Some folks say that last is the worst place to finish in a bike race, others say second place is the heart-breaker. For me it would be fourth place – so near to a medal but so far. And fourth spot was where our boy Douglas Dewey finished in the British Time Trial Championships 2013 at Stewarton on Thursday night.
Reigning champion and Giro stage winner, Movistar’s Alex Dowsett confirmed that there is, ‘life after Sky’ to keep his title – despite his front tubular parting company from the base tape on the first corner and depositing the Essex man on the tar.
When we spoke to him after the finish he was nursing some nasty wounds and seemed to us to be on the very edge of suffering from shock.
We wish him a speedy recovery – he’s a quality rider and one of the ‘Good Guys,’ totally unaffected by his star status, happy to sign autographs for wee lasses as he prepared to go to the start
Second was TT specialist Matt Bottrill who just got the better – by less than a second – of surprise package, Ben Swift (Sky) with our man in fourth spot.
Douglas has appeared on our pages a few times; he won the opening Belgian amateur classic Gent Stadden, last year.
And this year had a very successful start to the season in Brittany before coming back to take third in the British “10” and top ten in the British “25.”
VeloVeritas played host to the tall, slim man from Surrey for his tilt at the British titles against the watch at Stewarton and en ligne in Glasgow on Sunday.
The satnav had taken a bad turn so it was the old AA atlas which got us down to Ayrshire with the temperature rising by the mile and a glorious summer afternoon welcoming us to Stewarton.
Formalities first; sign on and borrow a turbo from Fin Young – we forgot ours.
Then check out the course, two laps of a 24.6 K loop – the first stretch on B class road is rolling, gnarly.
Then it’s left on to A class, rolling, nice surfaces with just a couple of roundabouts to upset the rhythm.
A good course, we all thought – not too technical but certainly no drag race either.
18:40: Martin is up the start with Douglas’s spare wheels – just in case.
Douglas used to be ‘intense’ about his racing, but has now adopted a more laid back attitude – so relaxed in fact that I’m surprised he doesn’t have a rocking chair and slippers among the mountain of gear he has with him.
He listens to tunes off his laptop as we fuss and fret over his helmet and wheels.
He spins and adjusts the volume; it wouldn’t surprise me if he was listening to some of that mellow Jack Johnstone vibe.
Big Ben Peacock rolls past on the way to the start – he’d finish seventh, a great ride in this company.
With 40 minutes on the turbo done it’s time for Douglas to ‘suit up,’ and get the Kask on as we wrestle the rear disc in.
His Felt has rear facing drop-outs – like my Condor 753 TT did back in the ’80’s – and wheel changes aren’t the most straightforward.
The Felt has Di 2 shifting with wheels by Lightweight, deep section front, disc rear and rubber from Germany – Continental Podiums.
Martin pins on his number and it’s nearly time – he has to get a second bike check up at the start so we don’t want any dramas…
…all the riders have gone, except Alex Dowsett, he’s still on the turbo, he spins, drinks and whilst he knows that he should run away with this – in this sport there are no certainties.
It’s time to get ready, he towels down and is helped to wriggle into his Movistar speedsuit; not that nice white British champion’s one we’re used to seeing him in.
The mechanics towel the sweat off the Graal; Alex saddles up, jumping kerbs on ten grand’s worth of Pinarello and heads for the start.
Alex’s two minute man, Matt Bottrill whizzes back in to the car park looking anxious; have those nerves gone to his bladder – or is there some little tinker needed with the lovely Giant?
Martin’s back from the start, we bolt down the back road to catch Douglas on the outward leg.
We hit the crossroads, and jump out, rural Ayrshire, we expect a quaint old pub – no real ale but there is tandoori.
There’s a rider coming, in black, is it Douglas?
Bottrill, damn! – we’ve missed Douglas; Bottrill’s off 37, Douglas is number 35 – the man on the Giant is moving impressively fast.
Back in the car, cut the course to the other side – Rob Partridge (UK Youth) zooms past, too quick for us to get a watch on.
