Ayrshire gets set for UK Time Trial
County riders prepare for national bike ride
It’s a busy time for Ayrshire cyclists at the moment.
The 25 mile relatively flat course of The Circuit of Loch Ken was well supported by Ayrshire teams last Sunday, when over 70 competitors assembled at the picturesque village of New Galloway with five Ayrshire teams competing.
The strong contingent from the Glasgow clubs were race favourites, both for individual and team awards.
The fastest Ayrshire team was the Loudoun Road Club who beat the Ayr Roads/ Harry Fairbairn team by 58 seconds. The Ayr Roads pair of Alex McAllister and John McKie, however, were rewarded with a first and third place in their race category.
The times for the Ayr Roads contingent were led by Calum in a time of 1.02.27 closely followed by Alex in 1.02.31; Harry Brawley; 1.05.22; John McKie 1.05.31; Archie Arthur 1.08.41 and John Gemmell 1.11.02.
The fastest Ayrshire rider was Mark Skilling of Carrick CC in a time of 58: 37.
Meanwhile, the weekend saw The Roads Club taking to the hills, in preparation for the Ayrshire Alps Sportive next week, when seven members recorded a century ride that included The Mennock Pass and a stop for re- fuelling at the highest pub in Scotland, before returning to home roads via Crawfordjohn.
Ayr Roads own Man o’ Miles, Dave Allan also logged a day run of over 100 miles, when he took in the Newton Stewart circuit, returning via the Knowe and Girvan.
TT Championships in two weeks’ time, the GRT Team will be hoping to perform well against Britain’s best.
Irvine will host the Cycling Time Trials British National 10 Mile Championship over the weekend of September 1st and 2nd.
Many of the best riders in the UK will descend on the Eglinton course to race against the clock over 10 miles.
Some of the riders have recently brought home medals from the 2018 Commonwealth games in Australia, and some others competing for their country at the recent European Championships in Glasgow. British stars Hayley Simmonds and Harry Tanfield will ride, along with local hopeful and Commonwealth Games medallist John Archibald.
In total there will be 85 juveniles, juniors and women racing on the Saturday morning, and 145 men taking part on the Sunday morning.
This is the first time ever that the championship has been held in Scotland.
A Scottish district of the CTT was created in 2016, and as a result the championship has been brought to Scotland to showcase what Scotland has to offer in terms of facilities and organisation. The race was awarded to a joint application from Fullarton Wheelers and Ayr Roads/ Harry Fairbairn cycling clubs to run the race on the well established Eglinton 10 course.
The course utilises the A78, heading Southbound from Elginton Interchange to the Papermill roundabout, where the riders turn to head back for the second half of the course.