In a tactical race at the Fife Cycle Park, Aaron King (Wheelbase) deserved the open victory as he was pretty much out front for almost the entire race. Rebecca Saunderson (Studio Velo) showed that she’s going from strength to strength by sprinting away from her breakaway companions and taking the win, and the title of Scottish Cycling National Circuit Champion.
The female race was the first event of the afternoon and there was still a brisk, gusting breeze blowing across the circuit. The Women’s event incorporated both the senior and junior riders and it wasn’t long before the winning move of five riders went clear.
Saunderson (Studio Velo) forced the move and took Kayla Dinnin (Liv-Halo) and three other riders with her and they stayed away for the rest of the one-hour race. With two juniors in this break both titles would be sorted out but it just had to be decided who would stand on which step.
Coming up the final ramp towards the finish and Saunderson showed her strength but she was chased towards the line by Dinnin and the junior rider crossed in second place overall, and the new Scottish Junior champion. For Saunderson, it was a worthwhile trip up from Castle Douglas to take the senior title. Podium honours went to Saunderson in Gold, Dinnin in Silver and Lydia Louw (University of Stirling) in the Bronze medal position. As well as taking the national title, Saunderson took home the Eileen Roe Shield as just rewards for her victory.
Dinnin would make a second trip to the podium to pick up the Junior Gold and her podium companions were Eva Murphy (Deeside Thistle CC) in Silver and Harriet Hendry in Bronze.
In the Men’s race, there were top teams present with decent numbers but the Wheelbase riders are well practiced at this type of racing and it wasn’t long before the first serious break went away, Aaron King with Brodie Duncan (West Lothian Development Team) and Calum Brown (Pactimo).
This trio would stay away for several laps helped in no small part by the other Wheelbase riders policing the bunch but eventually King made the move on his own and took off, the gap getting bigger each time around. Some of the riders had maybe been a little complacent in the early part of the race as the bunch had split into two separate groups and those in the back half found it almost impossible to make the junction with the riders ahead.
Something had to give and Liam Scott-Douglas made the move to get across to King, shadowed by Wheelbase rider Tim Shoreman…and then we had three riders in front and the two Wheelbase teammates worked Scott-Douglas over. It was a toss-up who would go first and rightly so, it was King who made the move with Shoreman sitting on the JGCC rider’s wheel.
With four laps left to race, Shoreman dropped Scott-Douglas and set off after his teammate. If he could catch him it would come down to a sprint and that would probably have favoured Shoreman but King was just too strong and stayed away, taking a well deserved solo victory, Shoreman crossing the line in second spot and obviously happy for his teammate.
Now it was down to the bunch sprint to see who would claim the final podium position and it was only fitting that it would be won by Calum Brown as he had been in the original gang of three to make the early break.
Louis Moore, now riding for Edinburgh Bike Fitting, was next to cross the line but the first of a trio of West Lothian riders came home, Brodie Duncan claiming the top step with Raphael Jacqumet-Ross and Rory Fleming locking out the podium for the Junior title.
All that was left was to have organizer and former Scottish Cycling President Tom Bishop award the riders with the medal, it was a close bet to see if Aaron King would be able to stand on the podium without hitting the roof. Luckily, they all just scraped under.