Hill-Climb: Lawley rules in Stirling

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Location: Logie Kirk, Stirling, Scotland
Event: 29 September 2012
Report: Eddie Addis


The sun shone but a hard wind ensured there was autumnal bite in the air as the crowds gathered for the spectacle that was the inaugural running of Stirling Bike Clubs 'Up the Kirk' Hill Climb.

A strong start list saw in excess of 120 competitors climbing aboard their steeds and embarking on an epic challenge to see who could conquer of of Scotland's toughest climbs! With several changes of gradient, long drags, steep ramps in excess of 27 per cent, tight corners and a headwind finish this really would be one to challenge event the fittest of riders, even William Wallace may have had to ‘think again’ before putting pen to paper at the sign on.

First up were the youths, who were riding a slightly shortened course, but that did not translate into easier, with a steeper average gradient than that which was set to challenge their senior rivals. Their times were, to put it mildly, flipping impressive with many that would put much of the senior race to shame.

At the sharp end of the field it was a close run thing with Glasgow Riderz Rhys Donnelly laying down a blistering 3m42s, pipping Ben Forsyth of Edinburgh Road Club by just 1 second to set the fastest time of the day. 3rd fastest time, only another 4's back with and equally as impressive 3m47s was Perth United's up and coming Matthew Peters.

Out of the strong youth start sheet it was Kiera Johnston of Glasgow Riderz who showed the other girls a clean pair of heels and galloped of into the sunset with the fastest time of female youth riders.

After the youths had shown them how it should be done, it was the turn or the senior riders to don their lycra war paint and tackle the infamous Logie Kirk. First to charge headlong into battle, with a number 1 firmly pinned to his skin tight armour was Stirling Bike Club’s Archie Johnstone, who didn’t even have the pleasure of topping the leader board as he crossed the line due to the fact his minute man and clubmate, the Flying Doctor, Graeme Hay had caught and passed him on the course.

As the war raged on no one was managing to break the five-minute barrier with many coming close until eventually Alistair Robinson, Leslie Bikes, set and impressive benchmark of 4m53s that eventually earned him 6th overall.

The sun continued to shine, coffee was drunk and cakes were eaten as cowbells and war cries echoed throughout the Ochil Hills as riders tried and failed to knock Alistair off the top step, the closest of his challengers being Craig Hardie, Hardie Bikes, who slipped just under the five minute mark with time of 4m59 to secure 7th overall.

Then the big guns came to town looking for a fight, Jamie Kennedy of Glasgow Couriers was first into battle blowing the other times clean out of Stirlingshire with an impressive 4m49s, although his rule of King of the Kirk was short lived as local hero Robin Wilkins of the Edinburgh based Equipe Velo Ecosse saddled up and knocked 2s off Jamie’s time to take control of the leaderboard.

A mere five minutes later a new challenger for the crown emerged, Glasgow Wheeler David Griffiths who took a further 10s off the time with a spritely 4m37s. In the closing stages it looked liked David may have secured the victory especially when one of the big favourites Ben Greenwood of Vanilla Bikes suffered a mechanical.

The Glasgow man must have thought he was going to return home victorious with a new crown and tales of enemies put to the sword, that was until a new arrival in on the scene threw his tartan bunnet in the ring, in the form of The Bicycleworks rider Steven Lawley.

He rode into town with the infamous Bundy Boys and annihilated the competition with an unbelievable time of 4m32s, laid claim to the throne and coveted the title of ‘2012 King of the Kirk’. There was silence, well apart from court jester Andrew Wilson and his awful 80’s playlist.

There weren’t as many ladies willing to take on the challenge but this didn’t make the rivalry any less intense, Stirling’s Sarah Stephen, who has only been riding bikes for a few months, set the early benchmark, Vicky Ware of VC Moulin then took over the reigns as fastest lady.

Her very strong time of 6m24s struck fear into the hearts of many and she held off the competition until West Lothian Clarions Jennifer Taylor stormed up the course to the delight of the crowds with an incredible time of 6m05s. Pre-race favourite Lee Cragie, Moray Firth CC, put up a good fight and came within one second of dethroning Jennifer, but she was not to be topped and claimed the overall ladies prize and became the ‘2012 Queen of the Kirk’.

Stirling’s Brenda Callander put up a late challenge and rode an impressive race to claim the third step of the podium threatening to return in 12 months’ time to claim the crown and return it to its rightful Stirlingshire home.

Inspired by the electric atmosphere the up and coming stars of tomorrow, in the form of top Scottish Juniors, Ayrton Pellet of Edinburgh Road Club, Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows Callum Foster and Stirling Bike Clubs Kyle Petrie danced up the hill to take the top three Junior spots in that order.

