyning.

Elms (In Gear) sped round the undulating course in 54min.51sec, while his team-mate Dave Pollard finished second with 55min.46sec. Last year's winner Richard Sutton (VC Etoile) was third in 58min.6sec.

Lloyd Grayston (Eastbourne Rovers) was fourth (58min.36sec) and Shane Faulkner fifth (58min.41sec) to complete the winning In Gear team.

Lancing's Natacha Maes (In Gear) won the women's event with 59min.29sec and was eighth fastest overall.

But Elms and Maes agreed that windy conditions had been a problem.

Maes said: "The wind on the leg between Shoreham and Steyning was dreadful."

Saltdean's John Limpus and Storrington's Mark Jones (GS Stella) won the tandem event. They recorded 53min.7sec and club-mates Steve Woodbridge and Andy Smith were second in 55min.22sec.

The seventh senior race in the Hove Park Series was an all-action affair. Bryan Taylor (Bournemouth Arrow) broke away with Londoner Lee Day (Team Sport and Publicity) and Mark Winton (Lewes Wanderers).

The trio set a devastating pace and Winton fell back with six laps to go.

But he clawed his way back to be in contention for the sprint finish won by Taylor, with Day at three lengths and Winson at six lengths. Paul Byford (Horsham Riders) was fourth.

Horsham's Ray Venis was fourth and Crawley's Eric Clark seventh in the International Cycling Federation's World Road Race Over-70s Championship at the Eastway Circuit, London.

They rode for the 21st Century Airports club. Clark was a member of Brighton Velo in the Fifties.