Report by Martin Harris (www.discoveryjcc.co.uk)

Heavy rain, light rain, not so light rain throughout the race. The course (stage 2 of the Thistle stage race) lived upto expectations with the race staying together throughtout, the most anyone/two got was around 20 seconds. In amongst the punctures, Stuart MacGregor was first down (what tyres do Dooleys use?, but made his way fairly quickly to the safety of the bunch. One of the last to feel the dreaded hiss (inside the last 6 miles?)was John Kermode, who somehow managed to make his way back to the bunch in very very very quick time.

After the climb of Tullybaccart, the headwind ensured the going was to be tough on the run into the finish just outside Muirhead.

Out of the mist at the top of the hill, Graeme Cockburn and Stuart MacGregor had the lead. Into the sptint and MacGregor had the legs to add his name to the distinguished list of vets winners.
Kermode led the bunch sprint, who needs a PA when his wifes watching, but he was just overhauled by a fast closing bunch using most of the road, Graham McGarrity making it a Dooleys 1/3 and Jeremy Greengrass making a Nightingale 2/4 and a west cost clean sweep.
10th Place was enough to give Steven Hazlette the 50+ title with Steve Beech 2nd and Alex McAllister 3rd.

1 Stuart MacGregor Dooleys RT
2 Graeme cockburn Glasgow Nightingale
3 Graham McGarrity Dooleys Rt

50 +
1 Steven Haslett Glasgow Ivy CC
2 Steve Beech Sandy Wallace Cycles
3 Alex McAllister Ayr Roads

Full results follow

Numbers above 60 are the 50+ riders

1 12 Stuart MacGregor Dooleys Cycles 40 02:11:37
2 25 Graeme Cockburn Gl Nightingale 40 same time
3 11 Graham McGarrity Dooleys Cycles 40 36
4 26 Jeremy Greengrass Gl Nightingale 40 same time
5 22 John McQuade Falkirk BC 40 same time
6 4 Ian Brown Deeside Th 40 same time
7 14 John Kermode Dundee Thistle 40 same time
8 18 Graeme Small East Kilbride RC 40 same time
9 33 Graham Doig Moray Firth CC 40 same time
10 63 Steven Hazlett Gl Ivy CC 50 same time
11 44 Hamish MacLean TheBicycleWorks 40 same time
12 30 Steve McIntosh Granite City RT 40 same time
13 46 Kenny Kentley Velo Ecosse 40 same time
14 29 Phil Allan Granite City RT 40 same time
15 36 Derek Martin Perth Utd CC 40 same time
16 28 Keith Robertson Granite City RT 40 same time
17 24 Tom Worthington Gl Nightingale 40 same time
18 41 Graham Mercer Team Icarus 40 same time
19 6 Neil Anderson Deeside Th 40 same time
20 67 Steve Beech Sandy Wallace C 50 same time
21 17 Graeme Walsh East Kilbride RC 40 same time
22 42 Andrew Brierley Team Leslie BS 40 same time
23 35 Callum Gough Onimpex rt 40 same time
24 37 Andrew Ralston Perth Utd CC 40 40
25 20 Colin Russell Edinburgh RC 40 01:32
26 9 Iain McMullen Dooleys Cycles 40 same time
27 7 Mike Spalding Deeside Th 40 same time
28 15 John Milligan Dundee Whrs 40 same time
29 61 Alex McAllister Ayr Roads CC 50 same time
30 40 Scott Johnston Team Icarus 40 same time
31 65 Michael Kelly Gl Wheelers 50 same time
32 19 Georges Avraam Edinburgh RC 40 same time
33 39 Keith Jones St Christophers 40 same time
34 43 Raymond Reidy Team Leslie BS 40 01:35
35 32 Jim Daly Johnstone Whs 40 01:53
36 10 Thomas Gordon Dooleys Cycles 40 01:56
37 69 Bill McMillan Unattached 50 02:16
38 34 Andrew Matheson Musselb Rds CC 40 05:08
39 70 Calum Cowie Deeside Thistle 50 10:39
40 72 David Lang Glasgow Whs 50 19:03
41 64 Derek Biggerstaff Gl Nightingale 50 20:31

From Braveheart -
A big thanks to the event organisers and their team of helpers, it was a crap day for bike racing but must have been even worse for standing on a junction.

Also well done to all riders for riding with due care and attention, I was expecting carnage at some corners due to the conditions.