The return of the North East’s famous two-day stage race and a Scot fighting for glory in France leads another busy weekend of racing.
Falling Leaves Stage Race
Hamish Armitt (Glasgow Riderz) took the overall victory at the Falling Leaves Stage Race in Ballater. A second place on stage one and remaining in the lead group on stage two was enough to claim the overall.
Local rider Elliot Rowe (Anexo Group RT) produced a solid performance to come home in second place, after winning the prologue, and Murray Souttar rounded off the podium in third, 39 seconds down on the winner, and six behind Rowe.
Well done to Chris Williamson and the Velocita Coaching team for organising the stage race, for more Regional A racing, the Scottish Junior RR Champs are hosting a Regional A support race on Saturday 16th August, which you can enter here.
Tour of Britain
Mark Stewart (Bolton-Equities Black Spoke) and Finn Crockett (Saint Piran) were in action as the Tour of Britain got underway yesterday. After a quiet stage one where both Scots managed to come home in the main field in Manchester, Crockett spent today in the breakaway for stage two, the 111km stage from Wrexham to, well, Wrexham.
A strong effort by the Highlander, the break was caught in the final 10km, but Crockett still managed to come home in the Top 20 on the stage and remain on the same time as leader Olav Kooij (Jumbo Visma) in the overall classification.
You can vote for the most combative rider, which Finn is nominated for here.
Tour de l’Avenir Femmes
Anna Shackley (Great Britain) was on excellent form at an enthralling debut edition of the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes- the de facto U23 Tour de France.
After impressing in the opening stage, with second in the individual time trial, the Scot spent the first three stages a mere 14 seconds off the overall race lead, held by German Antonia Niedermaier. The penultimate stage headed into the Alps, with Shackley finishing third on the finish into Megéve but conceded four seconds to rival Shirin van Anrooij (Netherlands), who was in third in the overall, five second behind Shackley heading into the queen final stage.
An excellent attack by the Dutch rider saw her claim an incredible solo win and claim the overall title, Shackley rode brilliantly to come home second on the stage, to maintain her place on the general classification and put over a minute into the field and over four minutes into the yellow jersey at the start of the day.
Vuelta a Espana
Sean Flynn (Team dsm-firmenich) continues to fly the flag at the Vuelta a Espana, the Scot has mostly been on leadout duty for Alberto Dainese during the flatter stages but was able to sprint to ninth place on a hectic finish on stage four.
Oscar Onley has undergone surgery on his broken collarbone and hopes to be back racing by the end of the season.
Hope Supercross
The Cyclocross season is officially underway with the first UCI race of the “winter” (yes, we know it’s 25C outside) taking place in Sunderland with the Hope Supercross series.
Cameron Mason (Trinity Racing) rode well to finish second in the Men’s Elite and kick-off his season. Newly crowned Scottish Youth MTB XC champion Innes McDonald (Scotia Offroad RT) is now a junior in the CX ranks and finished in a strong seventh in his first UCI event
