Seventeen year old Aidan McIlroy finished his career as a junior cyclist in style when he came in 1st junior in the Tour of the Trossachs 29 mile time trial. Although Aidan was not the fastest junior on the timed hill section he used the experience he has gained this year to keep plenty in reserve for the end and finished 8 seconds in front of the favourite to record a time of 1.15.16. Out of the field of over 90 riders this put him 16th overall.
A fortnight previously he also was first junior and 7th overall in the Tour of the Campsies, another time trial with a special hill section included.
Though not quite so young, Donald Smith also ended his summer season on a high note when he finished 5th veteran in the SCU MTB series, the final leg being at Aviemore last week, where Donald came in 10th after losing ground following a crash.
The Auchencrow Thistle winter Sunday runs begin on 22 October to which any new members are very welcome.

Auchencrow Thistle held their club hill-climb championship up the 1km long 17% gradient Burnhouses Dean, when Aidan McIlroy took 4 seconds off the club record, previously set by the then 15yr old Douglas Nisbet in 2004.
Although in-form Aidan was favourite to win, perhaps the most impressive rides came from this season’s new members, Tim McColl, Les Turnbull and Duncan Martin, all of whom have made a big impact since joining the club.

Auchencrow Thistle held their final 10 mile time trial of the season when Aidan McIlroy capped a fine season by setting a new course record of 22.34 on the hilly and technical Cranshaws course.
Leitholm rider Les Turnbull was also in good form, recording a personal best of 27.58, with the other times being Donald Smith on 24.41, Duncan Martin on 29.30 and Neil Milton on his ride-to-work bike with a 25.07. Club captain Ian Black stood in to take the watches for the night.
The previous Sunday, Neil Milton was the club’s only rider at the ESCA 25 mile TT Championship, run over the Wallyford course. Neil was 1st vet and 6th overall, keeping his 100% sub-hour record of the past two seasons intact with a 59.34, on probably the most tricky conditions of the year.
Further south, Derbyshire based member John Edwards clocked a 1.2.09 and a 1.2.29 when he rode two 25 mile TTs on two consecutive days, both races having 120 rider fields.

 

Donald Smith made the long trip up to Contin to ride the 5th round of the SCU MTB Championship series over a technical and longer than usual circuit. With his well known bike-handling skills this was not a problem for the Auchencrow Thistle rider, but a niggling back injury resulted in a lower than normal 7th placing in the Vets’ class.
On the Tuesday club night Donald was among eight riders who enjoyed probably their best ever sprint night, with a near 20mph average over the 28 mile circuit and all four sprints being near blanket finishes between the first six riders.
Cyclists from other clubs are welcome to join Thistle riders on this Sunday’s 100 mile charity run taking in the 4 Abbeys route and leaving Chirnside East End at 8.00am.

 

In a successful week for Auchencrow Thistle, nine out of ten riders recorded personal bests in their club confined 16 mile time trial over the demanding Duns-Grantshouse-Duns “Up the Cleugh” course.
Aidan McIlroy put in a first class performance to set a new club record of 42.23, ahead of Donald Smith, Ian Black and Neil Tait, with the other riders closely grouped but adrift from these four. Hamish Gardner returning from a long lay-off looked to be as competitive as ever and showed no signs of race rustiness. Thanks go to Iain Bell who kindly stepped down from riding to time keep.
On Wednesday Neil Milton rode the Ian Walls Memorial 10 mile TT run by Glasgow Wheelers over the West Ferry course, where he clocked a time of 22.17 to take 6th place overall.

Neil bettered his placings by taking 1st vet and outright winner of the Kelso Civic Week TT , a highly popular event with the Auchencrow riders on Sunday. His time of 51.51 was not only a PB but also a new vet’s record for the event. Ian Black was 3rd senior with 55.12, while Donald Smith on 57.20, John Nisbet on 63.10 and Sebastian Szulc on 64.22 made up the club’s quintet of riders
Aidan McIlroy opted to ride the ESCA 90 mile road race, but wisely pulled out after 65 miles before heat exhaustion got the better of him, a sensible decision for the talented young rider.

