Location: Garelochhead, Scotland
Event: 20 April 2013
Report: Glasgow Wheelers
Almost 50 women turned up for the Glasgow Wheelers/Thomsons Cycles Women's Road Race despite taking place on a hilly, exposed route.
A late course change meant that the circuit used was the same as the one used for numerous men's races. But that didn't put off 45 starters, with only three failing to finish.
A south westerly wind was the only factor preventing conditions being described as ideal, with the sun frequently on show and showcasing the Roseneath peninsula in the best possible light.
The riders would take in two laps of an 18-mile course after a neutralised climb to the top of the infamous Whistlefield.
The rolling road down to the HMS Coulport base picked off a few riders on the first lap and if any were expecting an organised military-procession, a first salvo was fired on the climb through Kilcreggan, creating real splits through the bunch.
A front group of six formed with Julie Erskine (Granite City RT), Jennifer Taylor (Velo Ecosse), Charline Joiner (MG Maxifuel) and three Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team riders - Jane Barr, Anne Ewing and Laura Murray.
The real explosives were fired on the first ascent of the 15% slopes of the Whistlefield by Julie Erskine and Jennifer Taylor who had a small gap of less than 10 seconds at the top roundabout over the Breast Cancer Care trio and Joiner.
They would quickly reform and were being pursued by a group of 8, just over a minute in arrears and including three Deeside Thistle riders.
Despite their extra numbers though the second bunch would not catch the leaders. The remainder of the field was split into small groups and single riders as the gradients took their toll and eliminated the potential for drafting.
Approaching the final climb the leaders numbered five. A three up sprint for the line culminated in Julie Erskine landing the top spot of the podium, being followed by Jennifer Taylor and Anne Ewing in close succession. Jane Barr and Charline Joiner were not far behind to round out the top five places.
At last year's rainy Arthur Campbell Memorial RR, also hosted by Glasgow Wheelers, Julie Erskine had the bad luck to puncture at the far point of the circuit. With her race over and resigned to shelter in the backseat of a marshal's car awaiting the service vehicle the omens were not good when she was allocated number 13 on the start sheet.
Her coach dissuaded her from pinning it on upside down in case she incurred the wrath of the commissaires. As it turned out her luck was in, possibly just karma after last year's misfortune.
The final climb further whittled down the field with some pained expressions showing just how painful this uphill finish can be.
Results:
1 Julie Erskine Granite City RT 1:41:20
2 Jennifer Taylor Velo Ecosse@ same time
3 Anne Ewing Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team @ same time
4 Jane Barr Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team @ 21s
5 Charline Joiner MG Maxifuel professional cycling @ 29s
6 Laura Murray Breast Cancer Care Cycling Team @ 3.02
7 Sarah Stephen Stirling Bike Club @ 3.05
8 Fiona Duncan Ythan CC @ 3.10
9 Anda-Jay Burgess Sandy Wallace Cycles
10 Claire Martin Edinburgh RC both @ same time
11 Mona Petrie Deeside Thistle CC @ 3.12
12 Jayne Taylor Deeside Thistle CC @ 3.17
13 Gabriella Nordin Sandy Wallace Cycles @ 3.27
14 Ashley Pearson Deeside Thistle CC @ 3.42
15 Evgenia Ilyinskaya Edinburgh RC @ 5.35
16 Toni McIntosh Ayr Roads Cycling Club @ 6.10
17 Flora Gillies Team ASL360 @ 6.35
18 Jacqueline Laing @ 8.50
19 Gemma Gilvear Falkirk Bicycle Club @ 9.05
20 Kate Carmichael Hervelo Cycling @ 10.35
21 Laura Sarkis Deeside Thistle CC @ 10.47
22 Alexa Mair Edinburgh RC @ 10.52
23 Madeleine Robinson Velo Club Moulin @ 10.54
24 Peggy Series Edinburgh RC @ 10.59
25 Kirsty Aitken deeside thistle @ 11.01
26 Nicola Smith Lomond Roads CC @ 11.59
27 Ishbel Taromsari Pedal Power RT @ 12.30
28 Lyndsey Carson Velo Club Moulin @ 17.00
29 Deirdre O'Reilly Fusion triathlon Club @ 20.10
30 Elizabeth Adams Glasgow MTB Club (GMBC) @ 21.00
31 Denise Schofield Pedal Power RT @ 21.10
32 Pamela Hardie Stirling Bike Club @ 25.57
33 Patricia Kenny Hervelo Cycling @ 26.24
34 Jesme Fenton @ same time
35 Stephanie Jane Laidlaw @ same time
36 Claire Caffrey West Lothian Clarion CC @ 26.32
37 Alison McGill @ 26.44
38 kerry keenan glasgow wheelers @ 40.55
39 Claire Donnelly @ same time
40 Elaine Sandison Johnstone Wheelers CC @ 48.42
41 Anna Beck @ 49.08
42 Rebecca Spring @ 50.17
Please credit www.britishcycling.org.uk and link back if you use any of our race results.
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.
