THE road race at Glasgow 2014 resembled something of a war zone as monsoon conditions made riding near impossible and Paul Oldham was one of the many riders who failed to complete the course.

The 36-year-old, who earlier in the week on Tuesday had finished ninth in the mountain bike cross country race, was part of a six-strong England team that took on the 168km Commonwealth Games course.

But with incessant heavy rain riders began to drop like flies as the peloton pushed a fast pace, newly-crowned Commonwealth time trial champion Alex Dowsett one of the first to go.

Oldham, who at 36 is the oldest Team England cycling squad member at these Games, is far more known for his exploits on a mountain bike but he more than held his own on the road.

The Colne cyclist stayed up with the leaders for more than half of the race as the Olympic champion Peter Kennaugh, riding for the Isle of Man, drove a furious pace in an early solo attack.

But eventually the pressure told and Oldham was one of the very last riders to climb off his bike as only 12 out of the 139 starters completed the race.

Oldham’s team-mate Scott Thwaites took the silver medal behind winner Geraint Thomas with New Zealand’s Jack Bauer third.