If you wind the clock back to 2023, the aforementioned duo prevailed on a misty wet morning, quickest to the top of the Wallace Monument Climb. Three years later, the weather was much kinder, with the sun beating down on the Logie Kirk Climb, as Holland and Carrotte were victors once again.
For Holland, is was a clear victory, improving on the brace of bronze medals she’s won the last two years; she got the better of Isla Hedley and Amy Gornall.
In the Senior Open it couldn’t have been a more different story. Scottish Road Race Champion Sam Barbour (Cycling Sheffield) set the early pace, which would see him take silver in the student championship, before Edinburgh RC’s Cameron Ritchie took his place in the hypothetical hot seat. In truth though all eyes were on the last two men to go, Carrotte and Ben Millar. Carrotte would stop the clock at 4.19, with Millar chasing him up the hill, having started one minute behind. In the end, the Edinburgh rider fell just a solitary second short, with Dundee’s Carrotte taking the crown for the third time.
In the Student Championships, Gregor Calvert (West Lothian Clarion) started his university career with a bang, taking his first title just a couple of weeks in! Barbour was second with William Dykes (Vanelli Project Go) securing bronze, to make a Stirling 1-3.
On the Female side Hedley was second once again, pipped to the post by Millie Breeze, a fellow Stirling triathlete, with Nicola Kuehn in the bronze medal position.
The very first rider off would take the first title on offer, Emma Nicholson (Glasgow Riderz) taking the Youth B Female crown from Isla Reekie (Falkirk Junior Bike Club), with Henry Lockett (FJBC) taking the Open event from Matthew Moran (Deeside Thistle) and Dara Levinson (ERC).
Moving onto the Youth A’s and it was no surprise to see Izzy Barbour (Spokes) on the top step, with Sarah McCormac (ERC) and Erin Knox (Kingdom Velo) rounding out the podium. On the Open side it was Henry Sharp (WLC) who tasted victory ahead of Callum Atkinson (Discovery Juniors) and Thomas Macleod (FJBC).
In the Junior category, Eve Fairbairn (Liv Halo) was the winner in the Female race, whilst SORT’s Ross Easthaugh was an impressive winner in the Open ahead of Hamish Mayes and Raphael Jacquemot-Ross (both Spokes).
Moving onto the Masters categories, Alison Kerr would take Female 50s and Angela O’Hagan the 60s, with local rider Alison Brown (Stirling BC) runner-up in that one.
In the Open events Richard Gorst (Saddleback) took the 40s title from John Mackenzie and Steve Smith (Stirling), whilst Callum Anderson (Vanelli) won the 50s from Scott Johnson and Simon Wyllie. Last but not least, Robert Quinn (Johnstone Jets) took the 60s top step, and was joined by Rob Raynard (Aberdeen Wheelers) and Brian Garrioch.
A big thanks to Scottish Student Sport and the University of Stirling for hosting a fantastic edition of our Hill Climb Championships, with some 150 riders enjoying the Logie Kirk Climb.