Sunday, April 27, 2025

Chris Smart – Tour of the Meldons 2015 Winner

-

HomeInterviewsChris Smart - Tour of the Meldons 2015 Winner

Chris Smart (Paisley Velo) explained to us that he’d no choice but to successfully defend his Scottish Olympic Time Trial Championship over the Meldons course in the Scottish Borders, recently.

If he hadn’t, he’d only have been the champion for half a year; with the Trossachs being the championship race in October 2014 and the Meldons coming in April of this year.

And in the time between us interviewing him and this piece appearing he’s gone and won another title – the TLI 10 mile championships on the A77 with a 21:19 to Ben Peacock’s 21:27.

Tour of the Meldons
Chris Smart. Photo©Martin Williamson

We started by asking the 34 year-old fireman from Saltcoats to remind us of his haul of Scottish medals thus far …

“This is my second Olympic Time Trial title; I’ve had a silver medal and two bronzes in the hill climb; team time trial gold and a bronze in the ‘25’ champs.”

The Meldons; perhaps not as technically challenging a race as the Trossachs?

“I don’t know about that but they’re certainly two very different races; in the Trossachs I kept the lid on it until I was off the Dukes Pass, the descent was wet and tricky so I took it steady and started my race after I was down.

“For the Meldons it was different, I went from the gun, right up that long dragging start climb – but I did get a fright at the finish.

“I wasn’t expecting that steep finish climb – I was seeing stars by the top!”

Tour of the Meldons
The Meldons hills are a popular destination for rides and picnics. Photo©Martin Williamson

Early/late season, it doesn’t seem to make much difference – you still won the championship?

“I usually plan to have my first peak for the ‘25’ champs but I’ve had to change my season plan because my brother gets married the day before the ’25’ so I won’t be riding.

“And I felt that I had to defend the Olympic TT else wise I’d only have been the champion for a half of a season!

“I like the Trossachs and the Meldons, they’re both good courses.”

How did you gauge your ride – ‘feel’ or on power output?

“I have a power meter for training but I don’t use it for racing, I just go flat out from the start!”

Tell us about your training.

“Purely turbo; I don’t have time for any other way with working shifts and having young kids.

“I was racing on four hours training each week – on the turbo at 10:00 pm – but have more time now that we have kids at nursery so it’s two hours on the turbo, four times per week.

“I love the turbo and use the power meter to track my progress – that said I’m not a ‘data geek’ by any means.

“I don’t have a coach as such, I’m self-coached but Alex Ross – who was in the Scottish team 2000-2002 and is better known as ‘Charlie’ – keeps an eye on what I’m doing and reins me in if he thinks I’m doing too much.”

Are you ‘an equipment man?’

“No, I just upgraded my 20 year-old Bianchi to a Planet-X because the Bianchi snapped.

“I’m a big gear man, 53 x 11 and 12 – I like my 12 sprocket!”

Tour of the Meldons
Chris in the 12 sprocket at the ’10’ Champs a couple of years ago. Photo©Martin Williamson

How about road racing?

“I don’t ride the road anymore; this is my 22nd season – I started when I was 12 years-old and grew up riding the road.

“I went to France to race when I was 20 and achieved an elite licence in the UK but I was always on the outskirts of the top placings, not winning.

“That’s what I like about time trials, you get rewarded for your efforts – which isn’t always the case on the road…”

Track?

“I got the bug when the Glasgow track opened and was riding the track league – but you can’t do it all and even though it’s the winter, you have to turn up fit because it’s so intense.”

Fourth in the ‘10’ champs last year and third in the ‘25’ – you must be looking to move up?

“I believed I could win the ‘10’ last year because I’d won the Jason MacIntyre Memorial just before it; but it didn’t pan out like that.

“As I said, I won’t be riding the ‘25’ – my next target is the TLi ‘10’ Champs which is promoted by my own club, Paisley Velo so I’d like to do well in that (as we noted earlier, Chris won the event with 21:19, ed.).

We were surprised when you were DNS at the ‘50’ last year?

“I gambled on that one that it’d be a quiet night on shift at the fire station – but it wasn’t and the last thing I could do was to race after such a hectic shift.”

The ‘100’?

“It’s something the guys in the club and I have discussed and if it was held closer to home I’d certainly be interested; but with it being way up there at Invergordon it’s a big commitment – it wouldn’t be fair on the wife and kids for me disappear up there for a whole weekend.”

