Location: Dunfermline, Fife
Event: 31 March 2012
Report: Snowdon Sports
Kevin Barclay of Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows raced to victory in the Dunfermline Road Race on Saturday.
The Glenrothes rider led from junior rider, 17-year-old Craig Wallace (Granite City RT), who finished second overall but as top junior also walked away with the Jack Murray Junior Trophy.
“There was a break of nine riders that got away on the second lap, and we had three guys in the break so we worked really well together as a team,” said Barclay afterwards.
“With 500 metres to go there’s a small climb and the other guys in my team went to the front and made it hard for the other riders, so in the last 150 metres when it flattened out I came through for the win.”
James McPake (GJS Racing) and Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows’ Calum Foster were just three seconds off the pace in third and fourth.
An otherwise grey morning in Townhill to the north of Dunfermline, received a welcomed interruption from the buzz and colour of the Jack Murray Junior Trophy Road Race. ‘Junior’ by name but certainly not by nature, with a great mix of riders of all ages and abilities from around the country, slugging it out over a tough 50 mile course.
Dunfermline Cycling Club hosted the race on Saturday 31st March, with race HQ based at Townhill Community Centre. The race was held around the challenging Lathalmond circuit; just over 9 laps of steep ascents, rapid descents and sharp left hand bends – plenty of scope for breaks and excitement. The riders did not disappoint.
The atmosphere in Townhill was superb as the peloton and race convoy assembled in front of the community centre with many locals and cycling fans looking on. Led out through the neutralised zone by police motorbikes and various support vehicles, it was obvious the 80 strong pack was itching to let loose on the course. Competition for the race started well before the actual event as each of the 80 places could have been filled twice over - a true reflection of how cycle sport has grown in Scotland.
Once onto the main circuit the flag was pulled and the race sparked into life. The pace was fierce and a breakaway of around 7 riders soon formed on the first lap, with the main bunch giving chase and several riders being dropped. By lap 3 the break of Barclay, Wallace, Foster, McPake, Elliot, Gordon and McCaffery was still in place, with the main bunch seemingly content to let them stay away.
The lead group worked very well together, with riders sharing the work on the front. The main bunch obviously sensed this and began to string out on the descents at well over 40mph as several attempts to split the bunch were executed, with riders perhaps trying to bridge over to the clearly effective break.
The grey sky turned blue and was a distant memory as the day and race pace continued to warm up. While the lead group continued to do a power of work to stay in front, there was plenty of action behind. By around the middle of the race the main bunch had split in 2 and become even more strung out as riders put in tremendous effort to try and make up valuable time and gain position. Amazing what a mild winter can do for training and fitness!
A chase group including Dunn, Moore, Hale, Quinn and Duncan got away from the main bunch and set about trying to reel in the lead group. By this point the main bunch had managed to regroup. Despite the monumental effort, the chase was unsuccessful but did manage to stay ahead of the main bunch to the finish.
Not to be outdone by those in pursuit, Craig Wallace from Granite City RT decided to make things more interesting at the front. On the final climb of the penultimate lap he tested the mettle of his fellow leaders by braking off the front, a courageous effort which no doubt had an impact on the final result.
The lead group had mainly re-assembled on the last lap and as they sprinted for the line Craig Wallace and Kevin Barclay broke off to contest the win. Kevin Barclay from Team Leslie Bike Shop – Right Move Windows powered over the line to take it, arms aloft and obviously delighted with his victory. Craig Wallace took 2nd place overall and was also 1st Junior, lifting the coveted Jack Murray Junior Trophy with style.
The chase group was led over the line by Brian Duncan, closely followed by Graham Moore. The main bunch was led in by Eddie Cowle.
Dunfermline Cycling Club was well represented in the race by Tony Curran (+5:24), Greig Petrie (+7:28) and Daniel Curran (1 lap).
Results:
1 Kevin Barclay (Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows) 1:53.50
2 Craig Wallace (Granite City RT) @ same time
3 James McPake (GJS Racing Team)
4 Calum Foster (Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows) all @ 3sec
5 Angus Elliott (TheBicycleWorks.com) @ 7sec
6 Lindsay Gordon (TheBicycleWorks.com) @ 14sec
7 John MacCaffery (Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows) @ 18sec
8 Brian Duncan (Granite City RT)
9 Graham Moore (Velocity 44 Stirling)
10 Peter Hale (GJS Racing Team) all @38sec
British Cycling would like to thank the organising team, officials and everyone else who helped promote this event. Our sport could not exist without the hundreds of people, many of them unpaid volunteers, who put in many hours of hard work running events, activities and clubs.
