UCI Downhill World Cup
The Polish ski resort of Bielsko Biala was the venue for the second round of the UCI Downhill World Cup, with the Scots looking to continue the momentum from the home crowds of Nevis Range a fortnight ago.
Heather Wilson (Muc-off Young Guns) made it two wins from two in the women’s junior event, to continue her perfect start to her UCI World Cup career.
Sunday morning’s racing saw rain midway through proceedings making for wet and wild conditions on course, with Wilson using her craft well to take victory from world champion Erice van Leuven.
Speaking after her win, Heather Wilson said:
“I can’t believe it. At the top I was just laughing, and I wasn’t feeling nervous. I was like ‘OK, I’m just going to have fun and try and ride my bike’. It was so loose, and I was really enjoying it. It was so fun. The whole track everywhere is so blown out. It’s so physical.”
In the men’s juniors, Daniel Parfitt (BNC Racing) built on his strong showing in the Highlands, with a seventh-place finish in the greasy conditions, which takes the Scot into fourth place in the overall series.
The sun came out for the afternoon’s elite finals with a trio of Scots in action.
After strong showing in qualifying, Greg Williamson (Madison Saracen) equalled his best World Cup performance for a second time this season with another seventh-place finish in the men’s elite final.
There was a brace of top tens from the Scots in the women’s elite final, with Phoebe Gale (Canyon CLLCTV) coming home in eighth, and Louise Ferguson (Intense FR) a place further back in ninth. Ferguson was in strong form all weekend, with fourth in qualifying and a sixth place finish in the semi-finals that took the Scot into her first World Cup final of the season.
The Enduro World Cup was also taking place in Poland, with William Brodie claiming second place in the Men’s Under 21 event.
UCI Para Cycling World Cup
The Italian town of Maniago was the venue for round two of the UCI Para Cycling Road World Cup.
There was double delight for Fin Graham, with the Highlander claiming the victory in both Friday’s Men’s C3 time trial and Sunday’s road race. Sunday’s road race came down to a bunch sprint after 70km of racing on the Venetian course, with Graham, resplendent in the rainbow bands, sprinting his way to victory in style.
The tandem duo of pilot Jenny Holl and stoker Sophie Unwin saw more medal success come their way over the weekend in Italy.
Friday’s time trial against the clock saw the pair come home in third place, after a strong ride, with only the Irish tandem, and the British pair of Lora Fachie and Corrine Hall in front. Sunday afternoon’s road race, however, saw an excellent performance by the pairing, powering away to take the road race gold by over three minutes, adding to the gold won out in Ostend two weeks ago.
The Gralloch
Saturday saw Gatehouse of Fleet play host to the Gralloch, the latest round of the UCI Gravel Series. The sun was out in Dumfries and Galloway on Sunday, and the dust was flying on the gravel at the sold-out event.
Matthew Holmes and Geerike Schreurs claimed the elite victories, with plenty of Scottish interest in the front of the field.
Dumfries-born Australian Freddy Ovett claimed fourth in the men’s elite, with Louis Moore (Wheebase CabTech Castelli) in 19th place. Cameron Mason (Cyclocross Reds) suffered from mechanical issues and finished in 33rd place.
In the women’s elite event, Kim Baptista (Torelli) and Anna Flynn (Spectra-Cannondale) rode to strong results in 11th and 13th place respectively.
In the open event, local rider and Scottish MTB XC and CX Champion Lewis Martin (Studio Velo) claimed the win and booked his place in the M19-34 age group World Championships, claiming victory by over two and a half minutes.
Jo Thom (sprocketscycles) claimed the win in the F40 to 44 age category, with Jane Barr (Velocity 44 RT) in third place, with both qualifying for the 2024 UCI Gravel World Champs in Flanders.
Hugh Dornan Road Race
The third round of the Alba Series took place on Sunday afternoon with the climbers’ classic, the Hugh Dornan Memorial Road Race, organised by Lomond Roads CC.
An aggressive race was won out by Alex Luhrs (Moonglu RT) on the Rosneath peninsula, with Alex Ball (Project 1) taking second place just behind the series leader. Wheelbase CabTech Castelli’s Lee Rosie came home in third place, with another impressive ride from Ahron Dick (The Cycling Academy) as top junior in fourth.
Scottish Omnium Champs
The sun was out at Dundee’s Caird Park Velodrome for the Scottish National Omnium Champs where Molly Evans (Solas Cycling) and Philip Campbell (Johnstone Wheelers) scored senior honours in the city of Discovery.
You can read our full report from Saturday’s racing here.
BMX
A huge congratulations to Eilidh Watson (BMX Widow Photography) competing at the UCI World BMX Championships in Rockhill, USA.
Watson, a rider part of our RACE National Programme competed in the Female 14’s. The Scot made it through to the 1/8th finals but got unfortunately got squeezed on the start hill and first straight to the back and had to chase the pack from there crossing the line in 7th finishing 31st overall. We’re sure it’s not the last World Champs that Eilidh will be racing in.
Back at home. the latest round of the North Regional BMX Series took place on Sunday at Broadwood BMX Centre in Cumbernauld. Full Results can be found here.
Scots Abroad
It wasn’t just a busy weekend in Scotland; in Belgium, the Scots were racing at the Antwerp Port Epic and the Youth and Junior Ronde van Vlaanderen.
At the UCI 1.1 Antwerp Port Epic, Alba Development RT were among the teams in action. An early double puncture on the cobbles for Kate Richardson (Lifeplus-Wahoo) ruled the Scot out of contention, but there was an excellent ride from Scottish road champion Eilidh Shaw (Alba RT) to come home in 15th place.
Further west in Flanders, the Youth and Junior editions of the country’s most famous sporting event went ahead.
In the Junior (U19) edition, Arabella Blackburn claimed 16th place, riding in support of teammate Cat Ferguson, who placed second. The Aberdeenshire native had made a big impression since stepping up to the junior ranks this season. A former teammate of Blackburn, Melanie Rowe (Deeside Thistle) was on excellent form in the U17 race, claiming seventh over the 51km route.
Across the border in France, another Deeside graduate Elliot Rowe (Fensham Howes) was on strong form at the Trophée Morbihan Juniors, claiming fourth for Great Britain in the two day UCI Junior event in Britanny.
Sticking in France, there was a win for Adam Mitchell at the D1 Tour des Vallées du Haut-Anjou, and second place for Alfie George in Britanny, on Stage 1 of the Essor Breton race.
While there was no MTB XC World Cup this weekend, Charlie Aldridge (Cannondale FR) was impressive in Austria, scoring second place in the men’s elite Otztaler Festival, and moves back up into the top 20 of the UCI World Rankings before the Novo Mesto World Cup round next weekend.