Sergent on pace in California time trial

Feilding cyclist Jesse Sergent kept enhancing his time- trialling prowess on the international scene, this time in the second stage of the eight- day Tour of California.

He was fifth, 1min 11secs behind former Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins ( Sky) who won the 20km stage in 23 minutes 18 seconds, 44s ahead of second- placed Australian Rohan Dennis ( Garmin- Sharp).

Sergent ( Trek Factory Racing), who was last week named in the six- strong New Zealand road team to the Commonwealth Games, had been third in the 18.5km time trial in the recent Tour de Romandie in Switzerland.

Sergent described the time

trial

on Twitter as ‘‘ fast, tough and hot’’.

‘‘ Team was strong but Wiggins gave us all a lesson on time- trialling; hats off to him!’’

At that time Sergent was fifth on general classification but after four stages was 55th of the 122 riders.

He did not enjoy the arduous 174km mountainous stage three in scorching heat from San Jose to Mt Diablo yesterday, finishing 61st, 19 minutes behind the winner in one of the toughest climbs in the United States. He was 47th in stage 4 from Monterey, coming in with the main bunch 1: 21 down.

Kiwi James Oram was 34th in the time trial but a day later broke a wrist and elbow in a crash near the end of the third stage. The 20- year- old was flying home to Auckland for treatment.