Location: Logie Kirk, Stirling, Scotland
Event: 29 September 2012
Report: Eddie Addis

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The sun shone but a hard wind ensured there was autumnal bite in the air as the crowds gathered for the spectacle that was the inaugural running of Stirling Bike Clubs 'Up the Kirk' Hill Climb.

A strong start list saw in excess of 120 competitors climbing aboard their steeds and embarking on an epic challenge to see who could conquer of of Scotland's toughest climbs! With several changes of gradient, long drags, steep ramps in excess of 27 per cent, tight corners and a headwind finish this really would be one to challenge event the fittest of riders, even William Wallace may have had to ‘think again’ before putting pen to paper at the sign on.

First up were the youths, who were riding a slightly shortened course, but that did not translate into easier, with a steeper average gradient than that which was set to challenge their senior rivals. Their times were, to put it mildly, flipping impressive with many that would put much of the senior race to shame.

At the sharp end of the field it was a close run thing with Glasgow Riderz Rhys Donnelly laying down a blistering 3m42s, pipping Ben Forsyth of Edinburgh Road Club by just 1 second to set the fastest time of the day. 3rd fastest time, only another 4's back with and equally as impressive 3m47s was Perth United's up and coming Matthew Peters.

Out of the strong youth start sheet it was Kiera Johnston of Glasgow Riderz who showed the other girls a clean pair of heels and galloped of into the sunset with the fastest time of female youth riders.

After the youths had shown them how it should be done, it was the turn or the senior riders to don their lycra war paint and tackle the infamous Logie Kirk. First to charge headlong into battle, with a number 1 firmly pinned to his skin tight armour was Stirling Bike Club’s Archie Johnstone, who didn’t even have the pleasure of topping the leader board as he crossed the line due to the fact his minute man and clubmate, the Flying Doctor, Graeme Hay had caught and passed him on the course.

As the war raged on no one was managing to break the five-minute barrier with many coming close until eventually Alistair Robinson, Leslie Bikes, set and impressive benchmark of 4m53s that eventually earned him 6th overall.

The sun continued to shine, coffee was drunk and cakes were eaten as cowbells and war cries echoed throughout the Ochil Hills as riders tried and failed to knock Alistair off the top step, the closest of his challengers being Craig Hardie, Hardie Bikes, who slipped just under the five minute mark with time of 4m59 to secure 7th overall.

Then the big guns came to town looking for a fight, Jamie Kennedy of Glasgow Couriers was first into battle blowing the other times clean out of Stirlingshire with an impressive 4m49s, although his rule of King of the Kirk was short lived as local hero Robin Wilkins of the Edinburgh based Equipe Velo Ecosse saddled up and knocked 2s off Jamie’s time to take control of the leaderboard.

A mere five minutes later a new challenger for the crown emerged, Glasgow Wheeler David Griffiths who took a further 10s off the time with a spritely 4m37s. In the closing stages it looked liked David may have secured the victory especially when one of the big favourites Ben Greenwood of Vanilla Bikes suffered a mechanical.

The Glasgow man must have thought he was going to return home victorious with a new crown and tales of enemies put to the sword, that was until a new arrival in on the scene threw his tartan bunnet in the ring, in the form of The Bicycleworks rider Steven Lawley.

He rode into town with the infamous Bundy Boys and annihilated the competition with an unbelievable time of 4m32s, laid claim to the throne and coveted the title of ‘2012 King of the Kirk’. There was silence, well apart from court jester Andrew Wilson and his awful 80’s playlist.

There weren’t as many ladies willing to take on the challenge but this didn’t make the rivalry any less intense, Stirling’s Sarah Stephen, who has only been riding bikes for a few months, set the early benchmark, Vicky Ware of VC Moulin then took over the reigns as fastest lady.

Her very strong time of 6m24s struck fear into the hearts of many and she held off the competition until West Lothian Clarions Jennifer Taylor stormed up the course to the delight of the crowds with an incredible time of 6m05s. Pre-race favourite Lee Cragie, Moray Firth CC, put up a good fight and came within one second of dethroning Jennifer, but she was not to be topped and claimed the overall ladies prize and became the ‘2012 Queen of the Kirk’.

