On a Sunday morning as close to perfect as we’ll get in Scotland, Arthur Doyle (Dooleys) did what most people had expected and took the Scottish 10 Mile Time Trial Championship over the A811, Kippen Flats, equalling Graeme Obree’s 20-13 course record. If Arthur’s first time trial championship win went to form, then the destination for rest of the medals was much less predictable.
Dave Martin (the bicycleworks) finally has a piece of silver to show for all that ten mile talent he’s demonstrated over the last few years, his 20-24 was just three seconds too quick for the bronze medal winners — yes, that’s plural.
Scottish Cycling will have to splash out and buy two bronzes. Arthur’s team mate, Gary Robson now has an individual medal to add to his clutch of short distance team medals, but the watch couldn’t separate him from Edinburgh Road Club’s Ken Russell — maybe they’ll have to cut the medal in half?
It was sunny, mild and with just a light breeze off the East when we arrived at the Kippen roundabout turn in time to see Jonathan Copp show off his new Sandy Wallace colours, he’s been a medallist at this distance before, but not today.
I had a flash back at this stage; the last time I saw this roundabout, I was hanging on to Callum Macgregor’s back wheel during a gentleman’s time trial a few years ago — what was I thinking about?
There were already quick times on the board, Ken Russell’s bronze came off number 15 and Glasgow Couriers’ hill climb star Chris Smart had done 20-48 off number ten.
The weather and traffic flow didn’t vary much over the last hour, although it was warmer for the last starters, so there was probably little advantage to be gained from field placing on this beautiful morning.
Roadman, Gary Hand (Pedal Power) was trying his hand at clock bashing but wasn’t going to trouble the specialists.
Ever green Dave Gibson was another rider that fooled us with a change of colours, we’re so used to seeing him in the Modena colours, but he’s a Dooleys man too now.
Dave’s road background showed as he changed down into the roundabout and was away quickly and cleanly, unlike many of the ‘pure’ testers who laboured mega gears out of the turn, taking an age to gain momentum.
A lovely Mark 1 3.0 litre Ford Capri passed shortly after Davie, en route a classic car rally, the gurgle of the V6 took me back to when I had my 2.8 injection and . . . oh, sorry!
Hugh Jamieson is another of the Dooleys time trial tribe and he was looking much happier than the last time I saw him — hirpling round the moors above Paisley in the Super Six.
The wonderfully named ‘D. Caesar’ from the bicycleworks wasn’t going to win, but his suntan was superb.
Gordon Murdoch (Pedal Power), winner of that moor land Super Six I just mentioned had ‘turned tester for a day,’ no tri-bars, just clip-ons but looked strong, well up on minute man and former 12 hour champ, Norman Skene (Granite City)
Silver medallist, Dave Martin was obviously flying, off 105, too quick for me to get a snap — sorry Dave, I’ll keep a good eye out for you in the 25.
Meanwhile, the marshals were offering sound encouragement to riders; “pit some effort into it man!”
His companion marshal did observe however; “Christ! He’s breithin’ oot his erse awreadiz!’
Phil Brown was another road man giving the ‘alone and unpaced’ game a try and was well up on minute man, Callum Ritchie (Musselburgh).
The days of sticking a pair of 28’s with silks on your road bike for a big time trial have long gone; the quality (and value) of the kit on show never ceases to amaze me, even those who look like they are riding a slow-mo demonstration of a time trial are mounted on the latest carbon creations.
As the sun drove the temperature up a few degrees, big ten mile names from the recent past appeared, Carlos Riise (Shetland) and Chris Isats (Berwick), but it wasn’t to be their day.
Nor was it to be Sean Gray of Dooley’s day, albeit he was up on Isats.
Arthur showed the benefit of all that road racing he’s been doing as he whistled round the turn, lost very little momentum and was away again, dart lke, pedalling a lower gear than we might have seen him turn last season.
Next on the card was the only man who I thought could beat Arthur — Mark Atkinson (Sandy Wallace) but an incident at the start which left him sprawled on the road, meant that he didn’t appear on cue and had to restart from last position in the field for his long 20 minute ride, as he said; “not the best preparation to try and win a championship!”
Joe Wilson (Sandy Wallace) isn’t at his best over ten miles and his 21 wasn’t in the frame.