Auchencrow Thistle riders made the most of ideal conditions on Tuesday night when five out of ten riders recorded personal bests at their club championship 10 mile TT over the Cranshaws course. With the faster riders sportingly offering to run the event on a handicap basis, 17yr old Aidan McIlroy lifted the cup, with Neil Milton second and Sebastian Sculz third. Actual and handicap times were A McIlroy 22.54 PB &22.24, N Milton 22.55 & 22.55, S Sculz 27.00 PB and 23.00, I Black 24.04 & 23.04, L Turnbull 28.54 PB & 23.24, D Smith 24.35 CB and 23.25, D Martin 28.31 PB & 23.31, N Tait 25.15 & 23.45, J Nisbet 27.21 & 24.21 and T McColl 28.42 PB & 24.42.
On Saturday Donald Smith had an on-the-line entry in the British Championship MTB round held at Drumlanrig Castle. Unfortunately this meant starting at the back of the grid, which caused problems on the single track sections, but Donald still worked his way up to a successful 15th vet.
Back in the Borders, Sebastian Sculz and Ian Black rode the Hawick CC APR on their Denholm/Ancrum/ Lilliesleaf circuit, with Sebastian coming in 9th and Ian 17th in a very punishing race.
On Sunday Aidan McIlroy rode the Musselburgh RCC’s British Eagle road race on the East Saltoun circuit. Taking good advice from motor-cycle marshall Dougie Gale, Aidan looked to be assured of second place but following a flash thunderplump he misjudged a corner and crashed. Although he quickly remounted he was unable to hold off the pursuing bunch, only being swallowed up in the last few hundred yards.

Neil Milton and Ian Black continued their consistently strong form when the two Auchencrow thistle riders came 6th and 15th overall in the Denny RC Classified 25 mile TT at Stirling on Sunday.
Neil clocked a season’s best of 56.50, while Ian had a course best of 1.01.09, giving both riders some compensation for the disappointment of the Scottish National 25 mile Championship being cancelled two weeks earlier.
On Tuesday club members enjoyed a 30 mile club-run round the Berwickshire by-roads before coming onto the main Greelaw Moor road, a brisk pace being set through-out, although the pace is altered to accommodate all standards of rider.
On Sunday Iain Bell, Neil Milton and Donald Smith helped marshall the Duns Reivers Week family cycle, which despite the thundery downpours still attracted a large crowd. Cyclists are indeed a hardy breed !

On Sunday, Donald Smith competed in the Scottish Cross Country Championships which also doubled up as round 4 of the Scottish Series.
On the reasonably tough course Donald was going well until the last lap when his knee started to play up again, which lost him a lot of time. Despite this he finished 6th veteran overall in a good quality field.

The club sprint night on Tuesday was a hard fought evening between 5 riders. Donald came out tops with 3 out of 4 wins, with not more than a few feet separating him from Ian and Aiden, Sebastian and Duncan were not far behind. All the riders enjoyed group training in the very windy conditions.

On Tuesday evening 4 riders took part in the club confind 10 mile time trial on the Cranshaws course. In very blustery conditions it was Donald Smith who took the honours in a respectable time of 24.40. This was Donald's 1st race after a knee injury, it was good to see him back in action. Ian Black was 2nd with 24.50, Duncan Martin was 3rd in 28.57 he is continuing his much improving season, and in his 1st race Les Turnbull did very well in a tme of 29.31.
Saturday saw Donald and Aiden McIlroy enter the Lothian Flier run by Peebles cc. On the hilly 38 mile course Aiden showed his eagerness to continue his good form by making several breaks off the front, while Donald used his veteran knowledge to sit the bunch. Both riders finished in the main bunch, with Donald in 27th place and Aiden in 34th out of 65 starters.
In a triathlon run by Peebles last Sunday Niel Tait had his best result of the year finishing 3rd overall. After a strong swim Neil had the 2nd fastest bike split time on the day. Only 2 members of the Scottish development squad were infront of him which proves his hard work is paying off.
Anyone who is interested in coming along to the club nights please contact John 01890 818226 or Ian 01890 817057

