KIRBY Bennett produced one of his best performances of the season to defeat Phil Roach and win round seven of the West Midlands Cyclo Cross series at Misterton Hall in Leicestershire.
Bennett caught up with Coventry-based M.I.Racing team mate Roach but he picked up a tyre puncture on lap two which forced him into the pits and Bennett controlled Saturday’s race until the end.
Roach was forced to retire whcih enabled Bennett to increase his lead and claim the win.
Fellow M.I.Racing star Peter Busby also produced a solid performance despite crashing early on in the race.
Busby crashed heavily and injured his back which pushed him back to last place, but he dusted himself down and stormed through the 100+ field to eventually finish fourth overall and first in the 50+ category.
Tim Stowe rode his usual steady race and finished fourth in the race for riders over the age of 50 and Barrie Mitchell finsihed his first cyclo cross of the season by winning the 65+ race.
There was more success for the team when Keir Lewis finished runner-up in the junior race and Steve Knight coasted to victory in the veteran race, to extend his lead in the series.
On Sunday, Phil Roach took third position in the National Series 50+ race in Derby to move up to third place overall in the series.
And Bennett showed no signs of tiredness by finishing eighth at Misterton Hall with former National Series winner Geoff Giddings finishing 13th despite not having races in four years.
Elsewhere, in Didcote, Pete Smith finished runner-up in the Central Series Cyclo Cross and at the Newport Veledrome in South Wales, Mike Twelves finished fifth in both the 5km Point to Point and 5km Scratch events.
