The Scottish Hill Climb Championships
On the cold windswept shoulder of Fife's East Lomond, Arthur Doyle (Dooleys RT) moved up one podium position from last season to claim the Scottish Hill Climb Championship on Sunday morning.
Fastest woman Mari Todd (Sandy Wallace Cycles) took the single gear choice, using 39 x 21, to easily secure first place and lead her team to a clean sweep of the podium, making the Women's team Championships an easy calculation. Said the new champ after her first ever hill climb;
"I came down yesterday planning to use 39 x 19 but when I saw the hill I thought I better get the 21 on!"
The 2009 Hill Climb Mens' Podium.
Without any doubt however, the ride of the day was from 15 year old Olympic Development Programme rider Grant Ferguson - Arthur's team mate - who took the bronze medal in the senior race, missing gold by a handful of seconds.
As we left Edinburgh the outlook was quite fair, blue skies above, although cooler than it had been earlier in the week.
However, as we crossed the Forth Bridge we could see the bank of cloud hugging the 'Paps of Fife,' and as we took position about half a mile from the finish it was clear that Sandy Gilchrist's course record of 6.30 would be safe as a stiff South Easterly wind whipped across the long finishing straight.
Some posh kit was on show today.
With last years winner, Ben Abrahams (Equipe Velo Ecosse) not defending his title, no clear favourite stood out, and the medals could have gone to any one of half-a-dozen riders on the start sheet.
Only once we got back to Falkland village hall and the result board would we see just how close it was.
Most riders chose to ride geared road bikes with only a handfull of competitors using 'fixed', although the hill probably favours the single gear option with long sections of steady gradient.
The 2009 Hill Climb Womens' Podium.
Mari has been doing a lot of pursuit training through the season due to the split of the Scottish and European Champs, but decided to give the British a miss due to family commitments.
Looking very smooth up the hill, she was clearly set for the top step of the womens'
Grant Ferguson.
podium.
Of the other early riders Kristoff Aksnes (Glasgow Wheelers) looked one of the best, until only a few minutes later Ferguson swung into view visibly faster, showing great purpose which has already seen him capture the British MTB champs and a Belgian kermis this season. No mean feat for a young lad from Peebles;
"I had nothing left at the top but when it's just a few seconds you wonder if you could have put a bit more focus in and possibly won it?
"I won the recent Cairgorm HC and set a new record for the Stow climb in a local club event and had targeted this Championship.
"I've picked up a 1st and 4th in Belgian kemises, and also won an MTB event over there this year, so all-in-all I feel very pleased with my season.
"I hope to ride more road races next season when I turn Junior."
Even as the the seeded riders came through it looked as though the youngster may win the day with the time checks down to only a matter of seconds - indeed, he was only pipped by the last two riders, Gordon McBride (Sandy Wallace Cycles) and Arthur.
McBride recently won a club event on the same ascent by a single second over Phil Brown (Equipe Velo Ecosse), who had to settle for 5th on the day; both riders beat Doyle into 3rd place on that occasion.
Gordon McBride.
However, today was the Dooleys RT rider's day. As he powered past our viewpoint we had him ten seconds ahead; his long lean body may not have coped with the strong cross wind finish but he held on to take his first hill climb gold medal.
With only three seconds covering the podium, and 20 seconds covering the first seven riders, this was easily the tightest hill climb championships for a number of years.
At the presentation a big round of thanks was paid to organiser Sandy Wallace for stepping in to run the Championship after the Edinburgh Road Club pulled out.
He was repaid with a very good field in a well run race, as well as picking up the men's and women's team medals.
Result
1. Arthur Doyle Snr Dooleys RT 7.21
2. Gordon McBride Snr Sandy Wallace Cycles 7.23
3. Grant Ferguson Yth Dooleys RT 7.24
4.Seb Batchelor Snr Sandy Wallace Cycles 7.26
5. Phil Brown Snr Velo Ecosse 7.35
6. Kristoff Aksnes Snr Glasgow Wheelers 7.39
7. Liam Cowie Snr Granite City 7.41
8. Graeme Neagle Snr Glasgow Wheelers 7.50
9. Jonathan Copp Snr Sandy Wallace Cycles 7.54
10. David Martin Snr The Bicycle Works 7.55
11. Kyle Gordon Snr Square Wheels 7.57
12. Jon Kelly Snr GS Metro 8.05
13. Dougie Young Snr Glasgow Wheelers 8.13
14. Ali Begbie Vet Unattached 8.19
15. Peter Sammon Snr Sandy Wallace Cycles 8,22
16. Michael Butcher Yth Sandy Wallace Cycles 8.28
17. Matthew Ball Vet West Lothian Clarion 8.32
18. David Caesar Snr The Bicycle Works 8.35
19. Keith Smith Snr Glasgow Wheelers 8.38
20. Silas Goldsworthy Snr Sandy Wallace Cycles 8.40
21. John Paterson Snr Dumfries CC 8.42
22. Cameron Balfour Yth Peebles CC 8.43
23. Mari Todd Ldy Sandy Wallace Cycles 8.47
24. Andrew Nicel Snr Velo Ecosse 8.54
25. Andrew Davies Vet The Bicycle Works 8.59
26. Scott Johnstone Snr Team Icarus 9.04
27. Alan McCaffery Snr Square Wheels 9.06
28. Kenny Kentley Vet Velo Ecosse 9.12
29. Scott Patterson Snr Sandy Wallace Cycles 9.30
30. Findlay Young Jnr Velo Ecosse 9.32
31. Gillian Palmer Ldy Sandy Wallace Cycles 9.45
32. Stuart Balfour Yth Peebles CC 10.03
33. Sharon Doyle Ldy Sandy Wallace Cycles 10.30
34. Neil Patterson Yth Sandy Wallace Cycles 10.45
35. Mhairi Mitchell Ldy Velo Ecosse 11.31
Mens' Championship
1. Arthur Doyle Dooleys RT 7.21
2. Gordon McBride Sandy Wallace Cycles 7.23
3. Grant Ferguson Dooleys RT 7.24
Team
Sandy Wallace Cycles: Gordon McBride, Jonathan Copp, Peter Sammon 23.39 (Sebastian Batchelor was not eligible for the team as he had ridden for Halfords earlier in the year)
Womens' Championship
1, Mari Todd Sandy Wallace Cycles 8.47
2. Gillian Palmer Sandy Wallace Cycles 9.45
3, Sharon Doyle Sandy Wallace Cycles 10.30
Team
Sandy Wallace Cycles: Mari Todd & Gillian Palmer 18.32
Youths' Championship
1. Grant Ferguson Dooleys RT 7.24
2. Michael Butcher Sandy Wallace Cycles 8.28
3. Cameron Balfour Peebles CC 8.43
Team
Peebles CC: Cameron & Stuart Balfour 18.46
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