The 38th edition of the Sam Robinson Memorial Road Race hosted by Glasgow Nightingale Cycling Club and race sponsors Solid Rock Cycles, got under way under glorious blues skies and bright sunshine.
Following the classic Sam Robinson route - a demanding 79 mile course - the 2012 field reflected the race's classic status in the Scottish Road Racing Calendar with 70 riders in the roll out.
Gusty conditions led to strong headwinds and cross winds at various points on the course and when the wind dropped the riders had the heat to contend with. The combination of a such a demanding course and the weather conditions meant that significant breaks could not be established and the field was gradually whittled down to leave the strongest riders to contest the finish.
An early break saw a group of thirteen riders open a 37 second gap which was gradually stretched to 55 seconds. The main field was made of two large groups separated by five seconds. The gap was reduced to 45 seconds as the riders approached the most testing climb of the race - The Dukes Pass - which reduced it still further to 25 seconds.
The small lead group of six riders had a 37 second lead at the 50 mile mark which they worked hard to maintain as they tackled another of the race's testing climbs the "Top of the World."
Simon Baxter (Herbalife - Leisure Lakes Bikes) finished strongly and gapped his breakaway companions by 48 seconds in the closing hilly 10 mile circuit to finish with a time of 2:43:23. Edward Addis (Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers) was second and Gary Hand (Pedal Power-Endura-Forme Racing) took third place.
Results:
1 Simon Baxter Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com 1st 02:43:23
2 Edward Addis Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 1st @ 48sec
3 Gary Hand Pedal Power-Endura-Forme Racing Elite st
4 Matthew MacDonald Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 2nd @ 49sec
5 Richard McDonald www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd st
6 Grant Ferguson Boardman Elite 2nd st
7 Andrew Whitehall Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 2nd st
8 Keith Laird Glasgow Couriers 3rd @ 52sec
9 Scott McCrossan Rock to Roll Cycles Ltd 1st @ 54sec
10 Craig Wallace Granite City RT JUN st
11 Jamie Kennedy Glasgow Couriers 1st st
12 Neil Taylor Edinburgh RC 2nd @ 1:01
13 David Beattie Deeside Thistle CC 3rd @ 1:03
14 Rich Semple www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd @ 2:02
15 Robert Hassan Herbalife-Leisure Lakes Bikes.com Elite @ 2:19
16 Peter Hale GJS Racing Team JUN @ 2:54
17 David Lines Pedal Power-Endura-Forme Racing 1st @ 3:00
18 Lewis Oliphant Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers 2nd st
19 Alister Watt Granite City RT 2nd st
20 Alastair McNicol TheBicycleWorks.com 2nd @ 3:02
21 Ewan Minty Berwick Wheelers CC 2nd st
22 Richard Garrett Velo Club Edinburgh 3rd st
23 Ewan McDougall Elgin CC 3rd st
24 Stuart MacGregor www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd @ 3:07
25 Arthur Doyle www.Dooleys-Cycles.co.uk 2nd @ 3:08
26 Craig McCulloch Velo Ecosse 3rd @ 6:04
27 Andrew Cox TheBicycleWorks.com 2nd @ 6:23
28 Scott Johnston Icarus Racing 3rd @ 13:03
29 Tim Blathwayt Velo Club Edinburgh 2nd @ 14:17
30 Peter Ward Velo Club Edinburgh 3rd @ 14:31
31 Roman Bardzik Granite City RT 3rd st
32 Ciaran Dougherty East Kilbride Road Club 3rd st
33 Derek Walker East Kilbride Road Club 3rd st
34 Mark Skilling Ayr Roads Cycling Club 3rd st
35 Philip Deveney Glasgow Nightingale CC 3rd @ 21:50
36 Phil Allan Granite City RT 3rd @ 23:03
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.