You were a Royal Marine – does that help when the going gets tough ?

“Yeah, it does help; it teaches you to push to your maximum and then beyond – that’s why I’m sick after the finish of my races!”

And on that happy note we’ll wish Chris ‘bon chance’ for the upcoming Scottish ‘10’ Champs – see you there?

Tour of the Meldons
Lynsey Curran, Ladies’ Scottish Champion. Photo©Martin Williamson

Result - Tour of the Meldons 2015

Full Result

1 108 Chris Smart Paisley Velo Race Team 0:57:23
2 55 Alan Thomson Sandy Wallace Cycles 0:57:40
3 106 Silas Goldsworthy Sandy Wallace Cycles 0:57:56
4 102 Arthur Doyle www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 0:58:06
5 104 Benjamin Peacock Billy Bilsland Cycles 0:58:54
6 39 Kyle Gordon Sandy Wallace Cycles 0:59:36
7 100 James Cusick www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 0:59:39
8 92 Gavin Shirley www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 0:59:47
9 20 Edward Addis Peebles CC 1:00:59
10 25 Jason Barnes Glasgow Nightingale CC 1:01:00
11 96 Jamie Kennedy Paisley Velo Race Team 1:01:01
12 24 Andrew Underwood Glasgow Wheelers 1:01:24
13 85 Andrew Scott Musselburgh RCC 1:02:03
14 49 Gary Robson Gala Cycling Club 1:02:07
15 80 Craig Dale TheBicycleWorks 1:02:45
16 90 Allan Mill Sandy Wallace Cycles 1:02:50
17 26 Kenneth Russell Edinburgh RC 1:03:15
18 28 Ruairi O’Driscoll Edinburgh University CC 1:03:46
19 84 Jon Clarke Glasgow Nightingale CC 1:03:49
20 60 Nathan Beard Gala Cycling Club 1:03:59
21 51 Stephen Couper Glasgow United CC 1:04:00
22 54 Tony Scott Loudoun RC 1:04:02
23 86 Steve Davidson Sandy Wallace Cycles 1:04:40
24 75 Jason Fogarty Edinburgh RC 1:04:51
25 83 Andrew Cox Peebles CC 1:05:12
26 37 Alistair Meikle Gala Cycling Club 1:05:34
27 35 Ross Dymock Glasgow Green Cycle Club 1:05:46
28 87 Paul Friel Glasgow Road Club 1:05:50
29 57 Buchanan Paterson Stirling Bike Club 1:06:10
30 88 Brian Muir Royal Albert CC 1:06:15
31 70 Brian McCartney Ronde Cycling Club 1:06:23
32 79 Neil Muir Royal Albert CC 1:06:28
33 21 Graham Jones Edinburgh RC 1:06:36
34 46 Andrew McGhee Glasgow Couriers 1:06:45
35 74 Calum Kennedy Edinburgh RC 1:06:45
36 32 Alan Dobbie Edinburgh RC 1:06:48
37 17 Lynsey Curran www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 1:07:01
38 19 Tommy Garland Edinburgh University CC 1:07:12
39 61 Albert McLellan Glasgow Couriers 1:07:18
40 66 Jonny May Edinburgh RC 1:07:45
41 22 Matt Goode Edinburgh Triathletes 1:07:49
42 43 Graeme Docherty-Walthew Stirling Bike Club 1:08:01
43 58 Robert Marshall www.Hardie-Bikes.com 1:08:09
44 34 Joseph Agnew Edinburgh RC 1:08:29
45 62 Jarlath Flynn Edinburgh RC 1:08:57
46 68 Kevin Chalmers Peebles CC 1:09:07
47 69 Adrian Hay Dunfermline CC 1:09:10
48 31 Douglas Kirkham Musselburgh RCC 1:09:12
49 47 Stephen Malaney Glasgow Couriers 1:09:23
50 53 Warren Crombie Edinburgh RC 1:09:30
51 63 Allan Crosbie Pedal Power RT 1:09:43
52 48 Eoghan Maguire Edinburgh RC 1:09:45
53 78 Roy Richardson Peebles CC 1:09:53
54 44 Craig Hayes Edinburgh RC 1:10:13
55 5 Louise Borthwick Project 51 1:10:14
56 23 Tony Nugent East Kilbride Road Club 1:11:37
57 67 Colin Russell Edinburgh RC 1:12:28
58 29 Chris Allen Edinburgh RC 1:12:32
59 7 Mireille Captieux Edinburgh RC 1:12:54
60 76 Iain Cowden Johnstone Wheelers Cycling Club 1:14:29
61 9 Sandra Tulloch Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers Boutique 1:14:34
62 72 Willie Stephen Velo Club Vitesse 1:15:18
63 13 Katherine Wren Stirling Bike Club 1:15:50
64 77 Paul Lawson Weaver Valley CC 1:16:53
65 1 Lyndsey Carson Team Thomsons Cycles 1:17:17
66 6 Anna Fairweather Spokes Racing Team 1:17:30
67 3 Aileen Clyde Fullarton Wheelers 1:17:31
68 2 Sarah Bradford Johnstone Wheelers Cycling Club 1:17:35
Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed was involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he was a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He was also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months often worked in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed was a highly respected journalist, his tales of chasing the Giro, Tour, Vuelta, Classics and World Championships - and his much-loved winter Six Days - are legendary, never the same twice, they gave our site an edge other cycling media could never duplicate or challenge. Sadly Ed passed away in January 2025, two years after suffering a devastating stroke.

