Recording exactly the same time – 52:15 – as the last occasion he won the 25 title, in 2005, Fort William’s Mark Atkinson (Sandy Wallace Cycles) regained his crown on a cool and windswept Laurencekirk by-pass on Sunday morning.
VeloVeritas correctly tipped the top three, but got the order wrong. We had Mark down to win ahead of Dooley’s duo, Arthur Doyle and Gary Robson, but a personal best 52:46 by Robson gave him the silver by nine seconds from Doyle.
It was cool and breezy as the top seeded last ten starters rolled south on the A90 from the start at Fordoun. There was a lot of north in the wind, which as well as making for cool air, meant that most starters had to contend with a tough cross wind.
Robson was first of the favourites to go, off 98 and setting the mark for the others to chase. He was certainly looking the part as he sliced past us at around five miles into the course.
We had the very real honour of having Jock Shaw, SC president as our guest in the car for the day – this kept the swearing to a mimimum and meant I couldn’t get my usual action pics from the car, but it did mean we had very accurate time checks.
Two minutes behind came Joe Wilson, already down on Robson and destined for an eventual 55:25 – well shy of what’s required in these super-fast days.
Jonathan Copp (Sandy Wallace) was on top of the job and would stop the watch with an eventual equal fifth 53:26.
Arthur Doyle was next and he just didn’t look like he was going, as Jock Shaw said; “In the 10 he had a beautiful smooth action, but it wasn’t there today.” He was wearing compression tights; “I knew I wasn’t going to be at my best today, so I treated it as training,” he would tell us later.
Mr Consistency – ‘Davie Gee’ was on his way to backing Robson and Doyle to the team award, his final 53:41 was a quality ride.
Glasgow Courier’s much improved Chris Smart would stop the clock with 53:13 for fourth place, and the wind speed was rising as he flashed past on his Bianchi.
A few years ago, this would have been a day for Carlos Riise (Shetland), but not today.
Hugh Jamieson (Dooleys) was flying with the tail wind, but his 55:59 wouldn’t get him in the winning team.
Artic Premier’s David McGaw was looking the part on his De Rosa but was down on the leaders.
There was just one man to come – Atkinson; there are no half measures from the Fort William man, he gives 100% effort and even at this stage, it looked like the race was between him and Robson.
On the tough return leg, the gaps opened up and some of the lesser lights were down to what looked like 50 revs per minute.
One of the rides of the day has to be Glasgow Courier’s veteran Davie Miller’s 56:54 – wow!
Jim Cusick looked well on top of the job, keeping the gears down and pedalling into the chilly breeze; he was bronze medallist last year but was half a minute away from that slot today with his 53:26.
Atkinson was chewing up the tar between himself and McGaw and looking every inch the winner as a rain squall blew across from the Grampians.
The finishing straight was a heart breaker, long, dragging and into the wind – custom made for Atkinson and that poor tortured Orbea.
Back at the strip, Isobel Smith’s organisation meant that we didn’t have to wait long for the final results and it was time to collar the medallists.
Arthur:
“I didn’t expect to win today, I’m changing jobs and things have been hectic so I haven’t been training as I would like. In addtion I’ve got a bad saddle sore – I could hardly sit on the bike today.”
Gary:
“I have to be happy, I was getting a bit excited towards the end, when I knew I’d beaten Arthur, but we didn’t have Mark’s splits at that stage. I had a bad crash in training the other week, I’ve just about recovered from it, but I lost a lot of skin. It was a tough morning, faster on the way out, a cross/taily, I was 24 minutes dead at half distance, so the return leg was a lot harder. It seemed to be mostly uphill on the way back – but maybe that was just the wind and the distance catching up with me. They’re trying to rope me in to riding the 50, but it’s not really my thing.
My next target is the age related in the British Time Trial championship.”
Mark:
“I drove the course before the race this morning, I wanted to check out the turn. I used Dave McGaw as my marker, I wanted to put time into him early. It was a tough morning and I used gears lower than I usually would, I tried to keep the revs going into that wind. It’s a cracking course, suited to my riding style, very few gear changes are required – it’ll be fast on the right day.”
Both Gary and Mark mentioned Jason MacIntyre in their medal speeches – a nice touch lads.
