Joe Wilson (Sandy Wallace Cycles) scored his second consecutive victory in the Scottish 12 hour Championship on the roads around Invergordon on Sunday. His mileage of 276 is the second highest ever ridden in Scotland after his 279 last year which broke Steve Beech’s long-standing 275 mile mark.
Beech was in the mix this year again with 246 miles, backing Wilson and Northerner, Ian Black (262) to a new Scottish team record for the Inverkeithing-based Wallace men. VeloVeritas caught-up with a still-sore Wilson the day after his epic.
You seem to have a natural aptitude for the event Joe…
“I don’t know about that, I just went-out and rode and it and it turned-out OK.”
Were you disappointed to miss your own record?
“A wee bit. Last year I rode on heart-rate, but this year my heart rate monitor wasn’t working properly so I ended-up just riding on ‘feel’. If I had known how close it was I would have tried to lift it at the end.”
You did get the team record though…
“Yes, with Steve and Ian, that was good.”
What kind of day was it?
“It was still early-on but the wind picked-up, there were a few showers, but it wasn’t a bad day.”
What’s the course like?
“It’s based on the Invergordon 100 course. The trouble is that when they re-surface, it’s with those really big chippings so some parts are a bit rough. The scenery is nice though.”
What do you eat during a 12?
“Cheese rolls, ham rolls, energy bars, cakes, bananas, gels, energy bars and jelly babies.”
Did you ride the low-profile bike?
“Yes, but I raised the bars a couple of inches and fitted the old, comfy Rolls saddle off my winter bike. I did that last year and it worked out fine. I can hardly walk today though, my knees are killing me. It was the same last year but I’ll be OK in a day or two.”
How do you train for the 12?
“The longest I ride my bike for is four and a half or five hours, that’s it really.”
Have you got what you need to do to win the BAR figured-out?
“I think Carlos will win it. His 100 is much better than mine. I punctured in the championship and lost a lot of time. There’s a 100 at Aberdeen in a few weeks so I’ll probably ride that to try for an improvement. I think Carlos has it won though.”
What are your goals for the rest of the season?
“The Team Time Trial is next weekend, so I hope I’ve recovered for that. The other thing will be that Aberdeen 100 I mentioned.”
Thanks very much for your time Joe, and congratulations again.
