Edinburgh RC are excited to be hosting the first of Scottish Cycling's 2016 TT Championships. A field just shy of one hundred will contest the Tour of the Meldons Mountain Time Trial which is this year's Scottish Cycling Olympic TT Championships.
An early season classic hilly time trial, following a scenic 25 mile loop over the Meldons hills near Peebles, the Tour of the Meldons is one of the classic time trial events on the Scottish Calendar with a history dating back to the 1930s.
It was then that Jim Wight of the Edinburgh Road Club conceived the mountain time trial circuit including the climbs of Shiplaw and the Meldons. Though at that time the Shiplaw section was but a rough track, the course grew in popularity and the Tour of the Meldons was established.
Edinburgh Road Club organised the race for many years until the club was disbanded during the Second World War. After the war, the race was promoted by another club until it disbanded and the race was left in limbo.
In 1974 Edinburgh Road Club was reformed and in 1975 the Meldons was reborn and has continued since, enjoying a high profile by attracting top riders from Scotland and further afield. In 1998 Tommy Evans paid a rare visit from Ireland and won the event, breaking the course record on a 100" fixed!
The event has hosted rounds of the former Scottish Olympic Time Trial series and has been used for the Scottish Olympic Time Trial championships on several occasions. In 2007 the course was changed for safety reasons, starting and finishing in Eddleston but retaining an uphill finish.
The Meldons Trophy, dedicated to the memory of the race's founder Jim Wight, is a worthy addition to the palmares of any roadman or time trialist.
Last year's winners Lynsey Curran (Dooleys Cycles) and Chris Smart (GTR) will be present to defend their titles against strong competition from in form Catriona Gunn (Sandy Wallace Cycles), Louise Borthwick (Edinburgh RC), Toni McIntosh (Ayr Roads CC) and former Meldons champions Jim Cusick (Dooleys Cycles), Arthur Doyle (Dooleys Cycles), Gary Robson (Gala CC) and Ken Russell (Edinburgh RC).
Edinburgh RC club secretary Jonny May said:
"2016 is a busy year for ERC with the club promoting a record number of events including youth and senior crits at Ingliston, a Tour Series support race, three rounds of the East & Central Road Race Series, a youth CX, an end of season team time trial and for the very first time the Tour de Gladhouse Scottish Cycling Women's Series Road Race."
More information on the event can be found here.
