Warters achieves his winning Mark
Ayr Roads ace is a star turn on a new course
Mark Warters was the man on form when Ayr Roads/ Harry Fairbairn Cycling Club promoted the first twin event in the club’s confined time trial series.
By popular demand, members who had never raced over the 25 mile distance had the opportunity of competing in the 10 or 25 mile distances.
A new course allowed both the 10 and 25 mile events to take place with the same start and finishing points.
The 25 mile course from Loans, took in the A79 as far as the Eglinton Interchange before the first turn and then headed eastwards to the Muirfield Roundabout at Kilmarnock before retracing to the start. Despite having to negotiated numerous roundabouts, some excellent times were recorded.
Best performance came from Warters in 55 minutes 26 seconds, in only his third ever race at the distance. Mark recorded a 56 minute ride in the Scottish National Championships a few weeks ago.
Things look promising for the Roads rider, who is contemplating riding cyclo cross later in the season.
His 55 min ride is a personal best and the fastest in the club so far this season. Second fastest was Alastair McGibbon in 58: 33.
Five other members had never raced the distance before and all put up some excellent times, with Craig Allison going under the hour, in his first ever 25, in 58: 44 and Harry Brawley, knocking at the door with a 1: 00: 33 ride. Other times : Scott Knox 1: 02: 30, Duncan Macarthur 1: 03: 20, John Gemmell 1: 04: 10 and Aileen Fisher 1: 13: 18. The event was also run on a handicap basis to cater for those of differing abilities. Despite this, and with the lowest handicap, Mark also took the handicap award.
The event was hailed as a great success and looks to become a fixture in the club’s confined events series.
Six members opted for the 10 mile distance, which was won by Calum MacDonald in 22: 24. Other times: Jody Gerrard 23: 37, Toni McIntosh 24: 16, Tom Gooding- Hill 25: 02, Mike McClelland 26: 01, Tony Garnett 27: 19.
Meanwhile, Roads first year senior Iain Fisher has now been recategorised to category three status, having secured his points in various road racing events in England.
Beth Macrae’s next road race is in Southport this week where she competes in the Twin Lakes Road Race at Southport. Meanwhile, due to roadworks the Scottish National 50 mile TT due to take place on Sunday, has been postponed until early August.
That did not deter the Ayr club from getting out on Saturday. With glorious weather a group headed to Arran, where they took in the figure of eight loop of the island, logging just under 100 miles.
Other outstanding runs last week, included Andrew Kent’s run of 130 miles on a single day and Craig Robertson, who recorded the biggest weekly mileage of 350, with nearly 20,000 feet of climb. New member Bobby Marr was delighted to record his first ever century run on Saturday, when he did 105 miles for the day.
The midweek group managed two club runs, with the Assel Valley favoured to Pinwherry and Barr and an earlier week run by east Ayrshire byways.
Despite poor weather on Sunday, the Roads club managed out, taking in a circuit by Straiton and the Girvan Valley, before returning by the coast.
Cycle Ayrshire have had a busy week.
Twelve riders gathered for a Twenty’s Plenty Ride from Belleisle last Wednesday, passing Greenan Castle, Auchincruive and St Quivox before finishing at Belleisle.
A 42- mile tour of South and East Ayrshire was completed by a group who left Prestwick Station at the weekend.