Ayr Roads take on an uphill task
Ayr Roads/ Harry Fairbairn Cycling Club staged their annual hill climb championship when 13 club members took on the Carwinshoch climb over Brown Carrick Hill.
The timekeepers got the seeding spot on, with Ed Clifton winner over the past two years, last man off.
Nonetheless, in the club’s Ballycoach climb earlier in the season, Clifton took third place against his team mates, Calum MacDonald and Graham McLeod who finished second and third respectively.
Charlotte Robb, in her first ever hill climb and suffering from a cold was first over the line with an impressive time of five minutes, 59 seconds.
Next was young Ollie Kelly the club’s twelve year old ‘ pocket rocket’, who was hoping to get under five minutes to beat his best time for the course.
He did, with a four minute, 13 second ride and in doing so caught and passed his father Robert.
It was down to the last three seeded riders, with Graham McLeod coming in first with a sub four minute ride in 3: 55.
Second last man was Calum MacDonald who came in with a 3: 25. Ed Clifton came in with a stunning time of 3: 13 for the course.
It was his fastest time over the past three years and earned him the Club Hill Climb Championship for 2018.
Following the hill climb, the club headed over Carrick Hill en route for a well earned tea stop at Straiton, before heading homewards via Dalrymple and Loch Martnaham.
The hill climb is the last of the club’s events for 2018 and will determine the standings of the League Championship, with the final club championships placings still to be finalised.
Next week end seven club members will be competing along with the best time trialists Scotland has to offer in the Tour de Trossachs.
This classic 28 mile Hilly Time Trial is a favourite end of season event and will be the first time for many years that the Roads Club has had such a good representation.