Aberdeenshire’s Tarland Trails was the venue for the opening SXC round of the season. It was an excellent Sunday for Scotia Offroad Race Team, with Henry O’Brien and Ross Eastaugh taking elite and junior open victories.
O’Brien rode away from second placed rider Douglas Kelsall in the opening tour and would not look back. The Peebles’ native claiming his first senior victory by around three minutes. Paul Regin (Edinburgh RC) finished in third. Easthaugh claimed the junior open victory from Deeside Thistle’s Thomas MacRae, with Arran Drackford (Falkirk Junior BC) in third place.
Team HUPs Ishbel Strathdee won out in the elite female category, with Eleya Mold (Glasgow Riderz) winning the juniors from Isla Cant (West Highland Wheelers) in second.
In the youth categories Highland rider Ross Allan claimed the youth win over Gregor McNaught (Falkirk Junior BC) with Rhuairdh Fulton (West Lothian Clarion) rounding out the podium.
Lily Cant (West Highland Wheelers) meanwhile won out in the juvenile race from Eilidh Coutts (Edinburgh RC), with Falkirk Juniors’ Rose Martin behind in third. Sam Kingan won out in a tight juvenile open race, the Pentland Racer beat Alexander Mullen (Falkirk Junior Bike Club) by 30 seconds, with Angus Dowens (West Lothian Clarion) following only 25 seconds further back.
The next round of the SXC Series is in Scotland’s Premier City at Crombie Country Park, just outside Dundee. Enter here.
Knightswoood was the host for round two of the Scottish Regional BMX Series. Added significance for many of the riders as they prepare for next weekend’s British series double header at the Glasgow track.
123 riders were in action on Sunday, with a much larger contingent from England than usual. A great test for the Scottish riders and they were not be shown up.
Ruby Warren (Western Titans) would continue the form shown throughout this season with victory in the Girls 13-14 category. Cumbernauld Centurions would also taste success with Cooper McCrum wining out in the Open 15-16 races too
In a very competitive Superclass, Harrison Bell (Western Titans) and Ben Fitzsimmons (Centurions) would come home second and third in the final, just behind Nuneaton’s George Hunt. Alexis McCartney (Centurions) would also ride to a strong second in the female senior category.
Over in the Netherlands, a number of Scots were in action at the fast and flat Omloop von Borsele 1.1.
The race would come down to a bunch sprint with Erin Boothman (Jayco Liv-Alula Conti) sprinting to an excellent second, her first professional podium on the road. There was also a fantastic ride from her fellow Glasweigian Kate Richardson.
The Handsling-Alba rider was delivered into the final in a strong position by her team and came across the line ninth in Zeeland – her first top ten finish at a .1 level race. Bolstered by a full team finish as well as Anna Flynn and Arabella Blackburn in the top 40, the team will take a lot of confidence as they head to a double-header of 1.1 races in Luxembourg this weekend.
The Tweed Valley was the venue for the Scottish Downhill Association series with the fast and dusty track through the forest of Innerleithen proving a good test for the 2026 season opener, 25 years since it started back in 2001.
Results will be available here on the SDA website tomorrow. In the meantime enjoy this run down the track:
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