Jim Cusick (Glasgow Couriers), two minutes ahead of Joe on the road was in the 20 minute bracket though, and his form is shaping nicely for a defence of his 50 title later in the year.
All that remained was for a scraped and bruised Mark Atkinson to finish, and the 2008 ’10’ Champs had been won and lost.
What they said
Gary Robson was understandably pleased with his medal;
“It’s a personal best in Scotland for me, so I have to be happy. I did a 19-54 for third place on the Levens (Cumbria) course last Saturday night, so I knew I had form. I thought I’d be about 20 seconds behind Arthur today, so as I said, I can’t be unhappy.”
Dave Martin had never been interviewed before, I had to explain to him that it’s one of the burdens that come with success;
“I’m pleased with the ride, it’s only my third race of the year. I did the East Pursuit last week and recorded 5-02 for second place, so I knew I was going OK. I had a good winter of training and spent a spell in Belgium with John Anderson whilst the Spring Classics were on; we did a lot of kilometres there. In previous years I’ve tried to be pretty scientific with training, but this year I’ve just being going out and smashing myself! I felt good at the finish today, I was absolutely drained; I just couldn’t have done anymore.”
Arthur Doyle: I put it to Arthur, that given the ‘quickness’ of the day, we might have expected him to dip into the magical 19 minute realm;
“I know what you mean, but I haven’t been well, I feel washed out today. My wife and kids have had a bug and it’s affected me too, I’m over the moon to have won given the circumstances. I felt there was a tail wind out, so I held a little in reserve for the finish and tried to lift towards the end, but I was struggling. My next target will be the Super Six at the start of June, I’ve been enjoying riding them and they’ve definitely helped my time trialling.”
Arthur rode his Cervelo with a 56 ring and 11-up cassette on Continental Podiums to win the title.
Result
1 A. DOYLE DOOLEYS CYCLES R.T. S 20:13
2 D. MARTIN THE BICYCLE WORKS S 20:24
3 K. RUSSELL EDINBURGH R.C. V 20:27
= G. ROBSON DOOLEYS CYCLES R.T. S 20:27
5 D. McGAW ARCTIC PREMIER R.T. S 20:37
6 J. CUSICK GLASGOW COURIERS V 20:42
7 C. ROBERTSON VELO ECOSSE S 20:46
8 M. ATKINSON SANDY WALLACE CYCLES S 20:47
9 C. SMART GLASGOW COURIERS S 20:48
10 C. RIISE SHETLAND WHEELERS V 20:57
11 D. GIBSON DOOLEYS CYCLES R.T. V 21:01
12 J. MILLAR DOOLEYS CYCLES R.T. S 21:08
13 I. BLACK SANDY WALLACE CYCLES V 21:12
14 G. MURDOCH PEDAL POWER R.T. S 21:13
15 J. COPP SANDY WALLACE CYCLES S 21:16
= J. WILSON SANDY WALLACE CYCLES S 21:16
17 B. McGURK TEAM ICARUS S 21:17
18 P. ETTLES FORRES C.C. V 21:20
19 P. BROWN VELO ECOSSE S 21:21
20 S. GOLDSWORTHY VELO ECOSSE S 21:24
21 C. ISATS BERWICK WHEELERS S 21:27
22 D. BLACK CLACHNACUDDIN C.C. S 21:33
23 S. GRAY DOOLEYS CYCLES R.T. S 21:37
24 S. BLUM GLASGOW COURIERS S 21:38
25 G. BROWN VELO ECOSSE V 21:39
26 A. DOW SANDY WALLACE CYCLES S 21:40
27 M. SUMMERS DUNFERMLINE C.C. S 21:44
= H. JAMIESON DOOLEYS CYCLES R.T. V 21:44
29 J. HALL SANDY WALLACE CYCLES V 21:52
30 G. MACFARLANE JOHNSTONE WHEELERS S 21:59
31 G. COCKBURN NIGHTINGALE C.C. V 22:00
32 K. RAESIDE INVERCLYDE VELO V 22:02
= B. DUNCAN EDINBURGH R.C. V 22:02
34 A. TAYLOR MUSSELBURGH R.C.C. V 22:03
35 A. McILROY EDINBURGH R.C. S 22:05
36 P. McINALLY EAST K