Seventeen year old Aidan McIlroy became the fourth Auchencrow Thistle rider to go “under the hour” over 25 miles, when he was first junior and third overall in a personal best time of 58.37, at the John Fairbairn Memorial Time Trial, run by the Gala CC on Wednesday. Riding the A7 course for the first time, this was certainly Aidan’s best race so far, beating a number of very good riders.
Not to be outdone, Neil Milton continued his superb form coming in 1st vet and 2nd overall in a course best time for him of 57.25. Club captain Ian Black, who has done a massive amount to encourage people both into and within the sport of cycling, came tantalisingly close to the hour with a personal best of 1.00.07.
Neil doubled his distance on Sunday when he rode the SVTTA 50 mile TT, run over the demanding Yetts o’ Muckhart course, where he came 5th overall in a time of 2.01.11.
On the Tuesday club night Mother Nature finally brought beautiful weather, when nine riders enjoyed a fairly fast 25 mile route round by Eyemouth, Coldingham and Crossgate Ha’. Dougie Gale looked particularly strong on the night and it was good to see both Donald Smith and Douglas Nisbet back in action.

Forty year old Auchencrow Thistle rider Neil Milton continued to defy his veteran status by recording yet another personal best, this time over ten miles at the SVTTA Open 10 mile TT, run over the Cambusbarron course at Stirling. Neil’s time of 21.45 put him in third place overall, only one second behind the 2nd placed rider, giving him an average speed from a standing start, with a roundabout to negotiate, of over 27.5 miles per hour. Neil was also in action at the Kelso Wheelers weekly TLI 10 mile TT on Monday night, which he won in a time of 23.25.
On Wednesday night four club riders rode the Edinburgh Road Club’s Spring Classic APR on the Bolton/Gifford circuit. Popular Polish rider Sebastian Szulc was the best placed, coming in 9th and looking very comfortable riding in a big bunch, with Neil Milton, Aidan McIlroy and Dougie Gale coming further down the field, although both Neil and Dougie lost a lot of time in an early crash, leaving Neil to catch up on his own for two whole laps while Dougie only had the help of two other riders to make up even more time.
On the Tuesday club night, the coldest yet of the season, only four riders braved the northerly winds for round 3 of the club’s KOTM competition. Despite this, former back-row forward Clive Millar rode up both the Hardens and Hudscleugh at a speed that would have beaten many a lightly built “grimpeur”, while Duncan Martin again looked increasingly confident in a competitive element.

Seventeen year old Auchencrow Thistle rider Aidan McIlroy recorded his most important victory yet when he was 1st Junior in the SCU National 10 mile TT Championship, held in Renfrewshire on Sunday. With all times down on expectations due to unseasonably strong winds, Aidan’s time of 24.08 saw him lift the championship by a comfortable margin.
Neil Milton put in another very solid performance to come in 23rd overall in 23.22, although the fact that he was also 12th veteran shows that time trailing in Scotland is in dire need of more young riders, with veterans often making up some 75% of the fields.
At a very sporting Open 10 at Hawick on Wednesday, Neil took second place in a time of 23.36, a course best, which was also achieved by Ian Black in 24.49. John Nisbet’s time of 27.32 put him well up on his markers.
On the Tuesday club night, despite the weather being a pessimist’s dream (cauld as winter and only 3 weeks tae the nichts draw in) eight riders had a cracking night’s sprint training, with Ian Black and Neil Tait looking very sharp. Thanks go to Hamish Gardner, who despite having a sore back on the night, very sportingly led out the last sprint, thereby giving the other riders maximum benefit.

