Threatening showers didn't dampen the quality of racing at the opening round of the Western League at Riverside Leisure Area on Gloucester on Sunday.

From the start, Scott Chalmers (Dream Cycling) looked as though he was destined to win. But the chase was on behind, with John Whittington (CNP Orbea) and Ben Davies (Cheltenham Cycles), making up little ground on Chalmers in the early laps.

But Davies slowly lost contact with Whittington, while the gap from Chalmers to Whittington was stuck at 10 seconds.

It appeared that was how it would stay with neither of them able to relax. At the bell Whittington had narrowed the gap to just five seconds and looked like a man on a mission.

And by the final run in, Whittington made his move and took the race.

Davies had a mixed race, having to swap bikes and paid for the lack of mitts with blisters on both hands.

Last year's league champion Craig Denning (Dream Cycling) came in fourth, having had a lonely ride.

The next big battle was between the juniors. Joe Griffith (Dream Cycling) and Matt Woods (Hargroves Cycles) were stuck together all race, but in the final sprint Griffith just edged it.

Results:

1 John Whittington (CNP Orbea) 59:33
2 Scott Chalmers (Dream Cycling) @ 2sec
3 Ben Davies (Cheltenham Cycles) @ 1:32
4 Craig Denning (Dream Cycling) @ 1:51
5 Joe Griffith (Dream Cycling) @ 2:28
6 Matt Woods (Hargroves Cycles) @ 2:31
7 Simon Burgess (Dream Cycling) @ 2:36
8 Tavis Walker (ADEO Cadence) @ 2:54
9 Nic Burridge (Cheltenham & County CC) @ 3:25
10 Tom Clark (Buxton CC) @ 3:36
Juniors: Joe Griffith (Dream Cycling). Veterans: Steve Brown (Dream Cycling). Youth: Ryan Williamson (Malvern Cycles). Under-12s: Oliver Gann (unattached).

British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.