Colin Renton writes… Gary Hand (Endura/Pedal Power Development Team) secured the Scottish Power Renewables SuP6R Six title for a second time when he snatched the win at the Billy Warnock Memorial Road Race, the final event in this year’s competition.
Hand, who also prevailed in the inaugural series in 2007, needed to win to overhaul James McCallum (Rapha Condor-Sharp), who was absent on this occasion. And the Scottish international rider did exactly that on a dreich afternoon, taking the honours in a bunch sprint.
The Falkirk BC promotion brought to an end another year of successful collaboration between the title sponsors and Scottish Cycling. And it ended in some style with a hard fought race on a fast course around Grangemouth. The heavy overnight rain abated shortly before the flag dropped, although surface water made sections of the route treacherous. However, the pace was high throughout an event that earned the accolade for race of the year from Scottish Cycling last season.
Despite several injections of pace, the bunch remained intact throughout the first two of the five circuits and it was the third lap which produced the first decisive move. A split occurred on the flat section through Airth and, by the time the riders reached the climb at Cowie, the gap had grown to a substantial margin.
Keith Laird (Glasgow Couriers) crested the hill first and continued to pile on the pressure. In his wake, Dooleys Racing Team headed the pursuers and they had trimmed the deficit by the time the field entered the penultimate circuit.
A further selection occurred on lap four, with the breakaway group splintering to leave Robbie Hassan (Endura/Pedal Power Development Team) and Ross Creber (Cycle Premier/Metaltek) 10 seconds clear at the head of the action entering the final circuit. A bunch of seven featuring all three of the elite squad from Herbalife/Wheelbase were chasing hard, while Allister Watt (Granite City RT) was drifting off the back of that posse.
But a big effort by the Endura squad brought the race together once more over the last lap and the outcome hung in the balance entering the long straight towards the finish line. Richard Bolt (Herbalife/Wheelbase) crossed the line with his arms raised. However, his celebrations were premature as there were still several hundred metres to race before the course doubled back and crossed the line for a second time. Around the final roundabout, the battle for the win gathered momentum and Hand squeezed home by the narrowest of margins to snatch the win and secure the overall title from James McCallum (Rapha Condor-Sharp), who missed the race.
In his wake, David Lines (Endura/Pedal Power Development Team) finished second, just pipping Graeme Neagle (Glasgow Wheelers) and Gary McCrae (Team Leslie Bike Shop/Right Move Windows), although Lines subsequently asked to be removed from the official results.
Afterwards Hand said, “The whole team rode for me – they were absolutely amazing. It was a great team effort. Going into the race, everyone knew that if I won it I would win the series.†The SuP6R Six success capped an impressive first season for the Endura Development squad. Hand added, “Obviously the main objective is to help bring the young lads on and give them experience of racing as part of a team. So I owe that result to the team.â€
Meanwhile, in the support race, Ricky Sutherland (Royal Albert) had the edge in a gallop involving 51 riders, just getting the better of Neil Crawford (Dundee Thistle) and Dale McCallum (Bicycleworks), whose third place secured the overall win in the B series, which was reduced to five events. Tucked safely in the bunch was Jenny Stanning (Edinburgh RC), winner of the women’s competition.
SuP6R Six Round 6 – Race A – 7th August 2011
1 Gary Hand Endura/PedalPower Development Team 1st 03:03:19
2 Graeme Neagle Glasgow Wheelers 2nd st
3 Gary McCrae Team Leslie Bike Shop / Right Move Windows V2 st
4 Andrew Whitehall Glasgow Wheelers 3rd st
5 Gordon Murdoch Team Cyclelane 2nd st
6 Scott McCrossan Endura/PedalPower Development Team 2nd st
7 Richard Bolt Herballife/Wheelbase Elite 3
8 Dillon Byrne Herballife/Wheelbase Elite 5
9 Ian Taylor Herballife/Wheelbase Elite st
10 Neil Taylor Edinburgh RC 2nd st
11 Allan Clark Sandy Wallace Cycles 2nd 8
12 Ross Creber Cycle Premier/Metaltek Elite 17
13 Craig Adams GJS Racing Team 2nd 42
14 Stephen Russell team cyclelane V2 st
15 Jordan Stokes Endura/PedalPower Development Team 2nd st
