VeloVeritas

Why Not Take the Race to the People! (1)

The Scottish road race; a nice day, a good course – past the village green at Denholm is cool – well marshalled, a full field.

But why start 30 minutes late; why is it so difficult to get a start sheet and why not take it into Hawick, each lap – past the pubs ?

Preview – The Scottish National 25 Mile Time Trial Championships (0)

Organiser Isobel Smith is certainly hoping the recent run of fine weather continues for her race on Sunday morning, the Scottish 25 Mile Time Trial Championships.

Promoted by Aberdeen & District CA, and held on the fast AB25/8 course, with Arthur Doyle (Dooleys RT) and Peter Ettles (Forres CC), first and second at the recent 10 Mile Time Trial Champs competing, chased by fourth-placed Mark Atkinson (Sandy Wallace Cycles) it looks like it’ll be a good contest.

Scottish Hill Climb Championships (0)

On a mild but blustery day on the north side of the Ochil Hills, Ben Abrahams (equipe Velo Ecosse – Montpeliers ) finally realised some of his potential and gave new team sponsors Harley Haddow engineering and Warners solicitors value for money with a surprise 17 second win in the Scottish Hill Climb Championship.

The Glasgow Grand Prix (0)

The Tour of Britain’s penultimate stage departed from Glasgow Green today, taking the peloton south to the beautiful setting of Drumlanrig Castle in the Southern Uplands.

The Glasgow Grand Prix took advantage of the closed circuit and the watching crowds, with two events following immediately after the ToB departure.

Scottish 12 Hour Time Trial Championships (0)

Steve Beech has ridden two Milk Races and ten 12 hour races, so when he tells you that this year’s Scottish ’12′ was the hardest one he’s ever ridden, he knows what he’s talking about.

He’s also held the Scottish record, with 275.258 miles – set in the Glasgow 12 in 1991, until Joe Wilson updated it; that distance is however, still the Scottish vets record.

The Scottish Road Race Championships (0)

“Yeah, I’m happy to have won, but I’m not happy at having to go back to Yorkshire again – I just came from there, last night! And I’m sick of eating pies!”

The words of Plowman Craven professional Evan Oliphant after successfully defending the Scottish road race title on a deceptively tough course over 81 miles of the beautiful rolling Borders country around historic Hawick.

Scottish 50 Mile Time Trial Championships (0)

“Given my record of bad luck in 50′s, when I heard that the course had been changed, I expected to end up in the Cromarty Firth at the turn, checking out the dolphins!”

But Mark Atkinson successfully avoided that fate to take his third Scottish 50 title; leading Sandy Wallace team mates, second placed Jonathan Copp and fifth placed Ian Black, to take a double championship win on a bright but cool and windy Sunday morning on the A9 near Invergordon.

Scottish 25 Mile Time Trial Championships (0)

Recording exactly the same time – 52:15 – as the last occasion he won the 25 title, in 2005, Fort William’s Mark Atkinson (Sandy Wallace Cycles) regained his crown on a cool and windswept Laurencekirk by-pass on Sunday morning.

VeloVeritas correctly tipped the top three, but got the order wrong. We had Mark down to win ahead of Dooley’s duo, Arthur Doyle and Gary Robson, but a personal best 52:46 by Robson gave him the silver by nine seconds from Doyle.

Scottish National 25 Mile Time Trial Championship: Preview (0)

The only thing that is certain about Sunday’s National 25 Championship, is that there will be a new champion.

Reigning champion, Jason Macintyre was snatched from us before we saw the very best of him; we miss you, Jason.

Sunday morning’s championship is organised by Isobel Smith on the rolling dual carriageways of the A90 near Strathcathro Services between Dundee and Aberdeen. The start is near Fordoun, just a mile or two from Arbuthnott – Lewis Grassick Gibbon country.

Scottish 10 Mile Time Trial Championships (0)

On a Sunday morning as close to perfect as we’ll get in Scotland, Arthur Doyle (Dooleys) did what most people had expected and took the Scottish ten mile championship over the A811, Kippen Flats, equalling Graeme Obree’s 20-13 course record. If Arthur’s first time trial championship win went to form, then the destination for rest of the medals was much less predictable.

Scottish Cyclo-Cross Championships (0)

Craig Hardie (Dunfermline CC) disproved the old adage that; “a good big ‘un, will always beat a good little ‘un,” when the 37 year-old from Dalgety Bay left his much-taller rival Dan Whitehead several lengths back to win the Scottish Cyclo-Cross Championships today on a snowy and technical circuit at Plean Country Park.

Scottish Hill Climb Championships (0)

It took Jason MacIntyre (Edge RT) just 3 minutes and 37 seconds to win his fifth Scottish individual time trial championship of the 2007 season; at Bonnyton Moor on a dreich Sunday afternoon, the hill climb was duly added to the 10, 25, TTT and circuit TT, in the bleak country above Eaglesham.

Scottish Olympic Time Trial Championships (0)

Showing he’s lost none of the form which would have kept David Millar (Saunier Duval) in Slipstream Argyle pattern — rather than the red and blue hoops of British champion — in time trials next year (had the Fort William man’s front tyre not exploded), Jason MacIntyre (Edge RT) put more than four minutes into second placed Arthur Doyle (Ivy CC) in Sunday’s Scottish Olympic time trial championship over 27 technical miles at Irvine.

Scottish Olympic Time Trial Championships: Preview (0)

Fullerton Wheelers present the Olympic TT Championships this weekend, with double British TT Champion Jason MacIntyre (Edge RT) starting number 39 and last off, in a small field which all the same contains a lot of quality riders.

Scottish Criterium Championships, Glasgow Green (0)

It was like one of those American cop movies, where the old detective takes the young buck under his wing and together they buck the system – veteran Andrew Davies (the bicycleworks) and junior Hamish Creber (Sandy Wallace) rode away from the field in the opening laps of Saturday’s Scottish criterium championships at Glasgow Green, with the wily Davies taking the gold medal, one hour later, in front of a big crowd, there to see the finale of the Tour of Britain.