Didcot Phoenix successfully defended their title as fastest team in the area by winning the Ben Owen Memorial inter-club ten-mile time trial.

Phoenix won by just five seconds in what turned out to be a tightly-fought race.

Teams of five riders, with four to count, raced over the A420 course, with the fastest combined total landing the title.

On the Southmoor-Tubney Wood course, conditions were good with a tail wind out to the turn and a head wind on the shorter return leg.

Didcot Phoenix A, with a combined time of 1hr 26mins 43secs, took the title by five seconds from Oxford Univ-ersity.

Taking the bronze position were Newbury A in 1.28.36.

They also provided the fastest rider in Ian Green-street, who completed the course in 21mins 7secs He finished just ahead of Jesse Elzinga (Oxford Univ), who recorded 21.10.

In third place was another Oxford University rider Henry Martin, who finished in 21.13.

The fastest Phoenix rider was Paul Lloyd with 21.23, with clubmates Phil Brown fifth overall and Mark Cox, suffering with the after-effects of a cold, in seventh with 21.45.

Afterwards, Ben Owen's father, Chris presented the trophy to the winning team of Cox, Stan Maciak, Lloyd, Nick Druce and Brown.

Leading team times: Didcot Phoenix A 1.26.43, Oxford Univ A 1.26.48, Newbury A 1.28.36, Fairly United RT 1.32.08, Didcot Phoenix CC B 1.34.23, Oxford City RC 1.35.21, Newbury RC B 1.35.29, Oxonian CC 1.37.20.

Leading individual times: I Greenstreet (Newbury) 21.07, J Elzinga (Oxford Univ) 21.10, H Martin (Oxford Univ) 21.13, P Lloyd (Didcot) 21.23, P Brown (Didcot) 21.26, A.Blackie (Oxford Univ) 21.36, M Cox (Didcot) 21.45, N Druce (Didcot) 22.09, Reece (Newbury) 22.12, C Edgington (Fairly United) 22.23, A Adey (Oxford City) 22.23, M.Sigrist (Newbury) 22.37, I Lakey (Newbury) 22.40, P Granger (Fairly United) 22.49, J Marcini (Oxford Uni) 22.49, P Oliver (Fairly United) 22.50.