Twice in 1 weekend.
1 : Saturday 2nd October, Steels Road Race nr Alnwick.
Managed 7th place.
2 :Trossachs MTT. Wet.
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Ok a bit more detail :
Saturday, sauntered down to Saltwick Hill near Belsay off the A696 for the 5th and last round of this series.
Beautiful day for early October and I hoped I could combine a leg-saving ride along with a high placing. No big attacks or significant breakaways until about 1.5 laps to go when 2 got away. This pairing got and then kept around 30 seconds until we hit the last few miles before the final ascent of the finish hill was tackled. The gap was dropping and we could have closed thenm down but for the fact that a big effort on the hill could mean getting swamped near the top by riders who’d saved energy so these 2 took 1st and 2nd and then the bun-fight for the remaining places ensued. No crashes but the narrow lane makes jumping slower riders hard and I jumped a few riders to get 7th on the line. Legs a bit sore but felt ok and hopefully ready for Sundays MTT.
Sunday – a wet start, varied from drizzle to downpour. 1/2 way round it dried but the roads were pretty mucky.
Steady pace up the Dukes then a focused ride round the rest of the course and a nice tailwind-assisted final 8 miles or so from Thornhill.
Eventually 35th overall, 1:17:00, which was a fair ride, IMHO, given the ever present dull ache in my legs from the previous day’s exertions.
A decent end to the season ?!?!
Report plus photos (not sure if they are too flattering) here :
http://www.veloresults.co.uk/2010/10/03/tour-de-trossachs-2010/
Awaiting details from other club members as to their racing activities ……………….
Invitation kermesse /crit as part of the Tweedlove week of cycling events round Peebles on Tuesdat 14th June.
Great event, great crowds. Only the 2 Andys racing – Messrs Rowat and Matheson. Seriously hard race, suggestion was to have an initial period of ‘show’ for the crown before it got really serious but telling a racing cyclist to not go too hard isn’t something that gets much attention paid to it. I suffered more in the 1st 15 or so minutes of that race than any race I can remember. Crits never a strong-point for me, haven’t road raced for 8 months and I rapidly headed for the rear of the field. Loved it in a masochistic way tho’ !
Some pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian_linton/sets/72157626850804949/
Wednesday 6th July 2011
Skipped the club 10 (as cancelled anyway due to lots of the wet stuff) and headed to Falkirk (well Grangemoutn more accurately) for their evening Road Race.
Scenic route up a few mountains, sunflower fields – no, hang about, that’s the Tour de France I saw on telly, this was simply 6 times up and down a straight road (Bellsdyke Road) with a roundabout at either end and one to skirt in the middle. Nothing much to tell really, 4 guys got away – 2nd lap ? , bunch disorganisedly chased, they stayed away, we all got wet and grotty, everyone tries to position themselves for the inevitable sprint about 300m after the final roundabout is navigated. Fortunately no crashes, I had a fairly big slide coming off the roundabout heading for the finish but I wasn’t well positioned anyway so finished about 15th+ in the bunch.
Some of the guys recently travelled down to the Brittish Masters at Newport over this last week-end – Andy Laing won bronze in the sprint (55-59 ) and 4th in the points.
Alastair Taylor and Derek Timmins were also down, Derek rode the kilo 1.10 ( 5th ) 3000mtr Pursuit 3. 42.587 (6th) and the scratch race (dnf) a bit disapointed as he was off the pace, a world of differance to meadowbank.
Alastair rode all 5 events – 750mtr T Trial, 3000mtr pursuit ( 3.46.286), 20km points and 20km scratch – the last 2 events were run off at more than 30mph.
Everyone was well and truely stuffed and a very quiet car journey ensued on the Monday.
I trundled along the M8/M77 to Eglinton Park nr Irvine for a 10 on Sunday. A bit far for 20-odd minute race but there didn’t seem an alternative and I fancied something other than a lonesome training ride.
Saturday I’d got out between heavy rain showers for 30 minutes on the TT bike to check me and bike were working ok – race-day was dry for me until about 30 minutes after I finished when the heavens opened – the later starters wouldn’t have had a totally dry race then.
Race felt ok, measured my effort fairly well I thought – caught by fast-man Chris Smart at the turn for 1 minute – perfect, someone sensibly quick to keep in view for the 2nd leg. Achieved that as the section off the roundabout allowed the biggest gears to be used but he started creeping away and at the finish he was nowhere in sight – very impressive.
