Elsy Jacobs
There was a very Scottish feel to the Luxembourg double header with no fewer than six Scots on four different teams making the journey to the Grand Duchy.
Saturday’s one-day 112km classic around Garnich, was more focused for the climbers – an early break would gain a sizeable advantage but would be brought back in the final lap with Erin Boothman (Jayco-Liv-AlUla Conti) among those bridging across to key selection.
The Glaswegian would sprint to solid fifth place, Handsling-Alba’s Kate Richardson and DAS-Hutchinson’s Morven Yeoman would be in the remnants of the peloton – with Richardson in 22nd and Yeoman 26th.
Sunday’s 1.1 in Cessange – on the outskirts of Luxembourg City – was a flatter, but still rolling parcours. No early breakaway would establish themselves in the wet conditions.
A group of eight would force their way clear with just over 53 kilometres to go over one of the small climbs. Boothman would be present in that group – which would not hesitate to build the advantage.
Coming into the final few kilometres with a gap exceeding two minutes, the breakaway started to play games with attacks from riders from UAE Development and Visma-Lease A Bike. However, nothing would snap the elastic of the group.
Visma’s Sadnik would try to go from 350m out at the finish – but four riders would be able to follow – Boothman leading them. The 19-year-old Scot came round the wheel of the Austrian with 150m to go and would just hold off the fast finishing Steffi Haberlin to claim her first professional victory.
Behind Eilidh Shaw (UAE Development) would come home in 11th, with Handsling-Alba’s Richardson claiming 13th in another strong showing at the front of the peloton for the Scottish team.
MTB World Cup
Cross Country
The opening round of the UCI Mountain Bike World Series was held in South Korea’s YongPyong.
The wet weather across the weekend turned many sections of the course into a quagmire – forcing riders to dismount and run with their bikes – akin to that of cyclocross race, rather than a MTB World Cup.
Following the opening lap of the men’s elite race, Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale Factory Racing) was sitting, or should that be running, in fifth place. The Scot would ride sensibly as the many other around him would be beset by mechanical problems; the mud playing havoc with chainrings and the strategy of narrower mud tyres leading to many riders suffering impact punctures.
The Cannondale’s – with their solo front fork – seemed to avoid most of the issues. Aldridge, in a British champions kit that no longer had a speck of white present, climbing to third place at the halfway mark – a position that he would not rescind in the brutal conditions. Corran Carrick-Anderson in the Great Britain kit would finish in 58th place, while in the elite women’s field Isla Short rode to another solid performance in 22nd place.
Downhill
Phoebe Gale (Orbea FMD Racing) rode to eighth place in the elite women’s downhill final. The Denholm rider started her run strongly – looking on course for a podium finish throughout the first two thirds of the track. However, the Scot would lose some of her momentum at the end of the forested section, and lose two seconds in the final spilt to come home in eighth place.
2020 World Champion Reece Wilson (Trek Factory Racing) was in the final of the men’s elite, taking 20th place after a solid ride in Saturday’s final.
BMX
Glasgow’s Knightswood BMX Centre was the host of Rounds 3 & 4 of the British BMX Series. Over 900 riders made the journey up to the west of Glasgow for the double-header and there was plenty of Scottish success to celebrate.
Ruby Warren (Western Titans) claimed a brace of victories in the Female 14’s and was joined on the podium by teammate Holly Diver on Sunday.
Cumbernauld Centurions would have success of their own Eilidh Watson claiming cruiser wins in the 13-16 category at both rounds, with a fifth place in the Female 16 on Sunday.
Alexis McCartney had four trips on to the podium with two second places in the Female 17-18 and one second place finish alongside a third in the 17-29 Cruiser category.
The boys from Centurions would have some success as well with Lewis Cook finishing fifth in Sunday’s 17-18 field equalling Cooper McCrum’s fifth in Saturday’s Open 16 race.
A huge congratulations to the team at Movement Park for organising a great weekend of racing.
Para World Cup
Jenny Holl and Sophie Unwin were back in top form at the UCI Para-Cycling World Cup in Belgium.
After finishing second by four seconds in the time trial, the tandem pair won out in the road race, going solo and winning by 10 seconds over the Polish and Irish tandems behind.
Fin Graham rode to second in the West Flandrien town of Gistel in the Men’s C3 Road Race. The Paralympic champion was outsprinted in the final by French rider Peyroton Dartet. It came after the Scot finished fourth in the time trial. In the C2 field Callum Deboys had another solid performance, finishing 15th in the road race, and 16th in the time trial.
Alba Series
The Rosneath peninsula held the Hugh Dornan Memorial Road Race on Sunday, which formed Round 2 of the Alba Series. Craig Paterson (Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT) would escape the bunch to take a solo victory in Garelochhead from his teammate Liam Scott Douglas with Kieran Savage in third.
You can read a full report from our friends at The British Continental here.
Photo: Blaire Cameron
Scotia Series
In Elgin, the Dyke APR was round three of the Scotia Series.
Millie Thomson (Solas Cycling) put in an excellent performance to take the victory. The Drumoak rider has suffered with illness in the early part of the season but claimed the sprint win from the front group to take her first win of the season. Not content with the one race, Thomson also raced the open APR, finishing second – an excellent Sunday in Moray for the Solas Cycling rider. Martha Gates (Moray Firth) was just behind Thomson, Eva Murphy (Liv-Halo) came home in third, with Ava Luce (Brother UK-On Form) in fourth.
It was great to see 13 first-time road racers on the start in Forres – hopefully the first of many more races.
Isle of Man Youth Tour
Eilidh Scally (Johnstone Wheelers) claimed the overall victory at the Isle of Man Youth Tour. The Youth B rider won the opening prologue and extended her lead in the final stage after winning that from the break.
Andrew Levinson (Shibden-Apex) rode to seventh place in the Youth A overall general classification with Reuben McLardie (Johnstone Jets) and Gregor McNaught (Falkirk Junior BC)