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Badaguish Outdoor Centre, Aviemore was host to the SXC round five which doubled as the Scottish National Championships on Sunday 23th August. After a wet start the sun prevailed before racing started at 1100 but the gusty north west wind persisted all day.

This fine XC course has eluded the SXC calendar over recent years so a return was very welcome and the fabulous Outdoor Centre facilities befitting for the National Champs. The initial fire road climb is perfect for stretching a quality field before the course turns single track for a steep and technical wood climb. A tricky rocky outcrop at the top of the hill tests the nerve of the most intrepid rider before various single track loops incorporating both steep descents and fierce climbs bring the rider back out on a lower fire road completing the 3.4 mile lap. The scenery is nothing less than stunning with views over the Spey Valley and the hills beyond and the purple hue of the flowering heather added to the aura.

A mass 11am race start with all categories except Elite, Expert, Sport and Veteran Male who raced in the afternoon. The morning race included the Elite women. As expected the first lap pace was fast with Elite female riders maintaining a close pack within the main field made up of the young male riders. However the technical descents, sharp climbs and heat soon separated the field. The Elite/Master women were also starting to split with Jane Barr, Velocity 44 pulling ahead of Kirsty MacPhee, Rock and Road Cycles and Morven Brown, Dales Cycle Team Scotland in second and third respectively.   But MacPhee kept Barr in sight for the entire race making for an exciting final showdown on the final fire road and climb. Barr had a brilliant race finishing in 11:41:42 with MacPhee hot on her wheel finishing a mere 32s behind. Brown, after competing in the National Track Championships at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome the weekend before, and making a much applauded return to mountain biking and came in third just over 8 minutes behind to take her first National Championship podium! She later commented “Absolutely ecstatic to take third place! Such an awesome course, so much fun, totally technical from start to finish and so much climbing! Brilliant racing with the other women, totally tired and happy now, from Track Champs to XC Champs in just a week... That's just how I roll!”

Two ladies competed for the Women’s Junior title; Erica Allen, Team Thomsons Cycles and Ella Conolly, Contessa Scott Syncros and they both fought a tough and close three laps. Allen eventually wore Conolly’s attacks down to take the win by a mere 31 seconds and both riders deserve great credit.

The afternoon saw the Elite, Expert, Sport, Junior and Veteran men hit the fire road with a 1400 mass sprint start! The wind, if anything, had increased and the sun was uncharacteristically intense adding to the ensuing drama round the course had dried and was fast leading to some hair raising descents from some riders, not least by retired downhill World Cup rider and Veteran Carrick Crawford-Anderson who scared the living daylights out of the watching crowd. A commissaire commentated “If his climbing was half as good as his descending he would be unstoppable!” Perhaps a little harsh as Carrick-Anderson had punctured in the first lap without which he may well have been unstoppable! 

Although the field spread out over the first few laps the leading group of Robert Friel, Pro Vision Cycle Clothing, James Fraser-Moodie, Pedal Power RT, Douglas Shearer, Unattached and Allan Clark Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers Boutique were beginning to stretch the gap between them and the following riders.

By lap four, bar disaster the race was decided in the male Junior these group with Johnston extending his lead on every pedal stroke as the climbing, heat and distance was beginning to take the toll on the rest of the field. However positions didn’t change within both groups with Johnston finishing in 1:24:16; Calchrie in 1:33:48 and Lawton in 1:39:29.

The five lap, seventeen miles race is a big undertaking particularly with the constant climbing endured at Badaguish but the pace seen through the entire field was nothing short of incredible and a great testament to the talent and fitness of these riders. The battle for the podium positions was intense and the slightest of mistakes at the front would have led to a place lost such was the competition.

However Friel kept his cool to take an impressive win by just under two minutes from second placed Fraser-Moodie who finished in a stunning 1:41:46 closely followed by Shearer finishing half a minute later. The top 10 riders were all across the line less than four minutes later which must make this one of the closest fought Scottish Championships in recent year.

Full results www.sxc.org.uk

Round 6, the final SXC race of the season moves to the much-loved course at Forfar on the 27th September.

Scottish Championship Results

Pos No. Name Team Category
1 2 BARR Jane Velocity 44 Stirling Elite/Expert Female
2 6 MACPHEE Kirsty Rock And Road Cycles Elite/Expert Female
3 3 BROWN Morven Dales Cycles Racing Team Scotland Elite/Expert Female
         
1 357 GRANT Gregor Moray Firth Cycling Club G/Vet
2 352 BEALL Gary Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers Boutique G/Vet
3 358 KENTLEY Kenny Velocity 44 Stirling G/Vet
         
1 201 ALLEN Erika Team Thomsons Cycles Junior Female
2 202 CONOLLY Ella Contessa Scott Syncros Junior Female
         
1 101 CLAYTON Elizabeth Lichfield City CC G/Vet Female
         
1 156 JOHNSTONE Conner Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers Boutique Youth Male
2 154 FLYNN Sean Edinburgh RC Youth Male
3 160 MUNRO-WHITE Tam Ben Wyvis Cycle Club Youth Male
         
1 302 FIELD Emily Stirling Bike Club Youth Female
2 301 ALLEN Katie Team Thomsons Cycles Youth Female
3 304 WATT Louisa Peebles CC Youth Female
         
1 292 NEWTON John Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers Boutique S/Vet
2 291 MCLEAN David Hetton Hawks Cycling Club S/Vet
         
1 51 ALDRIDGE Charlie Stirling Bike Club Juvenile Male
2 56 JOHNSTON Jamie Team Thomsons Cycles Juvenile Male
3 57 MCGUIRE Rory Perth United Cycling Club Juvenile Male
         
1 181 FLYNN Anna Edinburgh RC Juvenile Female
2 183 MCGORUM Anna Peebles CC Juvenile Female
3 184 WATT Jennifer   Juvenile Female
Pos No. Name Team Category
1 28 FRIEL Robert Pro Vision Cycle Clothing Elite/Expert Male
2 27 FRASER-MOODIE James Pedal Power RT Elite/Expert Male
3 34 SHEARER Douglas   Elite/Expert Male
         
1 26 CLARK Allan Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers Boutique Masters Male
2 30 LINES David Velosure Starley Primal Masters Male
3 113 CUNNINGHAM Gary Highland Bikes Racing Team Masters Male
         
1 322 JOHNSTON Harry Team Thomsons Cycles Junior Male
2 321 CARCHRIE Douglas Perth City Cycles Junior Male
3 323 LAWTON Sam Ben Wyvis Cycle Club Junior Male
         
1 232 MCCRAE Gary Leslie Bike Shop/Bikers Boutique Veteran
2 223 CLARK Christopher Rapha Cycling Club Veteran
3 237 NICHOLSON Steve Dunfermline CC Veteran