New kids on the block for Roads
Youngsters from Ayr Roads/ Harry Fairbairn Cycling Club youngsters were out in force last weekend with Beth Macrae taking part in her first- ever 3- Up Team Time Trial.
With Janet Erskine and Toni McIntosh, the Roads team were third in the ladies event of Musselburgh Road Club’s event.
Beth’s success came on a traditional road bike, without the aerodynamic benefits enjoyed by the main field. The event covered just over 24 miles around a three- lap course of 8.1 miles.
Forty teams of 120 riders signed on at East Saulton village hall for a 1pm start. The machinery was awesome with some bikes worth several thousand pounds.
Dooley’s Cycling Team of Quinn, Clark and Norris were first in 55 minutes 33 seconds. They were the fastest team in all three laps, averaging 27 miles per hour.
Ayr Roads team of Ed Clifton, Alastair McGibbon and Michael Curran finished eighth in 59: 12 with Alex McAllister, Harry Brawley and Jody Gerrard returning 1: 02: 09. Ayr ladies recorded 1: 08: 43.
The winning ladies team of Dooley’s was led by multi Scottish champion Lynsey Curran in an excellent 1: 03: 04.
In his first season as a senior, Iain Fisher, 18, competed in the first of a four series Cyclo Cross event hosted by South Shields CC, where Iain is based. He finished seventh and attracted interest from the host club in joining their Cyclo Cross Team.
Meanwhile, junior Jonathon Hilbourne and 19- year- old Martin Lindsay accompanied Alex McAllister on Sunday for the Velo Vitesse club’s 13 mile Time Trial at Kilwinning.
Alex secured the first veteran’s prize for the club in 31: 39. Martin recorded 34: 10 and Jonathon 36: 02. Winner was David Griffiths in 28: 46.
The event was Jonathon’s first- ever Time Trial while Martin had ridden only one open time trial before and that was the Icebreaker 2- Up two weeks ago. In his first season with the club, he improved his PB at the ten mile distance to 24: 31. Both are now set for the Galston Hilly Time Trial.
Paul Rodwell rode the Don Smith Memorial Reliability event on the long route of 67 miles, where he finished in the main group.
Beth Macrae rode the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth reliability event of just over 50 miles.
The midweek brigade logged 55 miles on northern roads by Neilston and the Harelaw Dam. Sunday’s outing had 14 members on a perfect day when they clocked up over 60 miles by way of Straiton and the Girvan Valley returning by the coast road.
Ayr Burners Cycling QTS made good use of favourable conditions to scale one of the highest roads in Scotland.
Starting from Sanquhar, the Mennock Pass would be the first ascent of the day with the real test awaiting on the slope’s Green Lowther Hill.
The summit at 1500 ft gave stunning views across Southern Scotland and beyond before the fast descent back to Wanlockhead. The return route to Sanquhar was via the trails of the Southern Upland Way, with a grand total of 3500 feet of ascent in only 25 miles clocked up.
This Sunday, Burners embark on an Everesting attempt on the Nic o’the Balloch. Riders will have an eye watering 8848 metres to cover in only four hours which will gain them the equivalent height of Mount Everest. Details at www. ayrburners. org
CTC Ayrshire have a main ride on Sunday starting from Kirkoswald and heading for Barr with some significant climbing before and after lunch. Details at www. cycleayrshire. co. uk