12th October - Club membership due now:FOR FULL RESULTS PLEASE VISIT THE DAVID BELL WEBPAGE
12th October - Club membership due now:
Please note that club membership is now due. A membership form can be found under the downloads section of the 'contacts' page. Please complete and return this to the secretary, along with your cheque, promptly.
The club dinner / prize presentation will take place on the 28th November at McChristies, Crosshouse. Please logon to the forums if you would like a space.
Ayr Roads Cycling Club / Harry Fairbairn BMW 2008 Season Review
Once again the members of Ayr Roads Cycling Club / Harry Fairbairn BMW have enjoyed a fantastic season, with some excellent results on both the National and International stage, as well as a experiencing splendid growth in membership.
The results started coming in back in February, when the club welcomed back top road man Craig Gilmour. Teaming up with renowned fastman Kenny Armstrong, the pair put in a blistering performance at the Icebreaker 2up, taking the first top 10 result of the season. Joined by top TLI bunch-sprinter Alex McAllister, Armstrong and Gilmour quickly got down to business, picking up several high placed finishes on the Scottish Road Race Circuit, including some brilliant rides in the Elite Super 6 Series.
Next it was the turn of the mountain bikers to pedal in anger. Chris McConnell and John Gemmell both smashed into the top 10 of the British Enduro MTB series held at Drumlanrig Castle back in May.
The time triallists were not slouching either. Newcomer Alan Mooney was to dominate proceedings in the club Time Trial series, posting a magnificent 22.18, the fastest recorded time in several seasons. Christopher Johnson followed just a couple weeks later with a new personal best of 22.15 on the West Ferry Course.
During the summer the long distance specialists put in some cracking performances in the Sportives. James Mason, Bill Black and another newcomer, Robert Kelly, all clocked 4hrs in the Etape Caledonia.
However, it was on the Velodrome that the racing really turned up a gear. John Mason and Vic Possee returned from the British Championships with three championship medals, more than enough to qualify for the European Championships in which John Mason bagged a UCI bronze medal!
There was more European success just days later from the multisport contingent when Val Martin winning Silver at the World Long Distance Duathlon Championships. Come the Rimini Duathlon World Championships it was Emma Mackie's turn to shine with a magnificent 6th place.
Perhaps the real story of the season though was the superb growth in club membership. Mark Skilling and Trevor Wilson have already made a big impact on the racing circuit. Skilling finished runner up in the District Championship, while Wilson dominated the club hill climb with the 3rd fastest time in club history!
Of course none of this was possible without the splendid work of our volunteers, and also the club sponsor Harry Fairbairn BMW whose continued commitment to cycling in Ayrshire has been unparalleled, The £500 first prize they put forward for the winner of the David Bell Road Race attracted elite riders to Ayrshire from all over Britain.
The future of the club has been further ensured with the creation of a youth mountain bike division to be run from Barr. Further details to follow over the coming months.
Ayr Roads will be toasting their champions at the annual Dinner Prize Presentation to be held on the 28th November.
Just a reminder to all members that Ayr Roads are in possession of two club bikes, for road and timetrial. The road bike, a stunning 853 Raleigh machine kitted out by Carrick Cycles is ready and waiting for some quality use. The Low Profile Time Trial bike has just emerged from Carrick Engineering who have given it a high quality powdercoat at a highly discounted rate. The tt bike comes with carbon tribars and disc wheel, and all club members are encouraged to use it in the pursuit of fast times. See the chairman for access!
A big thanks to Vic Possee and John Mason for fixing the club hut. It is excellent to see Vic back with us, and wearing Ayr Roads colours!
Ayr Roads Cycling Club is currently one of the most active clubs in the South West of Scotland, and promotes the annual classic David Bell Memorial Road Race, renowned as one of the toughest one day races in Scotland. Our members are active participants in Road, Track, Off Road and Multisport events. Current members and alumni include several Scottish and Regional Champions, as well as UCI World Championship and ETU European Championship medal winners! In addition to competition, club members also organise tours and leisure rides. Ayr Roads CC are delighted to announce the continued support of Harry Fairbairn BMW. The club has a long association with the company and their generous sponsorship allows the club to further develop and expand upon our successes. Ayr Roads are also supported by John Gemmell Coachworks
2008 Ayr Roads TTT team, l-r, Andy McKinlay, Chris Johnson, Craig Gilmour - where was our 4th man?
Ayr Roads CC is affiliated with the Scottish Cyclists' Union