Ythan CC confined 10m TT – Tuesday 3rd Sept
The last club TT of the season saw the confined course record broken in both the men’s and women’s races. The times of the fastest riders in each category on the B9000 Pitmedden course were:
Alan Smith 23:03 – 18 seconds faster than the previous TT
Mike Giles 23:50
Steve Rae 25:13
Jenny Noble 26:10 – 60 seconds faster than the previous TT
Carol Middleton 26:56
Wendy Gault 27:36
Youth
Robert Smart 31:30
Cairngorm Race Weekend
Saturday 7th – Sunday 8th September
Cairngorm Cycle Club hosted five events over the weekend, with Saturday featuring the non-standard 14m (22km) Mackie Trophy time trial and the Cairngorm hill-climb.
Alan Smith lined up in the Mackie Trophy, which started at the Rothiemurchus tennis court and headed towards Aviemore and Kincraig, before turning left and returning to the start via the Loch Insh water sports centre and Loch an Eilein. The route was described on the entry as a lovely, twisting and technical course, requiring careful riding, which proved true on all counts, with the overnight rain adding an extra challenge. Smith managed to secure 9th place with a time of 33:15, behind winner Wilson Renwick, who finished in 29:27.
No Ythanites entered the second event of the weekend, a hill climb from the Rothiemurchus tennis club to the ski station, which was won for the second year by Kyle Beattie.
Smith and Jenny Noble lined up for the Kincraig 10m TT on Sunday morning, an out-and-back course starting and finishing at Kincraig with a turn at Kingussie. Cold conditions and a testing headwind greeted the riders for the outward leg, but the tailwind made for a fast return. Jenny Noble secured an excellent 2nd place in the women’s race, returning in a time of 25:45, 23 seconds behind race winner Michelle Esson on Forres CC.
Alan Smith finished in 10th place in a PB time for the course of 22:41. Overall winner was Adam Wild of GS Metro in a time of 20:06.
Kath Thomson lined up in the Scottish Cycling National Veteran Women’s RR Championships. The race covered three loops of a circuit starting in Kincraig, taking in Kingussie and Ruthven Barracks, with a return on the undulating course along the narrow roads round Loch Insh before tackling the fearsome 11% kick into Kincraig. Kath went to finish in 18th place.
Dukes Weekender
Saturday 7th – Sunday 8th September
Aberfoyle was the place to be for the Dukes Weekender cycling festival, comprising a hill climb up Dukes Pass, a kids’ enduro and a gravel enduro.
The gravel enduro was described as a beautiful 70km loop on the UK’s finest gravel riding – a social ride mixed with a minimum of 6 competitive timed stages. The incredible route weaves around the stunning lochs and glens of the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park.
Mike Giles competed in all 6 stages and finished in 78th place with a split time of +5:40:52, out of 288 finishers.
Methlick Junior Cycle Challenge
Sunday 8th September
A number of Ythan CC youths were in action in the hills around the Skelmonae wind farm as part of the Methlick Junior Cycle Challenge. Once again scores of young riders from across the North-east enjoyed the well-organised, family friendly event. Gavin and Eilidh Gronkowski collected medals for top placed finishes.
Pedal for Scotland
Robert Smart and Catherine Smart completed the 45-mile Pedal for Scotland Challenge, cycling from Glasgow to Edinburgh on Sunday 8th September. A great day was had by all, in what was the final year of the event.
Photo
Gavin Gronkowski celebrates as he crosses the line in the Methlick Junior Cycle Challenge. Photo courtesy of WinnyGronk Photography.