Lynn Patchett appears to be on the verge of Commonwealth Games qualification after beating out her competitors ? and natural disasters ? in a tough few days of cycling in El Salvador.

Patchett, who excelled in the CD&P Grand Prix until a flat tyre on the road race stage ruined her weekend, needed to finish in the top 25 percent of the field in either an individual road race stage or the general classification at the Vuelta Ciclista Femenina El Salvador to stamp her passport to Melbourne 2006.

And despite the mudslides, volcanic eruptions, monsoon rains and a state of national emergency which caused the cancellation of the final stage, Patchett appears to have achieved her goal ? subject to confirmation.

In what turned out to be the final stage, Patchett avoided a last lap crash and managed to get into the lead group for the sprint finish and finished 12th, one place behind the required 11th out off 44.

But because she finished with the same time as the stage winner in the 115.5 kilometre race, Patchett ? a Caribbean Championship and Island Games gold medallist ? is hopeful that her submission will be accepted and she will be able to join Julia Hawley in representing Bermuda next March Down Under.

"I am quite sure I managed a qualifying position for the Commonwealth Games on what turned out to be the final stage," said Patchett via e-mail from Canada where she is training ahead of next week's Caribbean Championships in Aruba.

"The last stage was cancelled due to the country being in a state of emergency. And there was a volcano eruption on the second stage, mudslides, monsoon rains all week, no hot water and illness.

"They had to re-route the races on two occasions and I was amazed they pulled off the stages on time with full results at the end of each day. Quite something and many stories to say the least.

"But there was a reason I went and I managed to pull it off at the eleventh hour and I'm relieved to get out safely to be honest."