Silas Golsdworthy put the disappointment of not being part of the Scottish Commonwealth Games team firmly behind him by taking victory in the country’s 50 Mile Time Trial Championship today with a stunning 1:43:48, the second fastest 50 miles ever ridden in Scotland and only 45 seconds off Graeme Obree’s 21 year old record.
Goldsworthy’s Sandy Wallace Cycles teammate Alan Thomson took the silver medal with 1:47:09, and of course the club took the team prize too – veteran Steve Beech providing the important third counting time of 2:02:25.
10 and 25 Mile Champion Iain Grant (Dooley’s Cycles) was on the start sheet but we didn’t get to see him at our vantage point around 12 miles into the course – he’d punctured before that point and called it a day.
Other riders we had down to put the watch on today either didn’t start (Kyle Gordon and Steve Nutley of Sandy Wallace Cycles, Paisley Velo’s Chris Smart) or didn’t complete the course (Peter Murdoch, Paisley Velo).
Unusually, the Ladies’ gold medal was shared, Lynsey Curran (Dooley’s Cycles) and Gala CC’s Andrea Pogson both completing the two circuits of the three-legged 25 mile course in 2:02:45.
Bronze medallist Toni McIntosh (2:03:48) together with fifth-placed Lynne Wardrop (2:06:46) took the team prize.
We caught up with Silas after the race to ask how he was able to forget the fact that he wasn’t now based in the new Athletes Village up the road for a couple of weeks and his approach to pulling out the second fastest 50 miles ever ridden in Scotland.
The non-selection for the Commonwealth Games Scottish squad will have stung… did it take you long to refocus and move on?
“Yes, it stung.
“There aren’t many other Scots with a top four in their event in British Championships these last two years who missed out on selection.
“It did take a while to adjust my focus, yes, and wouldn’t have been able to refocus and move on without my friends and teammates, as well as Peter my coach, who were all very supportive.
“Also guys like Ben Peacock – who knew only too well what I was going through – and Iain Grant who kept encouraging me to get back on my bike. Cheers guys, it’s appreciated.”
Your time is the second fastest 50 ever done in Scotland, only Obree has gone faster. In hindsight, do you feel you could have found those precious seconds somewhere on the course?
“I think that today’s course [in Ayrshire] is the fastest one we currently have.
“It’s difficult to know if I could have found more really… I didn’t target the 50 and I only entered to help the Sandy Wallace guys go for the team prize because my training is more focussed on shorter track events.
“It’s a shame that Iain Grant punctured early on. You don’t wish that kind of misfortune on anyone, especially nice guys like him. Plus he’s been flying recently and I think it would have been a really close race, it would have been great to see just how close”.
What was your strategy for the race – flat out or paced in certain areas?
“You can’t ride 50 miles flat out! Or certainly I can’t.
“So yes, I paced it; speeding up in the second half.”
Do you “sectionalise” the course, and concentrate on the current part at at time?
“Yep. I break it up and just focus on each stretch of road I am on at the time.
“I’d crack if I counted down the miles!
“I broke it down into sections as I was going along… I have been going very well at a 10’s lately and had to focus on not going out too hard.
“I knew I was doing a good ride when I was catching Peter Murdoch [off two minutes before] and then I just focused on seeing how close I could get t the record (which I thought was a short 1.42).”
What’s left for you this season, what’s the target(s)?
“I’m just going to race out the season and try to enjoy it all again.”
And longer-term, the main goals?
“Unsure what my longer term aims are at this stage… I guess I want to try and enjoy the bike more – this season hasn’t been a lot of fun, what with crashes and trying to jump through hoops.”
