Location: East Lothian, Scotland
Event: 3 March 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
PROMISING first-year junior Tom Arnstein enjoyed the perfect start to his season with victory in the 65-mile Gifford Road Race in Scotland.
The 17-year-old, competing in his first open road race since leaving the youth ranks and riding for Equipe Velo Ecosse-Montpelliers, outsprinted fellow second category Arthur Doyle (Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk) after eight lively laps of an undulating East Lothian circuit with elite rider Andrew Hawdon (Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com) nine seconds back in third place.
The winning break came from a front group of a dozen riders which formed in two waves over the opening two laps and built a lead of around four minutes over the pack.
The leaders were whittled down to six before Doyle attacked on the last lap with around two miles to go, chased by Robin Wilkins (Equipe Velo Ecosse) and Hawdon who were then caught by Arnstein, who went straight through and worked his way up to Doyle’s wheel.
What they said
“I was on a good day yesterday,” said Arnstein, who claimed the win was a “huge surprise.
“I wasn’t expecting that in the slightest. I’d rested a bit coming up to it, my legs felt good and I felt quite comfortable all the way round.
“I’m racing a few of the National Junior Series rounds and I’m off to the Basque Country in Spain for a month in July, so I have a nice busy season planned out.
“The Glasgow Commonwealth Games are an ambitious ambition for me, but realistic I think.”
Results:
1 Tom Arnstein Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 2nd 02:41:18
2 Arthur Doyle www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd st
3 Andrew Hawdon Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com Elite 9
4 David Lines Endura/Forme/Pedal Power 1st st
5 Peter Murdoch Team Cycle Lane 1st 12
6 Robin Wilkins Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 1st 14
7 Tom Last Team IG - Sigma Sport 1st 01:27
8 Robbie Hassan Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com Elite st
9 Gary Hand Endura/Forme/Pedal Power Elite st
10 Andrew Coupe Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com Elite 01:28
11 Michael Nicolson Unattached 1st st
12 Alan Thomson Sandy Wallace Cycles 2nd 01:32
13 Craig Wallace Granite City RT 3rd 03:19
14 Graham McGarrity www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd 03:25
15 Tim Blathwayt Velo Club Edinburgh 2nd 03:32
16 Jack Barrett Velocity 44 Stirling 2nd 03:54
17 Richard Meadows Velo29-OTR-Vankru Elite 03:56
18 Stephen Russell Team Cycle Lane 2nd 03:58
19 Kieran Brady City Cycle Centre.com 2nd 04:02
20 Edward Addis Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 1st st
21 Tommy Murray Glasgow Wheelers 2nd st
22 Martin Lonie www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd st
23 Simon Baxter Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com 1st st
24 Paul Rennie www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd st
25 Brian Duncan Granite City RT 3rd st
26 Richard McDonald www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd st
27 Finlay Young Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 2nd st
28 Craig Adams GJS Racing Team 2nd st
29 Veli-Matti Raikkonen Granite City RT 2nd sto Name Team Cat Time
30 Ewan McDougall Elgin CC 3rd st
31 dale McCallum TheBicycleWorks.com 2nd st
32 Ross Green Stewartry Wheelers 3rd st
33 Richard Garrett Velo Club Edinburgh 3rd st
34 Cameron Balfour CNP - Orbea 3rd st
35 Gavin Shirley www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd st
36 Jamie Kennedy Glasgow Couriers 1st st
37 Gary McCrae Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows 2nd st
38 Andrew Matheson Musselburgh RCC 3rd st
39 Neil Taylor Edinburgh RC 2nd st
40 Geoffrey Martin Glasgow Wheelers 3rd st
41 Stuart McCluskey Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows 2nd st
42 John McCaffery Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows 3rd st
43 Greg Brown www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd st
44 Andrew Cox TheBicycleWorks.com 2nd st
45 Keith Laird Glasgow Couriers 3rd st
46 Allan Clark Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows 3rd st
47 Joe Larner Edinburgh RC 3rd st
48 Jordan Stokes Endura/Forme/Pedal Power 2nd st
49 Lindsay Gordon TheBicycleWorks.com 3rd st
50 David Griffiths Glasgow Wheelers 2nd st
51 Ross Crook Edinburgh RC 2nd st
52 Matthew MacDonald Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 2nd st
53 Gavin Shuttleworth Velocity 44 Stirling 3rd st
54 Peter Ward Velo Club Edinburgh 3rd st
55 Alister Watt Granite City RT 2nd st
56 Hamish McLean Labrat CC 3rd 04:15
57 Callum Wilkinson TheBicycleWorks.com 1st 04:18
58 Rich Semple www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd 04:20
59 Karl Denton Blumilk.com 2nd 04:26
60 Peter Hale GJS Racing Team 3rd st
61 Franco Porco GJS Racing Team 3rd 05:36
62 Ricky Sutherland Pro Am Race Club 3rd st
63 Gordon Murdoch Team Cycle Lane 1st 05:37
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
