Cycle racing’s summer season slips into autumn
‘Racing is life, everything else is just waiting,’ said Steve McQueen, who was quoted by a Kintyre cycle time trial orgasniser. Kintyre Wheelers Cycling Club’s (KWCC) Robbie Semple made the comment after a tough 10-mile ‘race of truth’ against the clock at Machrihanish’s former airbase and before the second event of the day. Riders faced rain, hail, bright sun reflecting off deep puddles and a sharp wind as they battled for success in the recent event. The race had been planned to take place on the Sunday, before the Rest and Be Thankful was hit by landslides, but Semple changed the day to Saturday, which seemed to have a better forecast. The sudden change was the only rain which marred a perfect autumn afternoon, for the club’s last race, before the winter season of mountain bike events. The usual format was followed with riders making a sighting lap on the anti-clockwise course, three laps of which make up the 10-mile time trial. The weather pegged back the times but Dominic Sharkey, still in top form after a summer’s racing, comfortably beat the September mark, when he was not out, by nearly three minutes, finishing in 26 minutes 50 seconds. Once all the riders were ‘home’ and had warmed up with refreshments from reservist soldier Semple’s ‘battle bus’, he explained the rules of the day’s second event: an Australian pursuit race (APR). Three arbitrary teams were created with Semple leading the first four. Setting off six minutes behind them was another quartet, who soon split when one of their number time trialled off by himself, and bringing up the rear a trio of the fastest at 10 minutes behind the first group. The aim of an APR is to create a bunch sprint at the finish and for the teams to work together, sharing the lead and breaking the wind. Under strict APR rules, aerodynamic aids such as ‘tri-bars,’ which create a much lower riding position are banned. They are dangerous in a group riding situation and may confer an unfair advantage. There was no time to adapt the bikes. After the event, Semple said: ‘Well done to everyone who turned up today. They were not the easiest of conditions but there was some great riding on more than double the normal distance.’ The results were: 10-mile TT: 1 26.50 Dom, 2 26.51 Tetley, 3 27.28 Stephen W, 4 27.44 Alex B, 5 28.00 James, 6 29.06 Iain McG, 7 33.47 Alex S, 8 35.14 Catherine McG, 9 35 .15 Margaret S (2 laps), 10 39.58 Marjorie, 11 39.58 Leone, 49.55 Jan. APR: 1 35.15 Alex B, 2 36.04 Robbie, 3 37.25 Dom, 4 37.43 James, 5 38.07 Tetley, 6 38.24 Iain McG, 7 38.48 Catherine McG, 8 39.09 Stephen W, 9 39.52 Alex S, 10 41.22 Marjorie, 11 41.22 Leone. The first KWCC winter league time trial is at Lussa Loch on Sunday October 28 with registration on the day from 10am. Potential riders should bring a cyclo-cross, mountain or trail bike, helmet, full body cover, waterproof top and eye protection. It is free to KWCC members with the membership fee currently set at £15 per year. Semple said: ‘Due to planning and parking, I need an idea of numbers and if cycling up from town or by vehicle.’ It is possible to enter this information at the page on Campbeltown Cycle Group’s Facebook page.