The Auchencrow Thistle trio of Neil Milton, Aidan McIlroy and Ian Black achieved a notable double this week, riding two open 10 mile time trials and recording course bests and top ten finishes both times.
On Wednesday Neil Milton was 5th overall and 1st Vet out of 39 riders with a 23.10 at the Edinburgh Road Club’s open 10 at Kirkliston. Aidan was 6th overall and 1st Junior in 23.30 and Ian 9th with 24.05. John Nisbet rode on standard bars due to a strapped shoulder but still clocked 28.08.
In a slightly smaller field for the ESCA open 10, run by Berwick Wheelers, Neil was 3rd overall and 1st Vet with 22.56, Aidan 6th overall and 1st Junior in 23.36 and Ian 8th with 24.13.
Donald Smith travelled to Dundee for the third round of the SCU MTB championship series, but had to retire after a lap and a half due to a knee injury.
On the Tuesday club night a handful of riders had a trial run over the Berwick course, with Sebastian Szulc and Duncan Martin both recording PBs of 29.40 and 30.51 respectively.
Finally, on Thursday, Ian Black and John Nisbet were joined by Les Turnbull of Todrig in a cycling team in a tri-sport challenge with the Berwick Rowing Club and Norham Running Club, the latter two going on and beside the Tweed from the Chain Bridge to the Boathouse at Berwick, with the cyclists going via Sunwick, Paxton and East Ord. In a very close finish the cyclists won by 20 seconds, although the rowers had previously had to row up-stream to the start! The fun of competing was complimented by excellent hospitality from the Rowing Club.

Five Auchencrow Thistle riders travelled to Stobo on Wednesday evening to ride the Peebles CC Open 10mile TT, a superbly organised event run over one of Scotland’s most scenic courses. With perfect weather conditions it was definitely a “nae excuses” night, and none were needed with Neil Milton taking 3rd overall with a course best of 22.42, Aidan McIlroy 1st junior with a personal best of 23.05, Ian Black with a course best of 23.52, Donald Smith taking 25 seconds of his previous time for a personal best of 24.01 and John Nisbet returning to respectability with a 26.29.
On the Tuesday club night, nine members rode a 26 mile circuit with a feature being the ability of new members Duncan Martin and Steven Findlay to knit in with the bunch at a good pace set by Douglas Nisbet and Donald Smith.
Unfortunately Donald crashed at Glentress on Saturday so could not join Ian Black, Aidan McIlroy, Clive Millar, John Nisbet and Sebastian Sculz for their 100 mile “century run” on Sunday, the first of a series of three that the club holds in the summer. Taking in some of the Borders’ finest scenery round by Lightfield, Scott’s View and Morebattle the riders avoided both wind and rain, ending up with a comfortable 6hrs riding time.
Neil Tait and Hamish Gardner opted for the shorter, but probably more strenuous Burnmouth Brae race in aid of the RNLI, with Neil being second in 2.29 and Hamish fourth in 2.55.

As has often been the case over the past five years, Stirling once again proved to be a “happy hunting ground” for Auchencrow Thistle riders, when four club members rode the John Cramb Handicap 25mile TT, run by the Law Wheelers for the SVTTA.
Run over the Cambusbarron course in torrential rain and a stiff easterly wind, Neil Milton was 8th overall with a course best of 58.40, while Ian Black and Aidan McIlroy also recorded course bests of 1.1.44 and 1.2.50 respectively. John Nisbet made a big improvement on the week for a 1.9.15.
Aidan came first then second in the two sprint primes in Edinburgh Road Club’s Thursday night criterium at Ingliston, when he finished 8th overall, denied a possible win by inexperience in the final gallop.
On the Tuesday club-night, Clive Millar was the in-form rider taking maximum points in round two of the club’s KOTM competition, with former Polish club-racer Sebastian Sculz looking increasingly comfortable on the hills, after a lifetime of cycling purely on the flatlands.
Points awarded were : N Milton 7, A McIlroy 7, D Smith 4, J Nisbet 2 and C Millar 8, D Martin 6, S Sculz 4 and S Findlay 2.

Despite the advance in age-group category from senior to veteran, Auchencrow Thistle rider Neil Milton showed he has lost none of his speed when he recorded a 58.49 in the Jimmy Lane Memorial 25mile TT, run by the Musselburgh RCC. Neil’s time put him 3rd ESCA rider and first ESCA vet and 9th overall.
Clubmates Aidan McIlroy and Ian Black were also in good form with Aidan riding his first “25” to be first junior with 1.1.06 and Ian with 1.2.31. John Nisbet learned the hard way that riding in the comfort zone (average 21mph) is not good enough when he clocked his slowest ever time of 1.10.34.
Opting to ride the second round of the SCU MTB series was a good move for Donald Smith who came third vet and now stands second placed vet in the series.
On the club’s Tuesday night round one of the Rutherford of Earlston sprint series, it was Donald who was the outstanding rider, doing almost all of the work at the front throughout the 24 mile route, and still winning all four sprints. Triathlete Neil Tait looked extremely sharp on the night as did the ever improving Clive Millar, with recent member Duncan Martin riding very well within the bunch.

