When
Scotland had a National Stage Race: Part 1 - The Amateur Years
Saturday 28th October, 2007
by Alastair Hamilton
In a
recent article about the Tour de Trossachs I became side-tracked
on to the year 1978 and mentioned, amongst other things, the Scottish
Milk Race. Back then we had a National Stage Race and for quite a
few years before and after. Here I have a look at a few editions of
the Milk Race and the Scottish Health Race, where Scotland managed
to have a home win with Jamie McGahan in 1983.
Start of the Milk Race, Glasgow City Chambers.
Early 60's.
Now before I start, please remember this is not
a chronological history of Scottish stage races, it’s just a
simple ramble down memory lane and I do know that there is the Girvan
and the Tour of the Kingdom, but they are / were not National. So
if you want to write in and point out inaccuracies or omissions, please
do, but I’m not going to let ignorance or forgetfulness get
in the way of a good reminisce!
Winner of the Scottish Milk Race in 1971 -
John Clewarth (England A).
The Scottish Milk Race
The Milk race started in 1963 as a single day race,
not that I would remember because I was only 4 years old at the time.
It soon became an important international amateur stage race, on occasions
up to seven days duration and eventually, before its demise, it became
a Pro-Am stage race, providing a much needed stage race for the British
pro’s and good experience for home amateur talent.
1971
That was all to come, let’s start with the
first Scottish Milk Race that I remember in 1971. This was a race
of rain, bad luck and came down to two men, Frenchman Claude Aiguesparses
and English rider, John Clewarth.
Start - Glasgow George Square 1971.
The race didn’t look like it would be a classic
edition as the Belgian team had withdrawn leaving only France, Holland,
Italy and Luxembourg to represent continental countries, to make up
the numbers there was six “Home Nation” teams: Scotland
A and B; England A and B; Ireland and Wales.
The continental teams were really sponsored clubs
and the French star Claude Aiguesparses rode for CSM Puteaux - this
was the team that Billy Bilsland had cut his teeth on before turning
professional. Aiguesparses had been second in that year Route de France
behind Regis Ovion and was third in the French National champ, so
he was the possible favorite, if his luck had held out.
Crosing the Tay Bridge 1971.
The first stage from Glasgow to Arbroath ended
in a bunch sprint, but earlier in the stage Clewarth had shown his
hand early by crossing to handy looking break including a young (yes
he was once!) Sandy Gilchrist, Irishman strongman Peter Doyle and
English riders Dailey Dutton and Clarke, this bold attempt failed
but it showed who was going to be doing the racing and Clewarth was
definitely one of them, Doyle won the stage and took the first yellow
jersey.
SMR 1971, Stage 1 break. Doyle (Irl) Gilchrist
(Sco), Clewarth & Duton (Eng A).
Stage two saw a lots of splits on the roads from
Arbroath to Leven, the important one that fought out the sprint included
two Scottish riders, Gilchrist again and Scottish B.A.R. Dennis Mitchell.
This group of ten also included Leader, Doyle, Clewarth and Frenchman
Corbeau, the sprint was won by Kevin Apter of the English B team as
the other Frenchman, Aiguesparses came in 25 seconds later, this was
to prove important later.
Last day break. Dennis Mitchell (Sco), Martinazzo
(It), Daily (GB).
Bad weather was to shape stage three from Dunfermline
to Dunbar. Yesterdays winner, Apter was level on time with Doyle (but
behind on points) and needed to break the Irishman.
He managed to get away at 35 miles out with two
English “A” men, Dutton and Thomas, Frenchman Corbeau
and Van Dongen from Holland, these six were chasing a group with Daily
and Aiguesparses.
It was all to go wrong for Apter on the climb out
of Gorebridge (now home of Alex Coutts who wasn’t even born
then); his chain came off as Van Dongen split the chasers. Up front
Aiguesparses was making his move with Daily as a passenger. Daily
won the stage after a mix up on the run in to Dunbar, but Aiguesparses
took the yellow jersey and looked strong enough to keep it.
Important break - stage 3, SMR 19'71.
Nothing much happened on stage four from Haddington
to Dumfries, the Frenchman Richard won a two-up sprint from Holland's
Groen, the pair had a lead of five minutes at one point but the Aiguesparses
and Corbeau showed how they had won the French team time trail buy
pulling them back to 11 second by Dumfries.
SMR 1971 Stage 4 winner, Richard, with Pintagirl
Moira and Arthur Campbell.
The last stage was the one that luck came into
play, bad luck for Aiguesparses and good luck for Clewarth. Scottish
rain played a very BIG part in the Frenchman losing what looked like
a safe overall win.
It was a day of attacks through the heavy rain;
the main riders on overall were away battling it out; Corbeau, Aiguesparses,
Clewarth, Apter, Dailey, and Doyle, along with Scotland’s Dennis
Mitchell and any other hardy souls.
With 10 miles to go to the finish in Ayr, Clewarth
attacked and Aiguesparses jumped on his wheel. At this the Englishman
eased and Holland’s Vanvenrooy attacked and Aiguesparses followed
him, but they both crashed on a sharp corner.
The Dutchman was up and away but Aiguesparses wasn’t
as lucky as his bike was wrecked and he had to wait for his spare.
Things were made worse by two Italians crashing into him as he waited.
Vanvenrooy went on to win the stage and Clewarth
stayed with Doyle to take the overall win, Aiguesparses lost nearly
a minute and a half and was 37 seconds down on Clewarth by the finish.
