Steve Webster's four year reign as sidecar World Champion ended when he was forced into the pits after six laps at Assen in Holland yesterday.

Arch-rivals Klaus Klaffenbock and Christian Parzer have taken the 2001 World Championship title after finishing second to race winner Steve Abbott after 16 laps of the Circuit Van Drenthe

Having fought to the front of the pack and establishing a slight lead of almost three seconds and fastest race lap up to that point, Webster and Woodhead were forced to retire when Woodhead injured his hand after trapping it between his hand-grip and the outfit's fairing.

"Paul's hand got stuck somehow and as he tried to free it he hurt himself more and he couldn't keep his grip. Obviously it wasn't safe for us to continue so that was that. The doctors have looked at it and it seems he may have broken his scaphoid" said Webster after the race

"I'm disappointed, but that's the way it is. I've had a lot of years in this sport, and sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be this year for us.

"We've been quick everywhere but we seem not to have had the little bits of luck you need over a season. We were in front today and I had it all in hand; we were controlling the pace, the bike was going well and then something totally unexpected happens. We can't be expected to win it all the time, we're not champions anymore, and now we have to start planning for getting it back next season" explained Webster, who was on pole by an incredible seven second margin, his seventh consecutive pole position.

Results:1 Abbott/Biggs 2:14.6293 Klaffenbock/Parzer +1:17.8983 Van Gils/van Gils +1:33.0754 Cameron/Darby +2:11.9955 Steenbergen/Buyze +2:12.1036 Guy/Peach +2:14.9427 Muldoon/Crone +2:30.4258 Hayakawa/Kohbe + one lap9 Eilers/Kolloch + one lap10 Lambert/Murray + one lapChampionship standings after eight rounds: 1 Klaffenbock 136pts2 Abbott 983 Webster 954 Steinhausen 845 Guy 636 Muldoon 617 Hanks 618 van Gils 54

Updated: 09:22 Monday, September 10, 2001