Spider's Race

[Derek]

Sorry, can't make it or help out Spider (away in Dundee)
Course profile for it below:

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-ki ... 1499784172

Cheers

[spider]

Just to remind every one the TLI race is on Sunday we need a good show from club members for marshalling duties race start 11.00am............

[Guto]

9.30 or so start for marshalls etc?

[MichaelM]

Do you need more marshalls or can I ride it. Also, if I marshall and dont ride, can I still get the cakes that were so splendid last year, just need to know as its important to my stomach........

[spider]

yip 9.30 -10.00 marshall,s brief.
Guto can you pick up the cakes thanks.

[dulux]

Sorry Spider,
I'm not going to make it on Sunday to help. I need to be somewhere else.

[spider]

Guys there is a road closure on the B7078 which is now down to single carriage Scottish Power are moving large equipment.
The road up to the strip at Brocketsbrae may be shut if so can you please park at the Lesmahagow truck stop and then cycling to the strip.(Junction 10 M74).
If the road is open please do not park on the main road.
We will move the start Finish area 3 miles down the road.

[Graeme S]

Who would be a race organiser, I ask you? 12 hours to go, Spider finds out the road to his strip will be shut. 40 minutes to go, and the riders are outnumbered by the marshals. (And there aren’t enough marshals either.) 10 mins to go, and the field is suddenly big enough to finally decide on the format – three age-related groups, an APR, over 40 starters! Good news. 5 minutes to go, and Smudger saves the day – a full complement of marshals and the race can begin! Congratulations to Eensy Weensy and all his helpers, chief cooks and bottle washers: thanks to you a brutal day’s racing was had by all.

Riding for the club this week was El Presidente, who had finally accepted the burden of his palmarès and set off in the scratch ‘Senior’ group, 7 mins behind the auld yins. The inbetweenies (including the club’s hack) had 3 mins on the scratch. With Jocky and other luminaries in the front group there was always going to be blood on the carpet at the front of the race, and quickly the some novices were shredded, hopefully to return again soon. Back in the second group a selection occurred halfway up the first hill, forced by Big Jim Cusick, ably assisted by Paul McDonald among others. Strangely, Callum Gough found himself on the wrong side of this selection, but not for long: the wily ways of the hobbity one are many, and he had realised that his ride would be along soon enough. Quicker than Macho Mike behind a No 10 bus, a chugging Red train belted up to us, Messrs Thomson, Pope and Crumlish keen to bring succour to the Mighty Cusick (as if he needed any). Warp speed was quickly attained, smashing group 2b into smithereens. I saw 39mph on my clock and held on to the wheel for all I was worth, but was soon spat out the back, looking into a void of empty road behind me for someone to work with. Meanwhile the red devils drove on, El Presidente hanging in there like a trooper. We weren’t even at the end of lap 1, and it was clearly going to be a long day.

Once the Kooriers had assembled around Big Jim, Mark tells me, the madness ceased briefly, and the first group was caught. From the diminishing head of the race a select group emerged, the blue of the Fawkurk facing up to the red of the couriers. Would a helicopter be needed to carry Spider to present the winning prize in Grangemouth, or would he be whisked to the wild environs of Uplawmoor bearing yet more plaudits to the Mighty Kooriers? Nervously the Club Captain fingered the red and blue ribbons in his pocket (or at least I think that’s what he was doing). As the end drew nearer his hand seemed set to tie a knot in red: Jackhammer Thomson and Pope pounded the last remaining man in blue to a pulp. Cusick lurked ominously in the rear. But incredibly, magnificently, the blues would not be cowed, and as the flag came down the Fawkurk crossed the line first in the shape of Tom Anderson. Further back, after a terrific ride, El presidente came home in 10th place.

Great course, great cakes from our sponsor, Alexander Taylor & Co of Strathaven (The Times ‘Baker of the Year’, no less!), fantastic weather. Cheers, Spider, you have not lost the touch.

1.Tom Anderson Fawkirk Boys Club 2.03.45
2.Jim Cusick Glasgow Couriers Same
3.Alan Thomson Glasgow Couriers Same
4.Neil Cameron Fawkirk Boys Club 2.04.40
5.Wee Popster Glasgow Couriers Same
6.Barry Crumslish Glasgow Couriers Same
7.Craig mcQueen Fawkirk Boys Club 2.09.20
8.Paul McDonald Johnston Wheelers same
9.Callum Gough Onimpex same
10.Mark Richards Eastkilbride Road Club same
11.Mark Skilling Stirling 2.11.40
12.Alex McAllister Ayr Roads Club same
13.Bill Roberton same
14.Ali Begbie 2.11.54
15.Jim Daly Johnston Wheelers 2.12.28
16.David lang Glasgow Wheelers 2.12.32
17.Ramsay Muirhead 2.12.52
18.The Beast 2.13.02
19.???????? Glasgow Wheelers 2.13.14
20.Alan Paton 2.13.35
21.Drew Clarke 2.16.00
22.Brian Nicol 2.16.05
23.Barry Ruth? 2.16.10
24.James Fraser Moodie Pedal Power 2.16.25
25.Graham Small Eastkilbride Road Club 2.16.35
26.Ian Kay 2.17.50
27.Ian King 2.17.54
28.Andy Taylor Glasgow Wheelers 2.22.00
29.Nicky Docherty same
30.Grant Thomson
31.Keith Jones St Christopher,s

As ever, great pictures at Ian Henderson's site: http://pbpb.fotopic.net/c1702287.html