Senior Open
The Senior Open race saw a very worthy winner in the form of Logan Maclean (after an enthralling, attacking race, with the outcome hanging in the balance until the last few kilometres.
With five rounds of the Ochiltree circuit, the race would be contested over a 122.5km distance, with the first move going straight after the flag dropped, showing that everyone fancied a go at winning a coveted Scottish title.
Finn Mason (Saint Piran) was the big name in that move, joined by Alistair McNicol (Dooley’s Cycles), Ben Gibson & Greig Brown (both Vanelli-Project Go) and Ribble rechrg duo of Sam Barbour & Fergus Robinson. Sam Chisholm (The Cycling Academy) would also bridge across to make it seven men up front at the end of the first lap.
Back in the peloton the race was on, attacks flying left, right and centre, but nothing was being allowed to stick. That was until mid-way through the second lap, when Maclean launched a ferocious move, taking Davie Lines (Wheelbase Cabtech Castelli) with him, the pair joining forces with Noah Bleateau (The Cycling Academy) and Ross Clark (Glasgow Ivy) to bridge across to the leading group. Behind, multiple counter attacks were launched and neutralised, with pre-race favourites Alex Ball (Project1) and Jacob Smith (Wheelbase) showing their frustration at missing what would appear to be the key move of the race.
The next turn of events was a brief stoppage in proceedings – a couple of early crashes meaning the race was without medical cover, so riders waited at the top of the Ochiltree climb before restarting, with the 28 second gap between the breakaway and the peloton reinstated.
With no Tim Shoreman, and Aaron King (both Wheelbase) out of the race with a puncture, the race was wide open, but Maclean was in the driving seat, as the chaos continued back in the bunch, as time and time again would be escapees were reeled back in.
With the gap not coming down the race continued to tip in favour of the breakaway, but with the testing climb and fast descent both into a headwind, it wasn’t over until it was over. The penultimate time up the main climb would see the next change in proceedings, Maclean attacking his breakaway companions, only Mason able to live with him. Those two now had a great chance of going all the way.
With around 15km to go the peloton, now reduced, suddenly saw some cooperation, with the strongest riders rolling through and off – this came about as the break finally came into sight on a straight section of road. The pace was high, but most importantly remained consistent, meaning the gap started to fall. Raced at such an aggressive tempo, the attacks had finally stopped, the tired riders in the peloton combining to try and give themselves a shot at a medal or a title.
As they hit the foot of the climb for the final time, the gap to the break now down to 15 seconds, the touch paper was lit, with Jacob Smith first to attack, quickly catching four of the five remaining breakaway protagonists. But by this point Mclean had already flown the nest, going all-in up the final climb to try and stay clear.
Driving into the gap were Smith, Ball, junior Elliot Rowe (Fensham Howes-MAS Design) as well as Pete Matthews, who led a trio of Vanelli riders who were still in the mix. Come the top of the climb the gap was down to 10 seconds, Logan Maclean out front riding for the Scottish title that has thus far evaded him, the peloton now just 10 strong and giving chase.
This was to be the Stirling man’s day though, as the cohesion in the bunch evaporated, and Maclean, riding as if his life depended on it, extended his lead to over 30 seconds on the downhill run to the line, the celebration at he took the flag showing just how much it meant to him.
Afterwards, he said:
“This feels amazing – I’ve wanted to win this race for years. In 2022 I came second on the line, and last year I was in the break and got caught on the last lap and finished sixth. It never seems to go my way, but today I just knew I had to make it count and give it my all. I wanted the jersey and I’m so chuffed to finally do it.
“Before the race I knew I wanted to go with 40km to go, so I launched it but the Saint Piran boy managed to come with me. The race wasn’t splitting as I thought, the peloton was starting to come back and I was starting to panic. So at the bottom of the final climb I just said all or nothing and I just went for it. I knew if I could get over the top of the climb with a gap I could make it work.
“I didn’t look round until I could see the finish and there was no one there, so I knew I’d got it and I was just elated, buzzing! To do it solo as well made it even more special.”
The remainder of the much-reduced peloton would sprint for the remaining medals, youngster Elliot Rowe, edging out Jacob Smith on the line, with Alex Ball having to settle for fourth.
Full results can be found here
Female Race
From the chaos of the Open Race the afternoon’s Female race was much calmer and far more controlled – weather aside that is, as unfortunately for our 25 riders contesting the combined Senior and Junior Championships, the wind had picked up and rain started to fall.
Nonetheless, that didn’t dimmish the appetite for a Scottish title, as Shibden Apex RT’s Arabella Blackburn took the fight to strong squads from both Alba Development RT in the Senior, and Solas Cycling in the Junior category.
Two of the pre-race favourites, Jenny Holl and Erin Boothman didn’t start, which meant whilst still only 16 years of age, GB Junior Blackburn perhaps possessed the strength and race craft to cross the line first.
Racing four laps of the Ochiltree circuit, for a total distance of 95km, was going to be a test for a number of our women, and so with a smaller peloton the pace was more controlled than in the frenetic Open race.
Laps one and two were largely uneventful, however the third time up the main Ochiltree climb saw an injection of pace from Blackburn, but as expected she was closely marshalled by the two larger teams. Also to the fore was multi-discipline star Anna Flynn (Spectra Racing), who would perhaps be the most skilled on the fast descent, especially with the added complication of a wet road surface.
It was the penultimate time up the main climb and with just one and a half laps remaining that the race really came to life, a group of five forging clear; that group contained Blackburn, Flynn, Edinburgh RC’s Lauren Dickson and Alba pairing Beth Morrow and Lulu Bartlett. That move saw the quintet come off the descent with a gap of over a minute, and Arabella Blackburn was on her way to claiming the Junior title, but the Senior race was still all to play for.
The conditions continued to worsen in the closing stages, the rain now torrential, which neutralised racing somewhat, but with 1km to go we still had five women together and it would come down to a bunch sprint.
Her sprint prowess well documented, it was no surprise that former Deeside Thistle rider Blackburn would win the dash to the line, a thrilling sprint that certainly entertained the hardy onlookers on the roadside.
Coming home second was Beth Morrow; she clinched the Senior National title and will wear the stripes for the next 12 months, ensuring they stay in the hands of Alba Development RT. The silver medal would go to Morrow’s teammate Lulu Bartlett, with cycling newcomer Lauren Dickson clinching bronze.
The battle for silver and bronze in the Junior Female Championship would be decided from the second group on the road, Kayla Dinnin getting the better of Solas teammate Daisy Taylor.
Of her win, Blackburn commented:
Also part of the day was a taster race, which saw some brilliant feedback from all who took part. A huge thanks to Galloway Hillbillies for putting on such a memorable day of racing on a great circuit, and to everyone else who makes bike racing in Scotland happen week in week out; our commissaires, timekeepers, NEG riders and many more volunteers.