Scottish Champion, 24 year old Logan Maclean (unattached) took a fine win in the Gifford Road Race on Saturday March 15th, outsprinting ex-Zappi man Alexander Ball (BCC Race Team) and Noah Bleteau (Paris Cycliste Olympique) after a hard-fought 120-kilometre battle on the rolling East Lothian roads on a rather chilly but beautifully sunny Saturday afternoon.
The winning move formed with three laps to go, Maclean forcing the split along with Ball, Bleteau, and James Jobber (Hurricane & Thunder CT).
The quartet worked well to distance the bunch, and when it came to the gallop, Maclean proved strongest, powering up the drag to the line to take victory in round one of the Scottish National Alba Series.
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The first road race of the Scottish season always brings attacking racing and this year’s edition is exception.
The race set off under quite cool but dry and sunny conditions and when we see the riders for the first time on their first lap on the gentle slope past Upper Bolton Farm, they are apparently riding themselves into the mood – it’s gruppo compato.
The early skirmishes begin not long afterwards, and on the next lap at the same spot we see our pal Alistair MacLean of the N.E.G. letting two riders, Sam Chisholm (Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT) and Toby Tanfield (Leadout Performance) know their gap.
This time around there is noticeably less chat and more heavy breathing from the peloton.
We spot Jack Rees (Moonglu SpatzWear), who we got to know when running the Ribble-Weldtite Team Journal.
Going through Bolton a lap later, the lead two are still clear, Yorkshireman Tanfield looking strong and measured, with a nice position on the bike.
Chisholm too looks to be riding well within himself whilst Tanfield’s teammate Ross Turner is on his own, chasing determinedly and eventually bridging across to the front two on the following lap.
A minute back, future winner Logan Maclean is comfortable in the bunch as they rocket through the small hamlet of Bolton, where, I notice, the beautiful parish church is remarkably for sale.
This church, built in the early 1800’s is (somewhat) famous for having Robert Burns’ sister, brother and mother buried there. Burns’ brother, Gilbert played a part in the church’s construction.
Our next photo spot is at the foot of the long, fast descent called Cockles Brae next to Cockles Smiddy, where the occupants suggest they don’t recognise The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the right of responsible access…
As the leading trio hurtle down the brae towards me two chasers appear over the top in the distance, only around 30 seconds behind.
Ex-Musselburgh RCC man Oliver Pemberton, now with Vanelli-Project Go leads Matti Dobbins, the Scottish Road Champion in 2022 in pursuit of the break.
Interesting to note that Dobbins switched his affiliated Nationality last year and rode for Ireland on the track.
Nice to see Jack Rees in a small group of six riders is just off the front of the bunch which has split into several parts, but the feeling is it’s all going to come together; they’re only 20-odd seconds behind Dobbins and Pemberton and the front three can be seen on these long straights too.
We stop a little further round the course against race-direction to catch the riders on their sixth lap, just up the road from the famous East Lothian “Chippendale International School of Furniture” where an old pal of mine from our days together in IT, Fiona Gilfillan now works as a Course Tutor.
The lead has, as predicted, changed. Now we have Struan Shaw (Tofauti Every1) and Henry Hunter (Kendal CC) giving it a dig.
Still with a little energy from his earlier escape attempt, #30 Oliver Pemberton leads the first bunch in close pursuit.
There a several other smaller bunches which won’t see the front of the race again today.
The decisive move goes clear not long after this, on the seventh lap.
It was Logan Maclean who forced the selection, launching a searing attack on the slight rise through Gifford town centre that only Alexander Ball (BCC Race Team), Noah Bleteau (Paris Cycliste Olympique), and James Jobber (Hurricane & Thunder CT) could eventually match.
Behind, the bunch splintered into several chase groups, but the leaders had the legs and the cohesion to stretch their gap beyond a minute.
Several efforts were made to close the gaps but no team or individual had the firepower to bring them back.
With the race now a four-up battle for the win, tactics came into play. Jobber, knowing he wasn’t the fastest in a sprint, tried to slip away on the final lap but was marked out.
That just left the sprint and as they crested the final rise towards the finish Bleteau made the first move.
Ball responded, drawing level, but Maclean had timed it perfectly, kicking hard and driving to the line, arms aloft as he claimed a deserved win, a bike length clear of Ball, fourth in last year’s Beaumont Trophy.
The win confirms Stirlingshire rider Maclean’s class once again – he’s got the Scottish Champion’s stripes on his jersey for a reason, and it follows considerable challenges which included a pretty tough stint with the AG2R-Citroën u23 team in 2023, and a difficult time recovering from a broken back before that. Despite these setbacks and with the season now underway he’s clearly the man to beat in the Alba Series.
