On a rain sodden but mild and fast Sunday morning on the A90 Dundee to Aberdeen dual carriageway, starting and finishing at Forfar, Kyle Gordon (RT23) added to his Scottish 10 Mile TT Title with a rapid 48:53 to win the Scottish 25 Mile TT Championship 2019 crown from jockey-turned-bike-rider, former Olympic TT Champion, Wilson Renwick (unattached) on 49:16 and former Hill Climb Champion, David Griffiths (Bioracer-Moriarty Bikes) with 49:24.
Backed by Alan Thomson – sixth with 51:10 and Alistair Munro – 14th on 52:25, Gordon also led the winning team.
The Ladies title went to Catriona MacGilvray (RT23) who returned a cracking 55:02 to beat pre-race favourite Vicky Smith (Aerocoach) on 55:25 and Mireille Captieux (Dooleys) 1:00:48.
Pamela Craig’s 1:01:24 backed MacGilvray to the team title.
Kyle Cartmell added to RT23’s good day, recording 55:25 to take the junior award.
Fastest youth with an excellent 54:13 ride was Daniel Kain (Squadra Scozzese) achieved on good old fixed wheel.
But with just one junior and three youths on the start sheet it doesn’t bode well for the future of short distance time trialling in Scotland.
If the ‘10’ Champs were cold, this one was wet.
But it was dry when we arrived at the start and watched Daniel Kain launch his Cervélo onto a dual carriageway where the traffic was still light – but it would build as the morning went on.
Pamela Craig was a little more conservative in here starting efforts but would end the day as team counter for RT23’s winning effort.
Catriona MacGilvray was looking focussed as she started her effort and would end the day winner with a splendid 55:02.
Vicky Smith’s 55:25 was a cracking ride too but not good enough today.
This day belonged to MacGilvray just outside the 54 minute mark on 55:02.
We parked up a few miles up the road as the rain began and kept our promise of snapping Jim Petrie (Dundee Wheelers) after we missed him at the ‘10’ champs.
Unfortunately, we believe he punctured later and was DNF?
Ewan Taylor (Velocity 44 RT) caught our eye as looking the part; he’d end the day on 54:37.
Maybe I’m getting old and ‘faird but the sight of riders jousting with Scanias in heavy spray is a tad scary for my liking; Stephen Makin (Falkirk Bicycle Club) en route 57:29, the man in the picture.
We liked the braking set up on the BMC of Ken Thomson (Dunfermline CC) – very aero – on his way to 57:57.
Our next stop was just past Finavon Doocot where the smell of frying bacon at the caff was too much for us, so if we missed you during our coffee and black pudding roll stop then please accept our apologies – we did get our comeuppance however, 12 quid for two coffees and two rolls…
We rattled off a few more snaps there before we headed for the turn and the hope of drier conditions.
Edward Atkinson (Elgin CC) eventual 58:05 had just caught his minute man, Derek Skinner (Fullarton Wheelers) 1:00:02.
The flyover turn was just as wet as our laybys but accepting our fate and sticking the camera in a plastic carrier, we bit the bullet.
Alasdair Munro, the RT23 third team counter was one of the first to pass, looking tidy.
Iain MacLeod (Aberdeen Wheelers) definitely looked the part, we didn’t have watches on the go because we were moving around but you can usually tell on visual who’s going well – he’d stop the clock at 50:12 for eventual fourth place.
Craig Duncan (Andrew Allan Architecture) was on top of it but ended the day in Harry Tweed’s van after a ‘mechanical.’
‘Back in the day’ I used to go to races with Andrew Allan’s dad, Sandy – it was a simpler life back then; watts per kilo, eh?
A rare picture this one, Carlos Riise (Shetland Wheelers) 54:47 about to get caught by Ian Dobbie (West Lothian Clarion) 53:06.
Not a man who would get caught very often a year or two ago.
David Beattie (Hawick CC) was ‘getting it all out’ over the flyover and would be rewarded with a 52:17 at the line.
Musselburgh’s Andrew Scott would finish seventh with 51:19 but the autofocus on the camera was more interested in the man he’d just caught for three minutes, Darren Carruthers (Glasgow Green CC) who recorded an eventual 57:00.
It wasn’t a great day for taking pictures but ‘sorry’ anyway, Andrew.
Ross Thomson (Bioracer Moriarty Bikes) had good form over the flyover and would finish an eventual ninth in 51:44.
One spot behind him in 10th spot in the final reckoning with 51:59 was Andrew Underwood (COG Velo)
Good to see a Thistle man in the mix, Stewart Irving would take 11th spot for the promoting club with 52:05.
Silver medallist Wilson Renwick stayed in the tuck all the way round, conscious of those lost watts when you leave the aero position.
By now our start sheet was past it’s best and we hoped it would hold out for the last starters.
Alan Thomson wasn’t enjoying the ramp up and over the carriageway but the pain was worth it for a 51:10 and his place in the winning team.
Traffic was light when he re-joined the carriageway for the splash back to the finish.
David Griffiths was third on the day with 49:24 – a historic time that; it was 1978 when King Alf Engers recorded 49:24 to dip inside the 30 mph barrier for the first time and underline his status as the greatest 25 miler of all time.
And I’ll need to speak to Dan Bigham about the aero impact of beards – would it cost you eight seconds over 40 kilometres?
Fast man Jamie Davidson (Bioracer Morirarty) was a no-show – a bad tummy due to an improperly cleaned feeding bottle, Kyle Gordon would tell us later.
Former 10 mile TT Champion, Liam Beattie next but he was taking an awful long time to appear up the ramp – and there was the reason for that, a crash where he exited the carriageway.
Sore one!
He finished eighth in 51:38 but we reckon he lost at least a minute.
Last man, Mr. Gordon didn’t disappoint, blasting over the ramp in the tuck.
We poured ourselves, unhappy camera and soggy start sheet into the car and headed for the finish, stopping off in a lay-by to snap Gordon’s rapid progress.
Beattie had succumbed to the Alness Flyer but was still getting on with the job.
We just made the finish in time to see Gordon sit up for the first time in 48 minutes.
We hope to bring you an interview with him in the next few days.
A ‘well done’ to all who braved the rain on this miserable – albeit quick morning – and if I do comeback there’ll be no ‘leg fairings’ but there will definitely be a bright rear light…
See you at the ‘50’?
