Moray Firth rider takes crown at Caithness Cycling Club Festival of Cycling
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SCOTT Davidson powered his way to victory as he claimed the men’s crown at Caithness Cycling Club’s Festival of Cycling.
The Moray Firth cyclist took the title by 42 seconds ahead of Stuart Anderson from Wick Wheeler’s last weekend.
Davidson claimed the title after finishing in second place in last year’s race behind Andrew Hamper from Caithness who was unable to compete last weekend due to work commitments.
The first event was the Mack Mowat Memorial 25-mile time trial, held in memory of the club’s first life president.
Mack was Caithness track champion in the 1920s, and won 41 out of over 100 races, and later ran his gas-lit cycle shop in Thurso’s Olrig Street until his death in 1980, aged 85.
Davidson stormed round in 55 minutes 42 seconds – 36 seconds ahead of Anderson, with Wick’s Donald Miller claiming third place.
First woman across the line was Inverness rider Martha Gates.
Alasdair Washington (86) finished on a very soft tyre but took the Veteran (Age Standard) award, with Moray’s Duncan Gillies in second place.
Hamish McAllan (Wick) was first in the new road bike category, which excludes disc wheels and tri-bars, with Orkney visitor Neil Moss second.
Event two on Sunday morning was the Caithness 10-mile time trial, which had to switch to the slower Westfield course due to road works.
Scott Davidson beat Stuart Anderson for first place by the narrowest of margins, clocking an excellent time for the conditions of 22 minutes and 55 seconds with Alan McCaffrey in third place.
Martha Gates again took the women’s prize, followed by Olga Tierney and 21-year-old Jessica Simmons.
Duncan Gillies reversed the “25” placings to win the Veterans award with a 12-second advantage over Alasdair Washington, and Hamish McAllan was again first in the road bike category, with Angus Bruntfield second.
The third and final event was the 1.9-mile Scrabster Hill Climb, replacing the popular Loch Calder Hilly which has extremely poor road surfaces.
Davidson had a narrow win over Anderson, with McCaffrey in third place.
Gates led the ladies, from Tierney and Simmons.
The overall winner for the weekend was Scott Davidson, with an aggregate time of 1.24.13 with Stuart Anderson second (1.24.55) and Hamish McAllan third (1.34.11).
The women’s winner was Martha Gates (1.37.05), with Martine Hughes in second place (2.16.26).
Earlier in the week Wick Wheeler Alun Arnold was fastest in the regular club 10-mile time trial.
Four riders recorded their best times this year, led by Alasdair Washington who improved by 31 seconds, Alistair Miller (24 seconds), Ian Miller (11 seconds) and Jessica Simmons (7 seconds).
There was an encouraging first ride from Scott Phares, on a road bike, and good performances from Gary Angus and Phil Cartwright, three days after competing in the Highland Cross.
Results:
Mack Mowat 25-mile time trial – 1, Scott Davidson (Moray Firth CC), 55.42; 2, Stuart Anderson (Wick Wh), 56.18; 3, Donald Miller (Wick Wh); 4, Hamish McAllan (Wick Wh), 1.01.54; 5, David Stuart (Cromarty Firth CC), 1.02.26; 6, Duncan Gillies (Moray GCRT), 1.02.41; 7, Neil Moss (Orkney CC), 1.03.03; 8, Martha Gates (Moray Firth CC), 1.03.58; 9, Angus Brumhead (Inverness CC), 10.9.51; 10, Alasdair Washington (Caithness CC), 1.12.01; 11, Andrew Wilson (St Christopher’s CC), 1.13.41; 12, Martine Hughes (Caithness CC), 1.29.47.
10-mile time trial: 1, Scott Davidson Moray Firth), 22min 55; 2, Stuart Anderson (WW),22.56; 3, Alan McCaffrey (Moray Firth), 23.51; 4, Alun Arnold (WW), 24.21; 5, Donald Miller (WW), 25.00; 6, David Stuart (Cromarty Firth), 25.42; 7, Duncan Gillies (Moray GCRT), 25.55; 8, Hamish McAllan (WW), 25.59; 9, Iain Miller (CCC), 26.07; 10, Martha Gates, (Moray Firth), 26.33; 11, Olga Tierney (Orkney), 27.16; 12, Angus MacKay (CCC), 27.30; 13, Innes Mitchell (Ross-shire Roads CC), 28.49; 14, Angus Brumhead (Inverness CC), 29.09; 15, Hector Nicolson (Moray Firth), 29.30; 16, Alasdair Washington (CCC), 30.35; 17, Andrew Wilson (St Christopher’s), 31.14; 18, Jessica Simmons (CCC), 33.49; 19, Martine Hughes (CCC), 37.42; 20, Anne Mitchell (SVTTA), 38.18.
Scrabster Hill Climb: 1, Scott Davidson (Moray Firth), 5.36; 2, Stuart Anderson (WW), 5.41; 3, Alan McCaffrey (Moray Firth), 6.11; 4, Hamish McAllan (WW), 6.18; 5, Stuart Swanson (WW), 6.32; 6, Martha Gates (Moray Firth), 6.34; 7, Iain Miller (CCC), 6.40; 8, Duncan Gillies (Moray GCRT), 6.49; 9, Olga Tierney (Orkney), 7.13; 10, Angus MacKay (CCC), 7.19; 11, Angus Brumhead (Inverness CC), 7.27; 12, Jessica Simmons (CCC), 8.39; 13, Martine Hughes (CCC), 9.57.
Wick Wheeler 10-mile time trial: 1, Alun Arnold, 24.02, Iain Miller, 25.16; 3, Alistair Miller, 26.03; 4, Colin Earnshaw, 26.50; 5, Angus MacKay, 27.13; 6, Scott Phares 28.22; 7, Alasdair Washington 28.33; 8, Gary Angus, 28.44; 9, Phil Cartwright, 29.11.
