The race for this winter's Wessex cycle-cross titles is still wide open in three of the five individual categories at stake, but Dorset Rough Riders, Thomas Budd and Branton Roud, look like emerging victorious in the youth and under-12 year old age groups.

Both finished well clear of their rivals again in the 10th meeting of the season, organised by Bourne-mouth Jubilee Wheelers on Canford Heath last Sunday.

The battle for the senior title is still wide open following the victory of past winner Paul Lloyd (Didcot Phoenix) who triumphed in the main race of the day.

Lloyd admitted he was lucky to win this one, after the promoting club's Will O'Callaghan dashed ahead on the opening lap of the two-mile circuit before falling when he punctured on the far side of the long course, well away from any spare wheels.

He was passed by Lloyd, Tony Green (GA Cycles) and Nigel Parkinson (SUBE Headshok) as he ran for more than a mile to the pits, and though he resumed with a fresh wheel it was a forlorn chase and he dropped out before the end.

Parkinson was making his first Wessex League appearance of the season after spending most of the year racing in the United States, but he found it difficulty to match the skills of Lloyd and Green on the very slippery surface and was content to settle for third place as Lloyd pulled clear of Green on the last lap.

Notable competitors missing from the meeting were title-holder Stuart Bowers and the past Wessex champion Andrew MacDonald (GA Cycles) who, with a number of other local riders, travelled to Ipswich for the third round of the National Trophy series.

Both improved on their previous performances with Bowers conceding little more than four minutes on the winner Roger Hammond (Collstrop) to finish 14th in the main race of the day while MacDonald moved up a place to third in the veterans event.

All the local men get the chance of matching their abilities against leading riders in the South of England Championships, taking place at the Sports Centre in Southampton this Sunday.

Six titles will be decided from the four races on the programme, and three of them, for veterans, women and juniors, are being incorporated in the third event of the day.

Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers, meanwhile, invite riders with a preference for the road to join them for the second of four winter reliability rides on the same morning. This one is 100 kilometres long, and has three time allowances, with the five-hour group due to leave their club headquarters, the Community Centre in Merley, at 9am.

Sunday is also an important day for national delegates attending the annual meeting of the Road Time Trials Council in Kenilworth. Proposals to be debated include a motion calling for the compulsory use of safety helmets which district delegates supported, by a majority of over four to one, at their meeting last Sunday.

Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers Wessex Cycle Cross League, Canford Heath: 1 Paul Lloyd (Didcot Phoenix) 12 miles in 54m10s, 2 A Green (GA Cycles) @ 23s, 3 N Parkinson (SUBE Headshok) @ 2m23s, 4 R Wilmot (GA Cycles) @ 4m30s, 5 D Lloyd (Didcot Phoenix) @ 5m24s, 6 T Hillier (Dorset Rough Riders) @ 6m14s, 7 S Smith (Stonehenge Cycles) @ 6m43s, 8 D Thorne (Dorset R.R.) @ 7m35s. 9 G Allen (GA Cycles) @ 8m22s, 10 C Chamberlin (Stonehenge Cycles) @ 8m23s. Women: Catherine Pascoe (Bournemouth Jubilee Wheelers) 18th @ 1 lap. Veterans: Dave Lloyd (above) and Jo Taylor (BJW) 25th @ 1 lap. Youths: 1 Thomas Budd (Dorset RR) 7.2 miles in 35m.24s, 2 S O'Neill (Royce UK) @ 3m36s, 3 C Wills (unattached) @ 5m31s, 4 K French (unattached), 5 T Ellingham (unattached), 6 J Clemis (Bournemouth Arrow), 7 L Bowcher (Bournemouth Arrow). Under-12s: 1 Brantion Roud (Dorset RR), 2 J Harris (Didcot Phoenix), 3 W Baysham (Didcot Phoenix), 4 J Warner (Bournemouth Arrow), 5 N Cake (X-Treme), 6 D Soarle (Stonehenge Cycles), 7 D Holiday (Bournemouth Arrow).