After lungs had stopped burning and heads stopped spinning and the remains of the delicious spread of cakes were demolished by the hungry mob, slowly the crowd dispersed back to the far reaches of Stirlingshire and beyond, peace once again fell upon the Ochils where a battle of magnitude not seen in the area since 1314 had just been fought.

Until autumn next year the King and Queen of the Kirk will be safe in their thrones and free to ride their bikes safe in the knowledge their names will be etched in legend for ever more.

Results:

Overall Senior

Pos

Name

Club

Time

Cat

1

Steven

Lawley

TheBicycleWorks.com

4.32

Snr

2

David

Griffiths

Glasgow Whls

4.37

Snr

3

Jack

Beezer

Leighton Buzzard Road Cycling Club

4.43

Snr

4

Robin

Wilkins

Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers

4.47

Snr

5

Jamie

Kennedy

Glasgow Couriers

4.49

Vet

6

Alistair

Robinson

Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows

4.53

Snr

7

Craig

Hardie

www.Hardie-Bikes.com

4.59

Vet

8

Andrew

Whitehall

Equipe Velo Ecosse/Montpeliers

5.00

Snr

9

David

King

5.01

Snr

10

David

Anderson

Deeside Thistle CC

5.08

Snr

Ladies

Pos

Name

Club

Time

1

Jennifer

Taylor

West Lothian Clarion CC

6.05

2

Lee

Craigie

Moray Firth Cycling Club

6.06

3

Brenda

Callander

Stirling Bike Club

6.23

4

Victoria

Ware

Velo Club Moulin

6.24

5

Toni

McIntosh

Ayr Roads

6.30

Junior

Pos

Name

Club

Time

1

Ayrton

Pellet

Edinburgh Road Club

5.12

2

Calum

Foster

Team Leslie Bike Shop - Right Move Windows

5.18

3

Kyle

Petrie

Stirling Bike Club

5.19

Youth Results:

Youth A Boys

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Rhys

Donnelly

Glasgow Riderz

3.42

2

Ben

Forsyth

Edinburgh RC

3.43

3

Matthew

Peters

Perth United Cycling Club

3.47

4

Lewis

Grieve

Spokes

3.58

5

Jamie

Mason

West Lothian Clarion CC

4.05

6

Andrew

Brown

Falkirk Bicycle Club

4.14

7

Alistair

Merry

Discovery Juniors

4.37

8

Hector

Lancaster

Perth United Cycling Club

DNS

Youth A Girls

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Keira

Johnston

Glasgow Riderz

5.02

Youth B Boys

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Logan

Dow

Stirling Bike Club - Wallace Warriors

4.08

2

Danny

Mulholland

Johnstone Jets

4.21

3

Andrew

Merry

Discovery Juniors

4.21

4

Innes

Johnston

Glasgow Riderz

4.35

5

Alexander

MacRae

4.40

6

Lewis

Goodlad

Ythan CC

4.42

7

Ruairidh

Brown

Glasgow Riderz

4.58

8

Lewis

Stewart

Glasgow Riderz

5.39

9

Calum

Shackley

Glasgow Riderz

6.04

10

Alistair

Abbess

Stirling Bike Club

7.22

Youth B Girls

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Rhona

Callander

Stirling Bike Club

4.50

2

Philippa

Samphier

Stirling Bike Club

5.05

3

Jenny

Holl

Wallace Warriors

5.30

Youth C Boys

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Sean

Flynn

Edinburgh RC

4.00

2

Matthew

Running

Glasgow Riderz

5.09

2

Cameron

Mason

West Lothian Clarion CC

5.09

3

Sandy

Holl

Wallace Warriors

5.27

0

Toby

Dawson

Gala Cycling Club

DNS

Youth C Girls

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Ellie

Park

Glasgow Riderz

4.46

2

Emma

Forsyth

Edinburgh RC

5.46

3

Abby

Stewart

Glasgow Riderz

6.02

4

Anna

Shackley

Glasgow Riderz

6.04

5

Eva

Barnet

Edinburgh RC

7.38

Youth D Boys

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Rory

McGuire

Perth United Cycling Club

4.51

2

Alexander

Ball

West Lothian Clarion CC

5.33

3

Sorley

Johnston

Glasgow Riderz

5.38

4

Ewan

Purves

Wallace Warriors

6.16

5

Murray

Lawson

Edinburgh RC

6.39

6

Jack

Smith

Wallace Warriors

7.21

7

Scott

Sherriff

Wallace Warriors

DNS

Youth D Girls

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Anna

Flynn

Edinburgh RC

6.48

2

Rhona

Samphier

Stirling Bike Club

7.20

3

Catherine

Abbess

Stirling Bike Club

10.33

Youth E Boys

Position

Name

Club / Team Name

Overall Time

1

Robin

Purves

Stirling Bike Club

5.55

2

Paddy

Barnes

Glasgow Riderz

6.49

3

Cameron

Kerr

Wallace Warriors

6.52

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.