The Frenchman was wet, had torn shorts, was despondent and in tears
- he had lost it all on a rain soaked Ayrshire bend.
The other big loser was Apter, he punctured early
and never saw the break again. He had started the stage in third overall
and had he finished in that position he would have got a 50 pound
prize, but finishing 12th he received £3!
It was one hell of a race, but sad to think that
Britain’s best were shown how to race by some club teams.
Aiguesparses the Frenchman at the finish at
Ayr, lost it all in a moment.
Scottish Milk Race Start - 1976, Glasgow City
Chambers.
1976
We will jump ahead to 1976 as this was the last
year of the all amateur race, but then it was so dominated by the
East Europeans that a change was needed. In 1975 the Polish team with
Ryszard Szurkowski completely dominated, but in 1976 they nearly got
it all their own way.
The 1976 Scottish Milk Race was not a classic version,
it actually bordered on boring, during the first stage from Glasgow
to Leven a break of nine went up the road never to be seen again and
the overall was fought out between them.
In that group was Scotland’s only representative,
Sandy Gilchrist, and proved to be the only home rider to make the
grade against this strong International competition.
On the Crow Road in to the Campsies, Robert Melrose
(Scotland) was unlucky enough to puncture, he got together with the
dropped Alan Beveridge (Young Scotland) and two crashed riders, and
they were to chase all the way to Leven.
The important 1st stage break to Leven.
The lead group's gap grew and grew and by Stirling
(57 miles) they had six minutes fifty seconds. The strongman group
included; Jiri Bartolsic and Ludek Kubias (Czech), Graham Harrison
(Manchester), Roy Taylor and Bob Downs (GB), Sandy Gilchrist (Scotland),
Jan Synowiecki and B. Eben (Poland) and Ronnie Dillen of Belgium.
These nine riders came in to Leven nearly thirteen
minutes ahead of a Paul Sherwen lead bunch. Bartolsic won the stage
and took the Yellow jersey to look after for his team mate, Kubias
who was second on the stage and was to take the lead and keep it to
the finish of the race in Dunbar.
Second stage was from Dundee to Aberdeen, the stage
finished down at the Beach Promenade and was won by Piet Van Kollenburg
of Holland from New Zealander, Paul Jesson. This wasn’t important
to the overall as neither were in that original break.
The next day saw some home riders in the fray,
first Drew Robertson (Young Scotland) and John (Clanky) Clark (Scotland).
Sadly John is no longer with us, but he was a real character - a survivor
of childhood Polio and a stalwart of the Ivy C.C. On a personal note
I learnt more from John about track riding in an hour riding round
Medowbank than I had in the two previous years pretending to be a
trackman.
After the climb of Cairn o’ Mount, Clark
was in a very handy break with Sherwen and Pownall (GB), Ruzark Wawrzuta
(Poland), Scheuneman (Holland), Benny Van Auwera (Belgium) and more
importantly Ludek Kubias (Czech) and Ronnie Dillen (Belgium) from
the first stage were also in the group, when the lead was at 2 minutes
they were the new first and second places on overall classification,
chasing them was a young Irishman by the name of Pat McQuaid, he never
made it across, but he has gone on to other things since.
Kubias took stage and yellow honors and now his
only worry was the young 19 year old Belgian, Dillen, who was at one
minute and fourteen seconds, the race for overall was over for everyone
else.
Jack Swart not in the car! Aluminium Alan,
Cinelli 65's, 36 spokers on Campag s/f - those were the days.
One of the crash victims from stage one got himself
into a bit of trouble later in the race, on the stage from Pitlochry
to Dunfermline. Jack Swart from New Zealand took a lift in a car to
save himself an uphill ride to the start proper after a 10 mile neutralized
zone, he was first disqualified and then reinstated with a five minute
penalty, which wasn’t so important as he was already over an
hour down! Another happening was the loss of a Polish team member
while on a shopping trip in Aberdeen, he eventually turned up in the
tourist information office lost and confused.
The rest of the race was a battle between the teams
of Czechoslovakia and Great Britain for the overall team prize. Kubias
won the next stage in to Dunfermline to defend his yellow jersey.
On the last stage across the Forth Bridge the riders
passed on unhindered, not the race vehicles: they had to pay, ah!
East Coast generosity!
Just before the bridge, Scotsman Graeme Nisbet
got away with Bob Downs (G.B.) and Hrezdira (Czech), and they were
joined by another group including danger men from the first day's
break, Gilchrist and Dillen, so it wasn’t long before the yellow
jersey wearing Kubias appeared too, this in effect taking the sting
out of the lead group and it all came together.
Over the Lothian Hills Hrezdira, who had stayed
away, was joined by two Dutchmen, Prinsen and Scheuneman, and these
three fought out the sprint in front of an enormous crowd in Dunbar
with Scheuneman taking honors.
Ludek Kubias won the last amateur Scottish Milk
Race and Great Britain took the team prize. It wasn’t a great
race for the Scottish teams, but Sandy Gilchrist showed again that
he was the only home rider that could mix it with the best, which
was to soon change with riders like Millar and McGahan on the way
up.
1976 Race winner Ludek Kubias piped in to
Winner's banquet. Note his flared jeans, and what could be cheesecloth
shirt too.
In Part
2 we will look at the first Pro-Am Scottish Milk Races of 1977
and '78 - classic stuff!
