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Early race report - Gifford Sup6r Six |
From A Race rider, Niall Aitken
Conditions were about as ideal today as you could hope for, unfortunately! I was hoping for it to be somewhat gnarly, but alas no wind rain or freezing temperatures. Shorts it was then... looking fly in my new Pedal Power RT team kit I had a wee chat with team mate Scott McCrossan at the start of the race. There had been lots of crashes in the first race so we were well warned of podgy road conditions. First couple of laps were the standard - a few silly attacks before any realistic moves start. Unfortunately I just failed to get myself into any of the realistic moves. After that I settled in the bunch in the hope that the Herballife and Leslie boys who had both missed the break would do some work.... This didn't materialise until the 5th lap and it was too little too late!
4 man break pass through Gifford.
Going into the last couple of laps the break of 4 had about a minute and it was peloton compacto behind. Both Scott and I were riding well and well positioned near the front of the bunch. The pace finally picked up on the last lap and my legs were feeling surprisingly good. Then it all started to unravel for me, half way up the prime hill on the last lap, someone clipped my rear deraileur and I dropped my chain. Gutted! It took me around 30 secs to flip it back on by which time it was race over for me. I buried myself to the finish slightly disappointed but pleased with how well my legs were going. More positives than negatives from the race definitely. Scott did well in the sprint which must be tough on junior gears, give the lad a 11 and he would have been right up there. Race won by Matt Kipling, and local pro team Endura Racing's Calum Wilkinson was 2nd. Good ride by Calum and Davie Lines, also of Endura took the bunch gallop after what I am told was a somewhat pedestrian lead out by Davie's team mate, Gary Hand. After the race, Davie Lines posted on his twitter - "Callum Wilkinson 2nd today, away in a break of 4, just outsprinted by Matt Kipling, Gary Hand lead me out to win the bunch sprint for 5th"
Winning bunch sprint for the finish line.
The B race, which started at 1030, didn't fair too good for Pedal Power's Greg Byron who punctured on the 1st lap. Team mates Bary Duncan and young Jordan Stokes finished in the main bunch. After the race Barry said, "I've been training all winter but I still need to find my racing legs. Jordan and I finished safely with the main bunch - there had been a few scary crashes! Pity Greg's race finished so early as he was looking good."
We hope to provide the final race results when they are available. Thanks to Niall, Barry, Greg, Davie and Blair Gibb for the updates and Photographs.
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