Caught Eric Easson at about 7 miles and from there on I started having delusions of the finish being just down the road. Nasty shock to see the 2 mile to go sign – I’d hoped for something more like to 200mtrs but that point started to really signify the end was near (cue F. Sinatra) and I tried to wind up the tiring legs.
Across the line and a glance at the computer showed inside 23 minutes – fair performance given the first open non-MTT of the year but with better form I’d have hoped for closed to a vey short 22 as it was a very decent day on a pretty flat course.
Chris Smart proceeded to take 50 seconds out of me after he caught me so that would incdicate we both continued at the same pace so I didn’t slow any more over miles 5.5 -> 10 compared with 0->5.5 – not too shabby.
Top 10 (plus me !)
Position Name Club Actual
1 Arthur Doyle Dooleys CRT 20:23
2 Silas Goldsworthy Sandy Wallace Cycles 20:33
3 Iain Grant Dooleys Rt 20:35
4 Carlos Riise Shetland Wheelers 20:37
5 Chris Smart Glasgow Couriers 21:03
6 Benjamin Peacock Johnstone Wheelers CC 21:03
7 Graeme Cockburn Glasgow Wheelers 21:04
8 Brian Loye Fullarton Wheelers 21:17
9 Tam Gordon Dooleys Cycles RT 21:22
10 David Martin Thebicycleworks.com 21:25
.
26 Andrew Rowat Musselburgh RCC 22:53
.
Fife midweek 10 13/07/11
Andy Rowat and I headed over to Freuchie for the latest midweek TT series run by the Fife clubs. Warm and sunny with a bit of a breeze, but not too much.
1st Arthur Doyle – Dooleys – 20:59 (course record)
2nd Steve Davidson – Perth – 21:28
3rd Robeert Carson – Fife cycling 2000 – 21:44
Andy 22:44
Me 23:07
Scottish TTT on 31st July : brief report.
Team of Peter Hamilton plus the 3 Andys – Matheson, Scott and Rowat acheived 17th place with a very strong team performance with all 4 riders, including TT virgin Peter, reaching the finish together. Lumpy Freuchie course and constant wind made it a tough day but the guys can be very satsified with how they rode.
Report by Andy Rowat : Race on 7th August
Took a trip to Otterburn for the GS Metro RR on a very wet Sunday last week. 8 tough laps of a circuit that had some very draggy climbs. Hung on all day to reach 1km to go in the top 20 and a hope for an improvement with the drag to the line but ……. rider bang in front of me came to a dead halt with 800mtrs to go and I came within a whisker of crashing into him, had to put the anchors on and that was it, trundled in eventually but the decent placing had disappeared.
3 club riders headed across to Balfron the the Old Yins RR in the 40 – 50 cagtegory.
Day started dry at the strip, turned wet by the time we were sat awaiting the start, dried up during the race then started to rain again. Roads were pretty grotty, loads of brocken, cracked surface, potholes, slippy corners etc. Lots of attacks off the front but none seemed to stick until just under 10 miles to go when 3 riders went away. They were visible all the way to the finish but hung on well.
We were all in the bunch, survived the final steep climb in varying degrees :
15th Andrew Matheson
19th Andrew Rowat
41st Peter Hamilton
Lang Whang hilly TT – Sunday 25/03/12
4 MRCC riders took part in this new hilly TT on the A70 Lang whang between Kirknewton and Carnwath (and back). Dry, sunny, cracking day for it. Just as well as in any other conditions it would be grim – very exposed course. Promoted by West Lothian Clarion – great event.
Andy Scott 1:14:32
Dougie Kirkham 1:17:23
Andy Matheson 1:17:48
Derek Timmins 1:18:06 on 88″ fixed !!
Full results here http://www.braveheartfund.com/community/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10118
Gordon Arms TT – Sunday 01/04/12
Another fine sunny day for this ‘classic’ 20.5 mile hilly TT in the Borders. Always a testing event in any conditions but despite the cold this morning, the north west wind wasn’t too much of a problem.
Andy Matheson 57:26
Dougie Kirkham 58:49
Full result pinched form Braveheart http://www.braveheartfund.com/community/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10166