Stirling’s Brenda Callander put up a late challenge and rode an impressive race to claim the third step of the podium threatening to return in 12 months’ time to claim the crown and return it to its rightful Stirlingshire home.

Inspired by the electric atmosphere the up and coming stars of tomorrow, in the form of top Scottish Juniors, Ayrton Pellet of Edinburgh Road Club, Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows Callum Foster and Stirling Bike Clubs Kyle Petrie danced up the hill to take the top three Junior spots in that order.

After lungs had stopped burning and heads stopped spinning and the remains of the delicious spread of cakes were demolished by the hungry mob, slowly the crowd dispersed back to the far reaches of Stirlingshire and beyond, peace once again fell upon the Ochils where a battle of magnitude not seen in the area since 1314 had just been fought.

Until autumn next year the King and Queen of the Kirk will be safe in their thrones and free to ride their bikes safe in the knowledge their names will be etched in legend for ever more.

Results:

Youth Results:

Youth A Boys
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Rhys	Donnelly	Glasgow Riderz	3.42
2	Ben	Forsyth	Edinburgh RC	3.43
3	Matthew	Peters	Perth United Cycling Club	3.47
4	Lewis	Grieve	Spokes	3.58
5	Jamie	Mason	West Lothian Clarion CC	4.05
6	Andrew	Brown	Falkirk Bicycle Club	4.14
7	Alistair	Merry	Discovery Juniors	4.37
8	Hector	Lancaster	Perth United Cycling Club	DNS
Youth A Girls
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Keira	Johnston	Glasgow Riderz	5.02
Youth B Boys
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Logan	Dow	Stirling Bike Club - Wallace Warriors	4.08
2	Danny	Mulholland	Johnstone Jets	4.21
3	Andrew	Merry	Discovery Juniors	4.21
4	Innes	Johnston	Glasgow Riderz	4.35
5	Alexander	MacRae		4.40
6	Lewis	Goodlad	Ythan CC	4.42
7	Ruairidh	Brown	Glasgow Riderz	4.58
8	Lewis	Stewart	Glasgow Riderz	5.39
9	Calum	Shackley	Glasgow Riderz	6.04
10	Alistair	Abbess	Stirling Bike Club	7.22
Youth B Girls
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Rhona	Callander	Stirling Bike Club	4.50
2	Philippa	Samphier	Stirling Bike Club	5.05
3	Jenny	Holl	Wallace Warriors	5.30
Youth C Boys
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Sean	Flynn	Edinburgh RC	4.00
2	Matthew	Running	Glasgow Riderz	5.09
2	Cameron	Mason	West Lothian Clarion CC	5.09
3	Sandy	Holl	Wallace Warriors	5.27
0	Toby	Dawson	Gala Cycling Club	DNS
Youth C Girls
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Ellie	Park	Glasgow Riderz	4.46
2	Emma	Forsyth	Edinburgh RC	5.46
3	Abby	Stewart	Glasgow Riderz	6.02
4	Anna	Shackley	Glasgow Riderz	6.04
5	Eva	Barnet	Edinburgh RC	7.38

Youth D Boys
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Rory	McGuire	Perth United Cycling Club	4.51
2	Alexander	Ball	West Lothian Clarion CC	5.33
3	Sorley	Johnston	Glasgow Riderz	5.38
4	Ewan	Purves	Wallace Warriors	6.16
5	Murray	Lawson	Edinburgh RC	6.39
6	Jack	Smith	Wallace Warriors	7.21
7	Scott	Sherriff	Wallace Warriors	DNS
Youth D Girls
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Anna	Flynn	Edinburgh RC	6.48
2	Rhona	Samphier	Stirling Bike Club	7.20
3	Catherine	Abbess	Stirling Bike Club	10.33
Youth E Boys
Position	Name		Club / Team Name	Overall Time
1	Robin	Purves	Stirling Bike Club	5.55
2	Paddy	Barnes	Glasgow Riderz	6.49
3	Cameron	Kerr	Wallace Warriors	6.52

Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.

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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.