Results
1 M. Atkinson Sandy Wallace 52.15
2 G.Robson Dooley’s Cycles 52.46
3 A.Doyle Dooley’s Cycles 52.55
4 C.Smart Glasgow Couriers 53.13
5 J.Copp Sandy Wallace 53.26
6 J.Cusick Glasgow Couriers 53.26
7 D.Gibson Dooley’s Cycles 53.41
8 C.Riise Shetland Wheelers 53.43
9 D.McGaw Artic Premier RT 53.52
10 R.Wilson Sandy Wallace 54.54
11 I.Black Sandy Wallace 55.15
12 J.Wilson Sandy Wallace 55.25
13 J.Hall Sandy Wallace 55.46
14 H.Jamieson Dooley’s Cycles 55.59
15 B.Duncan Edinburgh RC 56.24
16 G.Graham Fullerton Wh 56.38
17 D.Millar Glasgow Couriers 56.54
18 A.Torrance Dooley’s Cycles 57.10
19 S.Blom Glasgow Couriers 57.12
20 N.Skene Granite City RT 57.49
21 K.Lackie Forres Cc 58.23
22 H.Hamilton Fullerton Wh 58.41
23 A.Rowat Musselburgh RC 59.00
24 J.May Edinburgh RC 59.01
25 S.Monaghan DTCC 59.02
26 S.McIntosh Granite City RT 59.11
27 D.Timmins Musselburgh RC 59.22
28 E.Ritchie Angus Bike Chain 59.25
29 R.Sewell Hounslow Wh 59.27
30 O.Del Corto Edinburgh RC 59.28
31 S.Beech Sandy Wallace 59.31
32 D.McLellan Fullerton Wh 59.35
33 D.Harter Forres 59.44
34 K.Philpot Elgin CC 59.51
35 G.Shirley Nevis Cycles 59.53
36 G.Luce Elgin CC 1.00.10
37 N.Laing Edinburgh RC 1.00.11
38 I.Anderson Dundee Wheelers 1.00.12
39 B.Taylor Dooley’s Cycles 1.00.12
40 A.Solway Kennoway Rc 1.00.35
41 N.Anderson DTCC 1.00.43
42 D.Gillies Elgin CC 1.00.46
43 D.Wards Fullerton Wh 1.00.57
44 D.Morris DTCC 1.01.01
45 J.Blunsdon DTCC 1.01.21
46 W.Bunyan Dunfermline CC 1.01.33
47 G.Jones Edinburgh RC 1.02.03
48 M.Pearson RAF CC 1.02.12
49 I.Watson Aberdeen Wh 1.02.18
50 C.Sim DTCC 1.02.26
51 L.Billingham Perth United 1.03.11
52 N.Muir Edinburgh RC 1.03.18
53 L.Cowie Aberdeen Wh 1.03.27
54 K.Tait Edinburgh RC 1.03.36
55 A.McGill DTCC 1.03.37
56 A.Washington Caithness CC 1.03.44
57 S.Walton DTCC 1.03.53
58 D.Gunn Forres 1.03.57
59 F.Young Velo Ecosse 1.04.44
60 C.Jones DTCC 1.04.44
61 F.Toms Nevis Cycles RT 1.05.34
62 R.Clark DTCC 1.05.37
63 I.Sinclair DTCC 1.06.04
64 H.Aitchison Forres 1.06.28
65 S.Mitchell Dundee Wh 1.07.28
66 P.Clark DTCC 1.08.23
67 B.McCabe Aberdeen Wh 1.09.22
68 B.Byth DTCC 1.09.25
69 D.Stewart DTCC 1.09.59
70 A.Speed Fife Century RC 1.10.02
71 P.Winter Ythan 1.10.04
72 G.Grant Forres CC 1.11.14
73 T.Cummings Kirkcaldy&Dis 1.11.23
74 I.Edwards DTCC 1.14.12
75 P.Ettles Forres CC DNF
76 K.Ross Cromarty Firth DNS
77 K.Aksnes Glasgow Wh DNS
78 A.Duncan Ythan DNS
79 I.Brown DTCC DNS
80 J.Millar Dooley’s Cycles DNS
81 A.Whyman DTCC DNS
82 D.McLardie Dooley’s Cycles DNS
83 A.Dow Sandy Wallace DNS
84 P.Black Edinburgh RC DNS
85 G.Walsh Sandy Wallace DNS
Teams
1 Dooley’s Cycles RT: Robson, Doyle, D.Gibson
2 Sandy Wallace Cycles: Atkinson,Copp.Wilson
3 Glasgow Couriers: Smart, Cusick,Millar
Handicap
1 N Laing Edinburgh RC 46.07
2 I.Edwards DTCC 48.06
Vets on Standard
1 D.Stewart Deeside Thistle 22.08
2 D.Millar Glasgow Couriers 20.51
Under 18
1 L.Cowie Aberdeen Wheelers 1.03.27
Ladies
1 J.Wilson-Young Edinburgh RC 58.58
2 C.McLean Shetland Wh 1.00.02
3 V.Hunter Perth United 1.01.57
4 F.Duncan Ythan 1.02.12
5 J.Nicholson DTCC 1.06.38
6 P.Rother Edinburgh RC 1.08.02
7 J.Lang Edinburgh RC 1.08.39
8 C.Middleton Ythan 1.09.48
9 M.Anderson DTCC 1.10.49
10 L.Chillingsworth DTCC 1.11.37
11 E.Thornell Tri Changing 1.11.50
12 R.Jackson Forres 1.13.52
13 Y.Davidson Ythan 1.25.24
Teams
1 Edinburgh RC – J. Wilson-Young, P.Rother
2 Ythan – F.Duncan/Middleton
