Alison cycles to national championships podium
North Argyll’s Alison Roger powered to a second placed finish at the Scottish National 50 Mile Championships Time Trial last weekend, writes Finn Nixon.
It was an early start on Sunday (July 2) for the North Argyll Cycle Club (NACC) rider as she made her way over to North-east Scotland for a 6am race in blustery conditions.
Alison said: “I was delighted to get on the podium as it was a really tough headwind for the first 25 miles out. There was the benefit of the tailwind on the way back, but it was a constant battle on the way out.
“For the last five to six miles there was a horrific headwind, and a few climbs on that section of the route made it such a slog because I was quite fatigued by that point.”
The time trial started near Kinneff in Aberdeenshire and took the riders north to just outside Stonehaven, before they were directed southwards along the A90 dual carriageway.
They tackled this road for around 20 miles in both directions, turning back on themselves just shy of the Strathcathro Services, before a last push into the southerly headwind to Kinneff.
Alison said that the dualled section was “quite daunting”, but that the “surface was good and it wasn’t too busy” due to the early hour.
She added: “It was nice and well organised event, with a nice bunch of people. My next event is a triathlon on the east coast of Scotland.”
The race also doubled up as an opportunity for Alison to prepare for the European Middle Distance Aquabike Championships, which will involve a 90 kilometre cycle and a two kilometre swim.
She will be representing Team Great Britain at the multi-sport event, which will take place in Menen, Belgium on Sunday August 27
With only eight weeks to go until Alison travels to Belgium, she has set her sights on tapering and in spending some time in the open water to ensure she is prepared.