Results - Scottish 50 Mile Time Trial Championships 2014
Ladies
1 Lynsey Curran www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2 02.45
1 Andrea Pogson Gala Cycling Club 2 02.45
3 Toni McIntosh Ayr Roads Cycling Club 2 03.48
4 Christine McLean Shetland Wheelers 2 06.43
5 Lynne Wardrop Ayr Roads Cycling Club 2 06.46
6 Catherine Logan Walkers Cycling Club 2 12.01
7 Jennie McColl Aberdeen Wheelers CC 2 13.38
8 Valerie Martin www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2 20.18
9 Jill Prabucki Deeside Thistle CC 2 21.14
10 Cathy Barlow Royal Albert CC 2 31.27
Ladies Team
Ayr Roads (McIntosh/Wardrop) 4 10.34 (New Scottish Record)
Men
1 Silas Goldsworthy Sandy Wallace Cycles 1 43.48
2 Alan Thomson Sandy Wallace Cycles 1 47.09
3 Thomas Gordon www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 1 50.35
4 Paul McLafferty Glasgow Ivy CC 1 50.47
5 James Cusick www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 1 50.56
6 Graeme Cockburn Glasgow Nightingale CC 1 51.55
7 Carlos Riise Shetland Wheelers 1 51.56
8 Nick Tryon www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 1 53.20
9 Simon Van Bellen Aberdeen Wheelers CC 1 53.30
10 Neil Walker Walkers Cycling Club 1 53.55
11 Lauri Peil Edinburgh RC 1 53.57
12 David McLellan www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 1 54.17
13 Gavin Shirley www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 1 54.17
14 Billy McFarlane www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 1 54.32
15 Stephen Davidson Perth United Cycling Club 1 54.54
16 David Millar Glasgow Couriers 1 55.08
17 Kenneth Darling Hawick CC 1 55.34
18 Scott Newman Glasgow Couriers 1 56.31
19 Craig Dale TheBicycleWorks 1 57.11
20 David Baird East Kilbride Road Club 1 57.13
21 Mark Skilling Icarus Racing 1 57.16
22 Andrew Prenelle Team Icarus 1 57.44
23 Greg Quinn Deeside Thistle CC 1 58.17
24 Gordon Graham Fullarton Wheelers 1 58.39
25 Stewart Gordon Dunfermline CC 1 59.00
26 Norman Skene Velocity 44 Stirling 1 59.05
27 Gordon Stead Fullarton Wheelers 1 59.28
28 Gary Bratt Lomond Roads CC 2 00.10
29 Stuart Whitelaw Lomond Roads CC 2 00.46
30 Chris Hinds Glasgow Green Cycle Club 2 01.44
31 Brian Nicol Ayr Roads Cycling Club 2 01.44
32 James Hall Rock And Road Cycles 2 01.47
33 Steve Beech Sandy Wallace Cycles 2 02.25
34 Alastair McGibbon Ayr Roads Cycling Club 2 02.28
35 Drew Sharkey TheBicycleWorks 2 02.58
36 Robert Kelly Ayr Roads Cycling Club 2 03.21
37 Douglas Kirkham Musselburgh RCC 2 03.31
38 Colin Sergeant Law Wheelers CC 2 03.38
39 Steven Smith Royal Albert CC 2 03.45
40 Charles Vincent Walkers Cycling Club 2 04.10
41 Richard MacPherson Glasgow United CC 2 04.42
42 Ian Anderson Walkers Cycling Club 2 05.42
43 Bud Johnston East Kilbride Road Club 2 05:22
44 Mike Ferguson Johnstone Wheelers CC 2 06.55
45 Iain Cowden Johnstone Wheelers CC 2 07.18
46 David Pritchard Kennoway RC 2 07.38
47 Jay Groom Royal Albert CC 2 08.15
48 Allan Ross Lomond Roads CC 2 08.15
49 Martin Mcneely Royal Albert CC 2 10.26
50 Allan Duncan 2 10.31
51 Errol Bennie Glasgow Wheelers 2 17.02
52 Alan Jardine VC Glasgow South 2 20.42
53 Andrew Wilson St Christopher’s CC 2 25.42
54 David Mitchell Perth United Cycling Club 2 27.40
55 David Kirton Kennoway RC 2 46.10
Mens Team
Sandy Wallace Cycles (Goldsworthy/ Thomson/ Beech) 5 33:22
DNF
Robert Drummond Glasgow Whls
Ricardo Pallisco Paisley Velo Race Team
Peter Murdoch Paisley Velo Race Team
Iain Grant www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk
DNS
Sandy Wallace Sandy Wallace Cycles
Ken Tree Deeside Thistle CC
Colin Sim Aberdeen Wheelers CC
Christopher Staples Fullarton Wheelers
William Bunyan Dunfermline CC
Michael Robb Allan Crosbie Pedal Power RT
Kelvin White Deeside Thistle CC
John Dunlop Loudoun RC
James Tree www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk
Les Evans Deeside Thistle CC
Alan Holmes Johnstone Wheelers CC
Callum Finlayson Moray Firth Cycling Club
Kyle Gordon Sandy Wallace Cycles
Steve Nutley Sandy Wallace Cycles
Chris Smart Paisley Velo Race Team
Gallery
