Follow scottishcycling.org.uk on 
Gifford Hosts SuP6R Six Opener
Posted: 1 March 2011 | Event: 5 March 2011
Article by: Colin Renton
Four riders who competed at last year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi feature on the start list for the opening round of the Scottish Power Renewables SuP6r Six Series at Gifford on Saturday, March 5.
David Lines and Ross Creber will line up for the elite event, while Eileen Roe and Jane Barr are among the entrants in a high quality field in the women's category.
Lines and Gary Hand - winner at Gifford on his way to lifting the inaugural series in 2009 - will compete for the Endura/Pedal Power Development Team, which also includes Jordan Stokes, winner of the B race at Dunfermline last year.
Creber, the 2009 Scottish Road Race Champion, is now riding with Cycle Premier-Metaltek and will no doubt relish to prospect of locking horns with his former Endura team-mates.
Other teams likely to feature are Glasgow Wheelers, featuring Alan Thomson - a consistent performer in last year's series - and Team Leslie Bikeshop led by Alistair Robinson, who won the Ingliston Criterium Series last season. Meanwhile, Dooleys RT, who will have last year's junior runner up Andrew Leith in their ranks alongside Martin Lonie, winner of last season's B Series and Velo Ecosse will be represented by Finlay Young, the 2010 junior winner.
Contenders from south of the border include former British Under 23 champion Ben Greenwood (Rapha-Condor-Sharp) and York-based Scot Alistair Kay (Herbalife/Wheelbase), whose palmares includes winning the 2008 Brompton World Championship title ahead of three-time Vuelta a Espana winner Roberto Heras.
Last year's Series winner Evan Oliphant will not be in action, as he is currently racing in Spain and the top five finishers in last year's B race have all moved up to become 3rd category riders. However, David Thomson (Johnstone Wheelers), who was sixth, will compete against a field that includes a large number of new racers.
Among the women looking to get the better of Roe, who will race in the colours of Team Leslie Bikeshop-Rightmove Windows, and Barr, competing for Velocity 44 Stirling, in the women's race will be Katy Winton Kinesis-Morvelo) the Scottish Women's Cyclo-cross champion and a member of the British Cycling Academy.
The sporting Gifford circuit, measures 8.1 miles, with the start in the village. The B race, featuring the women and various veterans' categories will cover five laps, starting at 10.30 am, and the A event will be contested over eight laps getting underway at 1pm.
The route is spectator friendly and race organiser Dougal Allan recommends two vantage points saying: "Gifford Square is the ideal place to watch the races depart and then see it come past approximately every 20 minutes. With shops, cafes and pubs nearby it provides everything the spectator could need. It's also within walking distance of the finish point which the year is just outside the village on the west side.''
GIFFORD FINAL START SHEETS
Start sheet - Event 'A'
