It took Arthur Doyle (Dooleys) just 51:33 to join the likes of Billy Bilsland, Graeme Obree and Jason MacIntyre on the roll of honour for the Scottish National 25 Mile Time Trial Championship on a warm but windy Sunday morning on the fast dual carriageway of the A90 Laurencekirk by-pass.
Doyle was run to 23 seconds by former 100 mile champion, Jonathan Copp (Sandy Wallace), who blasted back from the turn with 51:56 to keep perennial Jim Cusick ((Glasgow Couriers) back in third on 52:19.
The 25 has a fascination; everyone wants to win it; despite the fact that it’s a dead end street.
In 1980, Tony Doyle and Sean Yates were training hard for the Moscow Olympics – the pinnacle of any athlete’s career.
But both men asked the powers that be if they could ride one race that didn’t really fit in with their big pursuit build ups – the RTTC 25 championship.
There were no Olympians on the A90, but all of the big hitters of the Scottish time trial world were there, except defending champion, Mark Atkinson (Sandy Wallace) – laid low with a strain.
VeloVeritas, after protests from Jeanette Hazlett and Isobel Smith about “ignoring the girls” were there for the first of the ladies to tackle the sticky drag of the Laurencekirk by-pass where we set up shop, around half-way to the turn. We even had a lady timekeeper, today – the future Mrs. Williamson, the lovely Gillian.
Vicki Hunter (Sandy Wallace Cycles) off number 5 was the first to look the part, the air was still and traffic light at that time of the morning.
Eventual winner, Marie Todd (Sandy Wallace Cycles) was already well on her way to winning and leading bronze medallist, Fiona Duncan to the two rider Scottish ladies team record and along with Hunter, the three rider record, for good measure.
Jessica Wilson-Young ((Edinburgh Road Club) was having to get used to being ‘down’ in a ladies time trial in Scotland – unusual for her.
The first of the men were making the same mistake as many of the girls; over-geared and tieing up on the long drag.
It was number 45, Steve Nutley (Fife Cycling 2000) before we saw a rider really looking the part (55:09 for 17th).
On the other side of the carriageway, Marie Todd was speeding back to 57:34 and the title.
Phil Brown looked good – and would stop the clock on 54:08 for 12th – but we just knew that the fast men would be a cog or two higher on this section.
The traffic count didn’t vary by much throughout the whole event and it was light as Brown’s hill climb champion clubmate, Ben Abrahams was another who looked stylish, but wasn’t putting enough watts down (55:27 for 20th).
Former English schoolboy protegé, Jeremy Greengrass (Nightingale) upped the ante and would end up 8th on 53:38; on the same minute as the 25 time he rode to as an under 16 year-old, ‘back in the day.’
Ian Black (Sandy Wallace Cycles) wasn’t enjoying his joust with gravity, but he was always going to fly home with that rising tail breeze – so it proved as he took those little cogs to 52:25, and fourth place.
Steve Beech was another Sandy Wallace Cycles man working hard, 58:01 at the line wasn’t a bad time on a soft tyre.
Fellow veteran, Ian Condie (Dunfermline) looked the part; even though it’s a long time since he was Scottish schoolboy road race champion – 40 years, maybe?
The first of Dooleys short distance flyers, Andy Torrance raised the bar again; at the line he would be 6th in 52:49 and second counter in the winning team.
Team mate Sean Gray’s rear disc didn’t sound healthy and his 55:59 wasn’t quick enough to make third man in the team – Davie Gee did that with 53:42.
Silver medal surprise in the ’10’ champs, Peter Ettles (Forres) was one second up on Torrance; but with the rising head wind: faced a difficult proposition with his fixed gear on the way home.
Jonathan Copp was looking good, but last year’s silver medallist, Gary Robson (Dooleys) was finding that setting up a bike shop – Bspoke Cycles in Peebles – and winning the ’25’ just aren’t compatible; his 55:06 is hardly a disaster though.
Jim Cusick (Glasgow Couriers) looked neat as ever and is a man who should never be ruled out – over any distance.
Carlos Riise (Shetland) was big-geared, smooth and aero, but maybe a little sluggish – that would be from riding the British ’50’ yesterday then? (7th on 53:12)
With Mark Atkinson DNS, Arthur was last man and looking focused – 11 seconds to the good on the field.
It was time to cross the carriageway; the sun was warm on our skin but the breeze was now rustling the bushes – it was going to be fast back.
Ettles was up on Torrance, his tyres quiet on the tar compared to those who’s movement in the saddle squirms the rear rubber on the road; but it was a finish for the 11 and 12 sprockets today – not a fixed cog. No medals for Peter, but a solid 5th in 52:38.
Copp was motoring, moving visibly faster than anyone else, clawing every bit of speed out of the wind.
Davie Gee was off the pace; Cusick appeared before a disconsolate Robson who had been caught for two minutes; Riise was within Doyle’s line of site as he blasted the last few miles.
We followed him for a mile or so – very impressive.
No surprises, but a lot of good rides and it’s a measure of how much Scottish time trialling has improved that 52:49 only gets you sixth place.
What they said
3rd placed