Words and images: The Press Room
If Friday evening was busy, then the Saturday programme was jam-packed! First up was the Open Sprint 200m Qualifying TT…some of the riders from yesterday and some fresher legs. As is usually the way in qualifiers, the times got progressively quicker as each rider took their turn. Two riders went under the 11 second mark, Jamie Alexander (Team Azur) and Alistair Fielding (Black Line) and several more were just behind in their times.
This set up the heats for the Open Sprint and in heat one Jamie Alexander took both matches against John Gillies (Team Azur). In heat two, Alistair Fielding again took both matches against his opponent Colin Davenport (SR Albannach).
Heat three saw Rory Oliver (VC St Raphael) take the first match but Andrew Leveton (Ses Racing) came back and took the two remaining matches to progress.
In heat four, Jeremy Franks (City of Edinburgh RC) took both matches against Kallum Stewart (University of Nottingham SCC).
Into the final ride-offs and we had Jamie Alexander riding against Alistair Fielding for 1st and 2nd and Andrew Leveton against Jeremy Franks for 3rd and 4th. Both were decided in just two matches with Andrew Leveton posting 11.663 and 11.65 to take the bronze.
Jamie Alexander posted 11.186 and 10.854 in his matches with Alistair Fielding to settle Gold and Silver positions.
Then we were treated to the first round of the Open 4000m Individual Pursuit…and all eyes were on Commonwealth Games hopeful John Archibald (Pro Vision Scotland)…he didn’t fail to deliver in the heats, posting a 4-21.158 to set a new Scottish Record and getting inside the Commonwealth Games qualifying time.
The three other fastest riders were Kyle Gordon (RT23) with 4-29.642, Tom Chandler (Metaltek Kuota RT) with 4-34.551 and Rob Friel (Pro Vision Scotland) in 4-36.408.
This set up the final between Archibald and Gordon, with the Bronze medal ride-off between Chandler and Friel. Tom Chandler had the upper hand to begin with but Rob Friel, wearing borrowed aero kit, pulled level and for a while there was nothing in it. Friel, having paced himself perfectly, began to move clear and ended the race with a win in a time of 4-34.689 to take Bronze.
In the final, John Archibald quickly established a lead and was in serious danger of catching Kyle Gordon before the 4000m distance had been run. In the end, Gordon just held out but the Gold went to Archibald who once again went below the Commonwealth Games qualifying time in 4-23.616 to Gordon’s 4-31.959. Gold to John Archibald, Silver to Kyle Gordon and Bronze to Rob Friel.
We also had the B Competition Open Sprint and this was followed by the Women’s 4000m Team Pursuit.
In the B Sprint we had three heats with Craig Hamilton and James Wright (both SR Albannach) in heat one. Craig Hamilton triumphed to move forward. In heat two Jason Lafferty (VC Astar Anderside) was pitched against Stuart Donaghy and heat three was an all VC Glasgow South affair with Jim Barr against Ian Barton. Lafferty won his heat, as did Barr.
This put the remaining riders into the repechage draw and Ian Barton went through to once again face his teammate. The result was the same as last time, with Barr moving forward.
Craig Hamilton overcame Jason Lafferty to place first in the B Competition and 9th overall in the Open Sprint.
In the Women’s 4000m Team Pursuit we had three teams…a super team comprised of Glasgow clubs, a team from Stirling BC and a team from Edinburgh University. The Stirling (Brenda Callander, Elizabeth Clayton, Carole Dick, Katherine Wren) and Edinburgh (Lulu Bartlett, Louise Borthwick, Margaret Normand, Rosie Owens) teams set the fastest times in the heats to set up the final ride-off, 5-20.314 for Edinburgh Uni and 5-36.745 for Stirling.
In the final, the Edinburgh team pushed on and caught the Stirling team to win Gold. Silver to the team from Stirling BC.
Next it was the turn of the Women with the Team Sprint and five teams were in the mix. The Glasgow Cycle Team entry of Lucy Grant and Lusia Steele looked head and shoulders above the rest and easily progressed to the final posting a time of 35.921…up against the Fullarton Wheelers pairing of Natalie Hunter and Zoe Watters, who posted 40.539.
This set up a Bronze medal ride-off between Ines Barroca Rahtz and Grace Inglis of Glasgow University CC and Kathleen McCormac and Georgia Young representing G&K.
Bronze would go to the Glasgow University pairing. In the final, there was no stopping the Glasgow Cycle Team pairing of Lucy Grant and Lusia Steele as they blasted round the track to secure the Gold.
In the Open VI Tandem Flying 200m TT non-championship heats we had three teams line up: Laura Cammidge, piloted by Morven Brown (Dales Cycles RT Scotland), Natalie Jamieson (Fullarton Wheelers) with Rebecca Dornan (The Racers) and Laura Cluxton (Rock and Road) with Emma Baird (Glasgow Wheelers).
The team of Laura Cluxton and Emma Baird posted a time of 11.730 to take the win. Natalie Jamieson and Rebecca Dornan came second in 13.391, with Laura Cammidge and Morven Brown just behind in 13.423.
In the Women’s10km Scratch Race the bunch stayed together for quite a while until the pace was eventually ramped up, different riders showing on the front and pushing hard. Riders began to lose the wheels and eventually a number were lapped. Coming on to the bell lap Louise Haston (TORQ Performance) surged to the front and rode away from the others on the back straight.
It was a convincing win for Louise with Gemma Penman (Glasgow CT) beating Anna Shackley (Glasgow Riderz) in the sprint for second.
Last event of the day was the Open 20km Scratch race and just like the previous evening’s Points race, it was a race of attrition. The pace was hot and as riders tried to make something work, inevitably others were dropped out the back and retired.
Attack after attack but nothing stuck until Tom Chandler made a bid for home 10 laps out. He built up half a lap’s lead and it was looking good but with six to run, he was slowly being reeled in. Could he survive? With three left to go his lead went back out again but the bunch was just building and he was caught at the bell, his teammate Andy Brown (Metaltek Kuota RT) surging passed him.
There was no stopping Brown and he held the lead all the way to the line, Euan Sutherland (Glasgow CT) holding off Finn Harrod (Cyclism Cycling) in the sprint for second. An excellent win for Andy!
So, another packed day of racing and one more to go tomorrow to finalise this year’s Scottish National Senior Track Championships. See you there!
