“I’ve never done a TTT 40 miles before (as most of the field!) but it was good fun. Something more enjoyable in a TTT than an individual. Not bad for Lynsey who's never ever raced a TTT & we’ve never ridden together to pull off a time that beat a few of the men with 4 riders! ‘mon the ladies!” Eileen Roe

Two weekends, two championships and two completely different sets of weather conditions. Where the 100-Mile TT had a last-minute call-off due to high winds, we were pleasantly surprised that the nearer we came to the host town of Forfar for the Scottish National Team Time Trial Championships (Saturday 13th August), the brighter the sun was shining. This is Scotland though and there was a moderate gusting breeze.

The course for this year’s Scottish National Team Time Trial ran to the east of Forfar and was essentially two laps of a long right-angled triangle…or so it looked on paper. The first leg from Forfar to the part-Flemish named town of Friockheim looked pretty straight on paper but had some nasty little curves and rises that made it difficult for some of the teams to stay together. Add in the strong tailwind and we saw several teams that had already lost a rider before reaching the village. Other teams were struggling to hold onto strong leaders as they surged ahead on the ascents.

Turning left at Friockheim and it was a long uphill drag with a strong crosswind threatening to create gaps between the wheels. Crossing over the Lilylorn Burn it was another left-hander and the riders were now into the wind as they headed back past the Rescobie Loch and the finish line at the 30-sign at Forfar…well, next time around!

First to come past us at the Mains of Balgavies Nature Reserve was the composite team from Scottish Cycling North East but hot on their heels was the fast travelling trio from Stirling Bike Club, their A team comprising Elizabeth Clayton, Carole Dick and Christine MacKenzie. With the B team from Edinburgh RC next through it was a surprise to see, only a short time later, the even faster B team from Stirling BC (Brenda Callander, Rosalind Carey, Christine Fischer) and they would eclipse their teammates to fill the second top step of the podium.

Faster still though and looking very composed with Mireille Captieux leading them through was the A team from Edinburgh RC, Penny Rother and Jane Stevenson in straight formation. Despite being passed by some of the men’s teams as they came around again, their overall time of 1:41:02 was superb and put them onto the top step and Gold medal position, the other steps being locked out by Stirling BC (B team in 1:43:43, A team in 1:45:32).

The ride of the day though went to the last squad off, a composite team made up of Lynsey Curran, Laura Nicolson and Eileen Roe riding in the colours of Dooleys Cycles. Ineligible for the championship, it didn’t stop the trio handing out an almost 7-minute win over their nearest challengers and taking the scalps of several 4-rider men’s squads. All the more remarkable as they were inexperienced at the distance with multi-champion Lynsey Curran riding her first team event. All the way round they were in close formation with the changes looking really smooth and minimal communication needed as they seemed to instinctively know what was required…a fantastic performance.

And so to the men’s race and where the women’s teams had been composed on the tailwind run to Friockheim, several of the men’s squads were having a tough time keeping it together. The first four teams, Edinburgh RC (B), Dunfermline CC (B), Falkirk BC and Musselburgh RCC (C), were all composed and pacing themselves well but the next two clubs through, VC Vitesse and Glasgow Ivy CC (B), had both tailed off their fourth man and would have to continue as trios.

And then the Gala CC quartet of Edward Addis, Nathan Beard, Ross Laidlaw and Robert Martin came through looking very composed and powering up the slope with apparent ease. Their finishing time of 1:23:28 would see them post the 5^th fastest time of the day but with composite teams in the mix this would put them in the Bronze medal position, making the trip up from the Borders worthwhile.

Not far behind came the team from Carrick CC featuring some very experienced time trialists in the form of Mark Skilling, Kenny Armstrong, Brian Yates and Michael Robb. Looking good in their new kit they would go on to finish in 1:23:07, the 3^rd fastest time of the day but ineligible for the medals.

Moray Firth CC had put up four teams but it was their B team comprising Callum Finlayson, Kenny Riddle, Ross MacDonald and Eric Innes that would come home with the fastest time of 1:25:08 to take the 7^th quickest spot and club honours.

Worthy of note was the performance put up by the Pro Vision Cycle Clothing B team of Jordan Doig, Ryan Glasgow, Kyle Johnston and Alex MacRae. Having used up their 4^th man on the run-in they were hunting for a good time only for Johnston to hit a pothole and be catapulted over the bars. Obviously in pain, but needing that 3^rd man for the finish, he remounted and his teammates shepherded him to the line. Having two doctors in the A team, they decided a trip to hospital was called for but he later posted to say that he was recovering at home, sore but unharmed.