Seventeen year-old Auchencrow Thistle rider Aidan McIlroy scored his first double victory of his career when he followed up his 1st Junior in the Musselburgh RCC 10 mile TT on Wednesday with 1st Junior in Edinburgh Road Club’s prestigious Tour of the Meldons 22 mile MTT on Sunday.
Aidan’s time 0f 23.28 on Wednesday was a personal best, while club captain Ian Black knocked almost a minute of his previous time on the Wallyford course to record a course best of 23.56, giving both riders a top-ten finish.
In his first ever ride in the Tour of the Meldons Aidan recorded 55.43, on a day when the strong wind made fast riding very difficult. Not to be outdone, the ever competitive Donald Smith set an emphatic course best of 57.09, while 52yr old John Nisbet, with very few serious miles this season, rode well for a 1.4.18.
On the Tuesday club night, seven riders set a fast pace for an interesting 31 mile route for a club run. With several new faces out for the first time this season and many regulars missing because of work, the scene looks set for some keen competition throughout the summer.

Edinburgh Road club reaped the reward for their strong support for Auchencrow Thistle’s 26km Up The Cleugh MTT, when they not only took 1st overall, 1st Lady and 1st team, but also set new course records for each of those categories with Ken Russell winning in 41.09, Pippa Handley recording 47.48 and Ken Russell, Lee Whitelaw and Paul Black as a team clocking 2.11.39.
Run over the demanding Duns-Grantshouse-Duns road, local riders Neil Milton and Aidan McIlroy kept the Auchencrow flag flying high when they took 1st vet (45.40) and 1st Junior (46.45) respectively, with fellow club members Donald Smith 47.09, Ian Black 48.23, Neil Tait 50.27 and Dougie Gale 51.07.
Special thanks are due to Iain Bell and his team of marshals, including three very sporting members of Berwick Rowing club, and to all who helped serve and provide a very welcome spread of sandwiches after the event.
At the club’s opening night of their summer long KOTM competition, which was divided into two groups according to last year’s standings, points awarded were: A McIlroy14, N Milton 12, D Smith 10, J Nisbet 6 and H Gardner 13, C Millar 12 and I Bell 11.

Donald Smith got his 2006 mountain-bike season off to a fine start when he finished 4th veteran in the first round of the SCU MTB championship series, at Laggan, Invernesshire. With the 3rd placed vet, Graeme Veitch of Kelso Wheelers only 22 seconds ahead of Donald and the 5th placed vet a similar time behind him there was plenty of excitement to the race.
Closer to home, John Nisbet was the only Auchencrow Thistle rider to contest the Gordon Arms Trophy, run by the Gala CC. Riding a standard road bike John finished in a time of 1.6.36, down by a minute on his 2005 time, but three minutes faster than 2004. The race was won by Gary Robson of Peebles CC.

Auchencrow Thistle got their 2006 road season off to a cracking start when the club put two teams forward for the Musselburgh RCC 28 mile 3-up team time trial on Saturday.
Club captain Ian Black rode with Neil Milton and Donald Smith to take third place overall, out of 27 teams entered. Ian, Neil & Donald, who have been very much the backbone of the club for the past winter, finished in a time of 1.11.14, beating many of the “fancied” trios in the process.
With Aidan McIlroy being unavailable for the “B” team, Dougie Gale and Neil Tait had to do the lion’s share of the work when 52yr old John Nisbet deputised at the last moment, only really getting his “racing legs” in the last two miles of down-wind, well surfaced road! Despite the imbalance, Dougie and Neil ensured that the team kept a tight formation, finishing 19th in a time of 1.21.32.
The club now look forward to holding their own open event, the Up the Cleugh MTT over the Duns-Grantshouse-Duns course on the 9th April.