Showing he’s lost none of the form which would have kept David Millar (Saunier Duval) in Slipstream Argyle pattern — rather than the red and blue hoops of British champion – in time trials next year (had the Fort William man’s front tyre not exploded), Jason MacIntyre (Edge RT) put more than four minutes into second placed Arthur Doyle (Ivy CC) in Sunday’s Scottish Olympic Time Trial Championship 2007 over 27 technical miles at Irvine.
Third place went to Carlos Riise (Shetland CC) on a cool, grey, damp morning around a tricky course, which should have suited the roadmen.
There was little championship atmosphere at the start and the meagre field of 39 was further depleted by a large number of DNS – 15.
The start was the same as for the ‘drag-strip’ Irvine 10 and 25 courses; but that was the only similarity to those courses. Instead of drifting right onto the wide, smooth, tarmac pastures of the dual carriageway, they headed left and onto exposed A-class roads which rose gradually through a series of false flats across the moors, before turning left a mile or so past ‘The Blairs’ hotel.
Out of the left hander, a stiff climb past the Burnhouse Manor Hotel lead, by way of a tricky descent to the circuit – which had to be covered twice – before a heart-breaker of a rising, long finish straight, taking the riders even higher into the wilderness.
At ‘The Blairs’, it was Junior Tom Dempster (Edge RT) looking most comfortable of the early starters, his eventual 1.09.13 would give him best junior award at the end of the day and his second team championship of the year — to add to the 10 Champs.
The Glasgow Couriers chances of the team prize were badly dented by the absence of Stevie Blom and Barry McGurk, non-starters off the five and ten marks respectively.
Just before the turn onto the Burnhouse leg, a tractor was hacking a hedge down and it looked like ‘punctures all-round’, however all the top riders escaped problems.
This was more than could be said of the circuit, where Edge RT duo of Paul Rennie and Sean Gray both crashed. Neither man was badly hurt, but the circuit was certainly heading for the ‘rough stuff’ end of the spectrum and made even more dangerous by the light drizzle which had fallen earlier in the day.
Rennie failed to finish, and was understandably a bit downcast as he headed home. He brightened up considerably however when I asked about last Saturday’s post-criterium golf; “I won!” he beamed.
The pattern of the race was clear by the time the riders reached the circuit. Jason was clearly in a league of his own, hacking lumps of time out of the whole field, riding gears which were noticeably smaller than most of the other riders and spinning up the snaps which had others out of the saddle and swerving across the road.
The other medals were going to be between the ‘usual suspects’ of Doyle, Riise, and Jim Cusick (Glasgow Couriers).
Doyle did look to be coping best with the course, staying on the tri-bars and dropping the gear; where others were on the tops of the bars and loosing rhythm on gears which were too high.
Number seven, Jenny Wright saw us with a start sheet and enquired, optimistically; ‘is this the finish?’ I had to tell her the awful truth; she still had another lap to do!
Bob Taylor (Glasgow Wheelers) dropped his chain and had dismount to sort things out, (those pure testers aren’t used to the front changer!).
On the last lap, Jim Cusick was fighting hard for a medal, but Carlos’s huge strength was enabling him to turn gears that would have seen others come to a standstill, and Jim was 21 seconds shy of bronze at the death, in fourth place.
On the cruel drag to the line, MacIntyre came within four seconds of catching team mate Gary Robson for seven minutes as he revved where others stalled.
Last weekend, the British 25 champion turned out another 18 minute ten, despite a near-gale. Robson however, had the consolation of being in the winning team alongside the winner and young Dempster.
Jessica Wilson-Young (Edinburgh RC) took the ladies award.
Scottish Olympic Time Trial Championship 2007 Words of Wisdom
Jason:
“It was a tricky course, made more difficult by the fact that it was damp, I was taking no chances on those bends; despite that I had a couple of dangerous moments; Paul and Sean both crashed, that tells its own story.
“People say that I just turn-up, ride and win, now — but it’s not as simple as that, I can assure you!
“I’ve got the Trossachs and hill climb next; there are still Rudy Projects down south, but there’s not much point in riding them at this stage of the season.
“Have I heard from British Cycling after my ride against Millar? Not a dicky bird!”
Arthur:
“I’m just glad I could ride; I’ve had a cold all week and been coughing blood, it was touch-and-go if I started, obviously I’m glad I did. The course was pretty hellish, or at least very hairy, with those bends, potholes and the bad surfaces.
“I was trying out my new 200 mm cranks today, I got them from the States, I read an article about comparative crank to leg length — really I should be riding 220 mm cranks, but I’d need to get a bike built to suit.
“Next, I have the Trossachs and British pursuit championships.”
Scottish Olympic Time Trial Championship 2007 – Results
1. Jason MacIntyre Edge R.T. Sen. 59.18
2. Arthur Doyle Ivy C.C. Sen. 1.03.39
3. Carlos Riise Shetland Wheelers V40 1.04.29
4. Jim Cusick Glasgow Couriers V40 1.04.51
5. Chris Smart Glasgow Couriers Sen. 1.06.02
6. Gary Robson Edge R.T. Sen. 1.06.14
7. Gordon Graham Fullarton Wheelers V40 1.08.41
8. Alister Watt Granite City R.T. Sen. 1.08.43
9. Tom Dempster Edge R.T. Jun. 1.09.13
10. Barry Duncan Edinburgh R.C. V40 1.09.40
11. David Millar Glasgow Couriers V60 1.09.49
12. Stuart Reid Glasgow Couriers Sen. 1.10.47
13. Sean Gray Edge R.T. Sen. 1.12.02
14. Norman Skene Granite City R.T. V50 1.12.33
15. Jessica Wilson-Young Edinburgh R.C. LadySen 1.14.51
16. Andy Duncan Ythan C.C. Sen. 1.15.03
17. Christine McLean Shetland Wheelers Lady Vet 1.15.06
18. Bob Taylor Glasgow Wheelers V60 1.16.43
19. Steve Flindall Fullarton Wheelers V50 1.16.52
20. Neil Muir Edinburgh R.C. V50 1.17.00
21. Fiona Duncan Ythan C.C. LadySen 1.18.00
22. Jenny Wright Edinburgh R.C. LadySen 1.20.25
23. Jennifer Lang Edinburgh R.C. ladyV40 DNF
24. Paul Rennie Edge R.T. Sen. DNF
John McPaul Inverclyde Velo V40 DNS
Stephen Blom Glasgow Couriers Sen. DNS
Fraser Reid Unattached Sen. DNS
Garry Brown Velo Ecosse V40 DNS
R.G. McLean Angus Bikechain V40 DNS
Barry McGurk Glasgow Couriers Sen. DNS
Alan Dow Sandy Wallace C.C. Sen. DNS
Michael Summers Dunfermline C.C. Sen. DNS
John McCamley Glasgow Wheelers Sen. DNS
Silas Goldsworthy Velo Ecosse Sen. DNS
Hyland Hamilton Fullarton Wheelers Sen. DNS
David Gunn Forres C.C. Youth DNS
Keith Smith Caithness C.C. Sen. DNS
Iain Duguid Bicycle Works Sen. DNS
David Wards Fullarton Wheelers Sen. DNS
Next VeloVeritas offerings will come from the Worlds in Stuttgart – can Millar get a medal for Scotland?
Stay tuned!