The next team to look mighty was the quartet from host club Spokes RT, Kevin Barclay, Jamie Henderson, Sean Noon and Jordan Stronach and they were flying, all four riders changing smoothly. Finishing all four at the same time in 1:22:05 their time was the second best of the day but the rules considered this to be a composite team and therefore non-counting in the championship.

And now it was just the experienced teams to come home with Jim Cusick’s Dooleys Cycles team out of the medals for the first time in a few years. With teammates Gavin Shirley, Aidan Quinn and Paul McLafferty their time of 1:23:32 was the 6^th fastest and saw them lose out on a podium spot by a mere 4 seconds.

The team from Sandy Wallace Cycles has had a couple of changes over the years but with Alan Thomson at the helm they have remained metronomically consistent. With the experience of Peter Ettles, Steve Davidson and Ewan Magillvary they posted a finishing time of 1:23:12 to finish in 4^th spot but made it into the Silver medal position due to the composite teams ahead.

And now there was only one squad to go…the defending champions albeit with Peter Murdoch riding in the place of last year’s Rob Friel. The squad from Pro Vision Cycle Clothing A team was tearing up the tarmac as they passed us for the first time and by the time we saw them again John Archibald was taking long turns on the front. Jason Roberts and David Griffiths can’t speak highly enough about their teammate’s abilities and when asked at the finish if they’d won, Roberts quipped, “I’d be surprised if we didn’t with John doing so much work on the front.”

They’re a well-drilled squad and with Archibald gaining in confidence all the time, in both road and TT events, it would be a clever professional team that comes knocking on his door. All four riders were putting in turns at the front with multi-champion Pedro Pete using all of his experience to keep the team in close order. On the day that his sister made Olympic history, John Archibald took another step on his own rise to stardom and helped his teammates seal a superb victory in a fantastic time of 1:19:27, the only outfit to go under 1:20, and take the Gold medal and the title of Scottish National Team Time Trial Champions!

Results:

			Start	Finish	Result
1	18	www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk**	00:18:00	01:52:36	01:34:36
2	15	Edinburgh RC A	00:15:00	01:56:02	01:41:02	Gold
3	3	Scottish Cycling North East**	00:03:00	01:46:34	01:43:34
4	12	Stirling Bike Club B	00:12:00	01:55:43	01:43:43	Silver
5	6	Stirling Bike Club A	00:06:00	01:51:32	01:45:32	Bronze
6	9	Edinburgh RC B**	00:09:00	01:59:14	01:50:14
1	124	Pro Vision Cycle Clothing A	02:04:00	03:23:27	01:19:27	Gold
2	96	Spokes Racing Team**	01:36:00	02:58:05	01:22:05
3	60	Carrick Cycle Club**	01:00:00	02:23:07	01:23:07
4	116	Sandy Wallace Cycles	01:56:00	03:19:12	01:23:12	Silver
5	52	Gala Cycling Club	00:52:00	02:15:28	01:23:28	Bronze
6	120	www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk	02:00:00	03:23:32	01:23:32
7	88	Moray Firth Cycling Club B	01:28:00	02:53:08	01:25:08
8	64	Musselburgh RCC B	01:04:00	02:29:40	01:25:40
9	56	Moray Firth Cycling Club D	00:56:00	02:23:10	01:27:10
10	108	Stirling Bike Club	01:48:00	03:15:41	01:27:41
11	84	Glasgow Cycle Team	01:24:00	02:51:51	01:27:51
12	104	Moray Firth Cycling Club A	01:44:00	03:12:00	01:28:00
13	68	Peebles CC	01:08:00	02:37:39	01:29:39
14	32	Falkirk Bike Club	00:32:00	02:01:50	01:29:50
15	100	Dunfermline CC A**	01:40:00	03:10:04	01:30:04
16	92	Glasgow Ivy CC A**	01:32:00	03:02:15	01:30:15
17	112	Edinburgh RC A	01:52:00	03:23:09	01:31:09
18	80	Pro Vision Cycle Clothing B	01:20:00	02:52:54	01:32:54
19	76	Musselburgh RCC A	01:16:00	02:49:43	01:33:43
20	72	Moray Firth Cycling Club C	01:12:00	02:47:20	01:35:20
21	24	Edinburgh RC B	00:24:00	02:00:05	01:36:05
22	44	Velo Club Vitesse	00:44:00	02:21:35	01:37:35
23	48	Glasgow Ivy CC B	00:48:00	02:25:46	01:37:46
24	28	Dunfermline CC B**	00:28:00	02:09:37	01:41:37
25	36	Musselburgh RCC C	00:36:00	02:28:53	01:52:53
26	40	Kelso Wheelers	00:40:00		DNS