Junior, Jordan Stokes of Pedal Power took an easy sprint win in Sunday’s Sandy Wallace Cycles 50 mile road race around a bright but blowy Redcraigs Toll circuit.
Second was ‘oldie but goody’ Callum Gough (Onimpex RT) with Lindsay Gordon (Musselburgh) rounding out the podium.
The start village of Wellwood near Dunfermline gave us The Skids lead singer, Ricky Jobson and Barbara Dickson – and on Sunday it gave us sunshine for the fifth Super Six ‘B’ race of the season.
Photo finish maestro, Bill Dunscombe explained to me that some of the Super Sixes didn’t have accompanying B races, so this race was run to ‘make up the numbers.’
The race was over ten laps of a deceptively nippy five mile circuit based on the Valley of Balmule and Redcraigs Toll.
With a short finishing flat at the highest point approaching Redcraigs Toll – at the foot of Knock Hill – and another flat straight linking the Redcraigs Toll to Dunfermline road with the Balmule to Kelty road.
All else was up or down – nothing too savage but enough to find out those who are winding down for the autumn.
It was ‘compatto’ first time up the drag to the finish straight but number 69, David Lang (Glasgow Wheelers) was sliding.
Next time up, he’d gone.
A break of three were away by a handful of seconds, they rather caught me by surprise but I got the numbers off my photo, Graham Doig (Moray Firth), Wim Chalmet (Sandy Wallace) and Matthew McDonald (Edinburgh Roads).
The green polka dots of leader of the climbers’ competition was heading the chase whilst at the back, rocking shoulders and short breaths were the order of the day.
Three had become seven one lap later with one of Sandy Wallace’s men just ahead of his six compadres – with the bunch not letting them get too much daylight.
Again, there was no point in panicking about identifying riders, the next few laps were ‘compatto’ and a rising breeze was making the climb that little bit faster and harder – an ever increasing casualty list backing this up.
Although one lass explained that she’d been declassed for crossing the white line – heinous!
Callum Gough was still in there though, no less than you’d expect from a man who took a podium spot in a vets race in Flanders last Sunday.
Callum McGregor and Dave Chapman appeared off their Sunday run to watch proceedings for a few laps.
And on the subject of commisars and DQ’s – the man on the motor bike was indeed giving it mega licks with the whistle, next time up.
Another lap and two away, just, David Griffiths (Glasgow Wheelers) and our KoM leader, with his number flapping in the breeze and no doubt chasing points.
The gaps weren’t big though and it was all saying ‘bunch sprint’ to me.
‘Compatto’ again say my notes – with another one of those hard working Moray Firth boys leading the charge.
Somehow, I got my lap scoring mixed up, I thought three to go but up at the finish line, Sandy Glover was clanging the bell at a tight peloton.
A lot of riders have been watching those pros on Eurosport and many were the bottles being jettisoned at this stage.
Stokes was well clear at the finish from a long way out but a photo was needed to separate Gough and Gordon.
It’s always easy to criticise, but from where I was standing, it looked like a lot of riders were simply happy not to be dropped – and the rest were waiting for the sprint.
Aggression was sadly lacking.
But like chain-smoking English roadman sprinter Brian Tadman used to say, back when I was a boy;
“If you can’t drop me, that’s not my fault!“.
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Sandy Wallace Cycles – Result
1 Jordan Stokes Pedal Power RT
2 Callum Gough Onimpex Bio Racer RT
3 Lindsay Gordon Musselburgh RCC
4 Ramsay Muirhead Johnstone Wheelers CC
5 Euan Macpherson Dunfermline CC
6 Matthew MacDonald
7 Keith Laird Glasgow Couriers
8 Brendan Roe Team Leslie Bike Shop – Right Move Windows
9 Trevor Wilson Dales Cycles Racing Team
10 Jonathan Buckley West Lothian Clarion CC
11 Graham Moore Stirling Bike Club
12 David Griffiths Glasgow Wheelers
13 Rich Semple East Kilbride Road Club
14 Gary Cross Falkirk Bicycle Club
15 John Paterson Dumfries CC
16 Bruce Fullerton Falkirk Bicycle Club
17 Georges Avraam Edinburgh RC
18 Martin Lonie Dooley’s Cycles Racing Team
19 Michael Fong Edinburgh RC
20 Duncan McIntyre Glasgow Nightingale CC
21 Cameron Stewart Edinburgh RC
22 Terence McMahon Glasgow Ivy CC
23 Graham Doig Moray Firth Cycle Club
24 William Bowers Stirling Bike Club
25 David Blockley Rapha Condor CC
26 William McMillan Dales Cycles Racing Team
27 Paul Hornby Glasgow Ivy CC
28 Paul McSkimming Dooley’s Cycles Racing Team
29 Alasdair Begbie
30 Peter Ward Edinburgh RC
31 Andrew Douglas Pedal Power RT
32 Scott Patterson Sandy Wallace Cycles
33 Malcolm Paterson Glasgow Nightingale CC
34 Owen Philipson Stirling Bike Club
35 Lee Anderson East Kilbride Road Club
36 Murray Ford Dunfermline CC
37 Jake Bown Stirling Bike Club
38 Jenny Stanning Edinburgh RC
39 David Lang Glasgow Wheelers
40 Anda-Jay Burgess Sandy Wallace Cycles
41 Andrew Kilpatrick Fife Cycling 2000
42 David Hamill