One day.....

.......James Whatling will finish a race on the SERRL's Benendon circuit, after having punctured there in the cold and rain in the SERRL stage race in May, and then on Sunday 9th September, breaking a spoke and suffering in the sun.

The SERRL race was the latest round of the Sigma Sport Series and the competiton was strong, with teams from Sigma Sport, Wildside RT, Agiskoviner and Pacific/Flanders all there to work for and to protect their team leaders. The rolling circuit included 11 climbs of a sharp, roughly surfaced climb and although there were some attacks, the pace of the race and the fact that the contenders for the series were watching each other closely meant that the peloton remained together.

On the fifth lap, disaster struck for James on one of the sapping, dragging climbs as he broke a spoke in his front wheel. Although he managed to get a wheel from the first aid car, he wasn't paced back up to the bunch and they steadily pulled away from him. Never one to give up, he pushed on solo for five more laps but was pulled out by the organiser on the final lap, with no chance of regaining contact.

The finishing climb proved influential as the point where the race split and, on the penultimate lap, 8 riders broke clear, including the series leader Gary Dodd (Sigma Sport) and they worked together to hold their lead, with Dodd pulling away to win and consolidate his position in the series.

Results.
1.) Gary Dodd: Sigma Sport RT
2.) Chris McNamara: Wildside RT
3.) Andrew Bye: Kingston Wheelers
4.) John Veness: Kona UK
5.) Tom Copeland: InGear Development