Related Articles

Giro d’Italia 2013 – Stage 12: Longarone – Treviso 134km. Cavendish Reaches 100!

Mark Cavendish, there's little left to say, really. He's the best roadman sprinter in the world - and his partnership with Steegmans is developing into something special. It's not as if anyone is going to lean on Big Gert...

Bradley Wiggins wins the British Road Championships 2011

On a balmy Sunday afternoon in quaint Stamfordham, Sky and Bradley Wiggins did 'what England expected' and grabbed the first four places in the British elite road race championship over 197 hard Northumbrian kilometres; and the skeletal Bradley Wiggins will start the Tour in the white British champion's jersey after jumping his team mates on the run in; defending champion Geraint Thomas took silver, Peter Kennaugh was third and Ian Stannard fourth.

Johnny Hoogerland – Career and Crashes

We spoke with Dutchman Johnny Hoogerland, who most will remember as the victim of a terrible crash in the 2011 Tour de France when he and Juan Antonio Flecha were brought down when a car overtaking their five-man escape group swerved right to avoid a tree after executing an irresponsible overtaking manoeuvre on the grass verge.

Le Tour de France 2013 – Stage 9: Saint-Girons > Bagnères-de-Bigorre, 165km. Dan Martin, file under ‘Big’

This season, Dan Martin has dispelled any doubts about whether he was ‘doing a Danielson’ and being a ‘coming man’ for year after year – Catalunya, la Doyenne and now a Tour stage mean that we can file British Cycling’s biggest ‘one that got away’ firmly under ‘Big.’

At Random

The VV View: Lance, Liggett, hypocrisy, hearsay and – rear mechs?

The last time I wrote on this subject my pal ‘Denis from Montreal’ said; ‘Hood should stick to derailleur reviews.’ But you have to give grudging respect to any man that still refers to a rear mech as a ‘derailleur.’ Least I be accused of practicing ‘Omerta’ here’s what’s on my mind regarding a certain cycling commentator and his much criticised views on LanceGate..

Evan Oliphant – 2nd Overall in the Bikeline Two-Day

Wick's Evan Oliphant carried on for his Plowman Craven team where Tony Gibb left off at last week's Eddie Soens' Memorial Race, by winning the second stage of the Bikeline two day in North Wales yesterday, and finishing up the two-day race in second overall today. The man in pink and blue won the stage yesterday despite the presence of three of the Rapha team in the finale. VeloVeritas spoke to Evan shortly after his win, and again today once the race was finished.

Jody Warrington – How Riders Can Cope in a ‘Lockdown’

In the overall scheme of the world’s current predicament, guys not being able to race their bikes doesn’t even register but if you’ve been training all winter to realise goals you set yourself for the season and overnight they’re plucked from your grasp it’s not easy to handle. We spoke to one of the most respected coaches in the area, Jody Warrington about how riders can cope with ‘lockdown.’

Janet Birkmyre – 123 National, Worlds and Euro Masters Titles, and Counting!

Janet Birkmyre won’t be a new name to you if you follow Masters racing; the woman has won on a prolific scale but not just as a Master, at UK Elite level too. Here’s her tale...