16 Keith Laird Glasgow Couriers 3rd st
17 Martin Lonie Dooley-cycles.co.uk 2nd st
18 Dougie Young Endura/PedalPower Development Team 2nd st
19 Brian Duncan Granite City RT 3rd st
20 Ross Green Stewartry Wheelers/Next LevelBi 3rd Junior st
21 Richard Small Team Icarus 2nd st
22 Rich Semple Team Cyclelane 3rd st
23 Hamish MacLean www.thebicycleworks.com V3 st
24 Roman Bardzik Granite City RT 3rd st
25 Stevie Crowther Team Leslie Bike Shop / Right Move Windows 3rd st
26 Trevor Wilson Dales Cycles Racing Team Scotland 3rd st
27 Mark Skilling Ayr Roads / Harry Fairbairn CC 3rd st
28 Rab Wardell Kinesis 2nd st
29 Ian King Velocity 44 Stirling V3 st
30 Greg Brown Dooleys Cycles RT 3rd st
31 Paul Torrance Ayr Roads / Harry Fairbairn CC 3rd 46
32 Robert Cowie Aberdeen Wheelers CC V3 st
33 Andrew Matheson Musselburgh Roads CC V2 st
34 John McCaffery Team Leslie Bike Shop / Right Move Windows V3 st
35 John McQuade GJS Racing Team V3 st
36 Stevie Hazlett Glasgow Ivy V2 st
37 Phil Deveney Glasgow Nightingale CC 3rd st
38 John Patterson Dumfries CC 3rd st
39 Paul McDonald Johnstone Wheelers CCÂ V3 st
40 Mike Spalding Deeside Thistle CC V3 st
41 Nigel MacAodha Aberdeen Wheelers 3rd 49
42 Tim Blathwayt VC Edinburgh 3rd st
43 Alister Watt Granite City RT V2 st
44 Paul McInally Rock & Road Cycles 3rd st
45 Veli-Matti Raikkonen Granite City RT 2nd st
46 Robert Hassan Endura/PedalPower Development Team 1st 52
47 Keith Robertson Granite City RTÂ V2 53
48 Peter Murdoch team cyclane 2nd st
49 Tom Anderson Falkirk BC V3 st
50 Scott Newman Inverclyde Velo 3rd 09:04
51 Steven Robertson Team Icarus 3rd st
52 Mark Baugh Stirling BCÂ 3rd st
53 Neil Anderson Deeside Thistle CC 3rd st
Race B
1 Ricky Sutherland Royal Albert 4th 01:54:38
2 Neil Crawford Dundee Thistle RC 4th st
3 Dale McCallum Thebicycleworks.com Jnr 3rd st
4 Ryan Fenwick Stewartry Wheelers/MPG Cycles 3rd st
5 McKenzie McPherson Falkirk BC 4v st
6 Mike Henderson Moray Firth CC 4th st
7 Gary Cross Falkirk BC V3 st
8Â Raymond Reidy Team Leslie Bike Shop Right Move Windows V3 50 st
9 Euan Macpherson Dunfermline CC 3rd st
10 John Gartland Glasgow Ivy CC 4th st
11 Craig Marshall West Lothian Clarion CC 4th st
12 Ewan Minty Berwick Wheelers CC 4th st
13 Christopher Walsh Unattached 4th st
14 Georges Avraam Edinburgh RC V4 50 st
15 Raymond Williams Edinburgh RC 4th st
16 Gary Maher Dales Cycles 4th st
17 Andrew Scott Musselburgh Roads CC 4th st
18 Francis Hepburne Scott Edinburgh RC 4th st
19 Robert Kelly Ayr Roads / Harry Fairbairn CC 4th st
20 Gavin Mooney Velo Club Edinburgh V st
21 Chris Stewart Hardrock Cycling Club 4th st
22 Graeme Scott Edinburgh RC 4th st
23 Paul McSkimming www.dooleys-cycles.co.uk V4 st
24 Bruce Fullerton Falkirk BC 4th st
25 David Dalziel Glasgow Nightingale CCÂ 4th st
26 Benjamin Peacock Johnstone Wheelers CCÂ 4th st
27 Brian Hamilton Pedal Power RT V4 st
28 Andy Douglas Pedal Power RT V4 st
29 Scott Lindsay Innerleithen MTB Racing / i-Cycles Jnr 4th st
30 Alec McCallister Ayr Roads / Harry Fairbairn CC V 50+ st
31 Jenny Stanning Edinburgh RC 2nd W st
32 David Anderson Deeside Thistle CC 4th st
33 Graeme Small East Kilbride RC V4 st
34 Chris McLean Peebles CC 4th st
35 Steve Macluskie VC Glasgow South 4th st
36 Barrie McCutcheon Johnstone Wheelers CC 4th st
37 Wilson Kane East Kilbride RC 4th st
38 John Milligan Dundee Wheelers CC V4 st
39 Ayrton Pellet Edinburgh RC Jnr st
40 Craig Gilmour Falkirk BC 4th st
41 Jim Meek Team Leslie Bike Shop Right Move Windows 4th st
42 Stephen Dickson Falkirk BC 4th st
43 Mark Murray Moray Firth CCÂ 4th st
44 Peter Ward Velo Club Edinburgh 4th st
45 Jack Mclaren Falkirk BC 4th st
46 Scott McCallum Unattached 4th st
47 Matt Hennon Inverclyde Velo 4th st
48 Katie Wylie Falkirk BC W st
49 Michael Fong Velo Club Edinburgh 4th st
50 Luke Johnstone Chryston Wheelers CC Jnr st
51 Owen Philipson Stirling Bike Club 4th st
52 Daniel Halliday Unattached 4th 21
53 Alexa Mair Edinburgh RC 3rd WÂ 01:44
54 Brendan Roe Team Leslie Bike Shop Right Move Windows V50 01:49
55 Cameron Milne Team Leslie Bike Shop Right Move Windows 4th st
56 Arron Wright Pedal Power RT 4th 03:03
57 Gordon Jackson Hawick CC V4 04:12
58 David Borland Johnstone Wheelers CC day 04:18
59 William McDonald Johnstone Wheelers CC Day 08:47
60 Sandy Wallace Sandy Wallace Cycles V3 60 11:22
60 Charles McCusker Unattached Day st
62 David Lang Glasgow Wheelers CCÂ V3 60 23:22
62 Olivier Camy Sandy Wallace Cycles 4th st