Report: Hand Grabs SuP6R Six Success

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.”

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 CC  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 RT  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 BC  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
8  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 CC  4th st
26 Benjamin Peacock Johnstone Wheelers CC  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 CC  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 W  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 CC  V3 60 23:22
62 Olivier Camy Sandy Wallace Cycles 4th st

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