The first event on Friday’s schedule was the Open 40+ Individual Pursuit, run over a distance of 3km.
With warm-ups completed the first riders to take to the track in the heats were from VC Glasgow South. In fact, it was top representation from the Glasgow club with six of the eight competitors all representing the lime colours.
Karl Farmer was the first rider to catch his opponent, David Morrison. He wasn’t the only catch though as Andy Bruce (Vanelli-Project Go) caught Brian McGhee (RCCK) in the final heat to set a blistering time of 3.31 against the Farmer’s 3.40. This set up a final between the Vanelli rider and the VC Glasgow South rider with a ride-off for 3rd and 4th between David Morrison and Brian McGhee.
In the run off, the Bronze medal went to David Morrison as he caught Brian McGhee. And it was a similar story in the final as the first National Championship was decided when Andy Bruce caught Karl Farmer. Initially it looked as if both riders might be going for a time before they both sat up and the final was over and the gold and silver medals decided.
In the women’s 40+ IP event it was a more open field with more clubs represented. A strong turnout from RT23 saw Alison Winship MacKay set the second fastest time in the heats to set up a final between the fastest qualifier Madeline Moore (TORQ Performance). Alison’s time was 2.41.705 to Madeline’s 2.38.323. The ride off for the remaining podium spot was between Leigh McArthur and Deborah Ferns, both riding for VC Astar Anderside and finishing in times of 2.48.302 and 2.49.070.
In the Bronze medal decider the win went to Deborah Ferns who finished two seconds up on Leigh McArthur. It the final the win and Gold went to Madeline Moore in a great time of 2.39.185 to Alison Winship MacKay’s 2.44.817, Madeline Moore claiming the second National Championship Gold of the evening.
It was a family affair for Ferns, with son Struan also in action in the Team Sprint competitions later in the evening.
After the first break of the evening we moved to the Female Team Sprint event with four teams…some of them as composite teams with riders from different clubs.
It was always going to be a big ask for the composite teams to take on the Scottish Cycling Performance team and so it proved with the final to come with Scotland PD against TORQ + 1…Donna Clayton adding to Madeline Moore and Louise Haston.
The bronze ride off would be between Glasgow University CC (Miriam Gilbride, Hattie Bracey and Molly Evans) and RT23 (Pamela Craig, Alison Winship MacKay and Anna Fairweather), RT23 deciding to change the order that their riders would line up in. Anna Fairweather would lead off with Pamela Craig in second position and Alison Winship MacKay finishing off.
In the Bronze medal ride the win went to Glasgow University in a time 1.2 seconds quicker than the RT23 team.
In the final, the Scotland team proved why they get to represent the country by finishing 6 seconds ahead of the TORQ squad in 50.587 and taking the national title in the process. Gold then to Madeline Silcock, Ellie Stone and Kirsty Johnson – with Johnson and Stone retaining the title won twelve months agp.
In the final medal event of the evening there was strong representation, as you’d expect, from the Glasgow Track Racing Club…sprint specialists. The fastest time of the event was by the GTRC A Team in a time of 47.739 with the B squad setting a time of 49.175. GTRC didn’t have it all their own way though as the team from Glasgow Nightingale CC set the third fastest time to set up a run off for Bronze with the C squad from GTRC.
The Glasgow Nightingale riders contesting Bronze were Ian Fraser, Graeme Steen and Chris Watson and they would be up against Jim Barr, Ian Barton and Jason Lafferty for GTRC C.
The final would be between Anthony Young, Mitchell Sparrow and Luthais Arthur as the A team and Oscar Parker, Struan Ferns and Isaac Small as the GTRC ‘B’ team.
In the Bronze run off Glasgow Nightingale held their advantage all the way through with Chris Watson finishing off in 53.415 to claim Bronze.
In the final, GTRC against GTRC, it was the A squad that made the better start and climbed all the way finishing in 46.905 and almost two seconds ahead of their teammates. Gold to the A squad and Silver to the B.
We’ll be back tomorrow with a full day of racing – and you can watch the afternoon’s racing live on the Scottish Cycling YouTube Channel.