On a day of sunshine, wind and squals over 12 laps of a rolling circuit around Balfron, Evan Oliphant (Endura Racing) defended his Scottish road race championship in fine style; riding away from the day long break with two laps to go and opening a big gap over Gary Hand (Endura/Pedal Power) and Ross Creber (Cycle Premier/Metaltek) who also slipped the bunch to sprint it out for silver and bronze respectively.
With an 11 kilometre circuit, race watching was easy –
Race View # 1: we followed the race to get the lay of the land.
A glorious mix of conifers and deciduous trees; winding, rolling roads; some of the surfaces are a little rough but most of the pavement is good – the feed zone’s a tad nippit, though.
But 12 times through Balfron – nice work; there’ll be complaints from the sheep though, they’re big race fans.
# 2: parked up, a couple of miles out of Balfron; it’s windy with squalls blowing through – there are eight or nine away already, Oliphant, Lines, Creber, Hand – that could be it?
Michael Nicholson leads the chase at 30 seconds.
It’s over already for Callum Wilkinson and a couple of others.
Our prediction: 1) Oliphant, 2) Nicholson, 3) Hassan.
# 3: the gap is a minute, we make it nine – Arthur Doyle, Evan Oliphant, Gary Hand, Davie Lines, Ross Creber, Chris Thomson…
It’s looking even more like it’s all over for the peloton.
But Michael Nicholson and Robbie Hassan are behind, so maybe it’ll come back?
Time for a change of scenery, we drive against the race direction to the other side of the valley.
# 4: a minute 15, it looks more and more it looks like it’s a done deal.
There’s a ‘Spokes’ rider in the break – Tim Allan?
Gregor isn’t too chuffed that his boys have missed that too.
A cry comes from the bunch; ‘what’s the f***ing time!?‘
‘A minute plus,’ says us.
Across the valley we can see them – and the gap has gone to a minute 30 in the space of a mile or two.
# 5: as we wait for them, Graeme McGarrity ambles past…
One minute 40 – Gary Hand and Tim Allan are hurting up front.
Hassan has gone, a puncture?
The wind is getting up, just to add to the pain.
# 6: the feed station, John Anderson of the bicycleworks waits to feed Ali McNichol, who’s made the break and Dave Martin, who hasn’t – that should be ‘winning break’ because the gap is starting to yawn.
The break are still riding hard; Rob Wilkins is trying to bridge with a couple of others but it’s unlikely to happen.
Finlay Young has crashed out – no harm to him, but apparently his Giant has a broken fork; and Robbie Hassan is back on…
# 7: a big squall blows through the feed.
The break are still working well together; but behind the peloton has split.
A weary looking Endura leads round the corner, maybe 12 riders?
For the main bunch it’s all over.
# 8: we make a quick detour to the strip so Finlay can get his gear; ‘Stuart McGregor punctured and crashed, he took a few guys down, I managed to avoid it – but run into the back of someone and broke my forks.’
And we catch the break as it whistles in to Balfron; Arthur at the front; Alf Engers would shake his head – an 80 mile road race the weekend before the 10 champs ?
# 9: back round against the race to the valley road, the sun’s out again and the shadows of the clouds scurry across the Campsies.
