Billy Jo Whenman stormed to his first win of the Whyte Winter Series in Thetford Forest with an eight minute gap over his nearest rival. He pushed his Whyte 19 to the limit and won the race despite puncturing half way through the four-hour endurance test and snapping his saddle and riding three and a half hours with a crack like the Grand Canyon digging into his backside!

 
Arriving early to get prepared, I was soon ready and on the line ahead of a lot of eager competitors.
 
With the TV Cameras filming the race I wanted to give it a good crack. Attacking from the gun I strung the field out, and soon there was a group of about six of us away. That soon dwindled to two of us, as we pushed on through the single track and fire roads around Mayday Meadow.
 
After a lap I heard a loud crack and couldn’t think what it could be!  It turned out I had snapped my saddle in half! With three hours still left to race !! Bad news, but still I pushed on.
 
Working with this rider for a few laps, until we got caught in some back markers and were joined by another rider so now there was three of us. After about an hour and thirty minutes I was busting for a wee so had to stop and let nature take its course…then had the job of catching the others back up.
 
When I caught them I took a breather and decided that it was approaching the half way mark, and normal XC races are 2 hours long, so thought I would attack and go the rest alone.
 
Coming off a fire road onto a climb just before a long single track downhill I launched a big, big attack. I ‘Dropped a Hurt Bomb or two’ as my team mate Luke Smith would say. I got the gap, nailed the downhill flat out, and then the two climbs after that, half a lap went by and I was told I had a lead of one minute and thirty.
 
Stomping away I soon had the gap up to two and a half minutes and then was forced to stop due to a puncture which I fixed it with my Continental co2 pump and was back up to speed.
 
Another hour went by then another few laps and the gap was 8 minutes!
 
Onto the last lap, and I knew it was in the bag and I cruised to a fine win. It was great to take the Whyte across the line first in front of the cameras and I even had time to clean up before they wanted a close up and chat after the race.

Thanks to all my sponsors – I couldn’t do it without you.

Whyte racer Billy Whenman is on the Cyclo Cross Circuit during the MTB off-season and is in with a great chance of winning the National Championship in February at his first attempt! If the youngster manages it, it will be a feat talked about in many a club around the country. You can read his latest two race reports – a win and a podium – here: (continue reading…)