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TransScotland Challenge - NE
Great Britain, May 27-June 2, 2007
Main Page Results Previous Race
Race 7 - June 2: (Day 7) Peebles to Selkirk, 70km
Day Seven: The End Is Nigh
Final linking stage
By Matt Skinner
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The final day of the TransScotland brought Britain's toughest mountain bike challenge full circle and home to Selkirk after seven full days in the saddle and almost 498km (310 miles) and 14,100m of climbing (46,300ft). Course designer Pete Laing brought to bear the big singletrack guns together with more open country riding and vistas, to make the final 57km linking stage from Glentress to Selkirk one to savour.
The riders clipped in by The Hub café and bike shop and got on with the business of climbing upwards on a mix of singletrack and fire roads into the heart of Glentress forest to 602m. The hard work and effort of forcing reluctant legs and depleted muscles into action for the final push was more than rewarded once the summit had been crested: the trail dropped down on curvaceous singletrack, broiling downwards with an unmitigated intent to deliver a turbo-charged, endorphin shot straight to the frontal lobes that, for the smooth singletrackeers in particular, was simply seventh heaven.
Then after 21km, the riders were eventually spat out to refuel at Cardrona from where they snaked down into the Cardrona Valley and upwards once more to 400m up Wallace's Hill. The trail dropped via the Glen Estate and onto Innerleithen's Traquair trail, where riders steeled themselves one final time for some serious gravity gains up to 500m on the singletrack climb up Minch Moor and out onto the Southern Upland Way. A descent and 230m climb back up Broomy Law to the Southern Upland Way had to be cut out at the last minute, so the riders were left with a final chance to savour Scotland's scenery from the back bone of the Borders before a fast skittering descent swept them finally, gratefully, and for the last time back into Selkirk to complete the course and to receive their finishers' jerseys.
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Copious amounts of free drink and a choice selection of good time tunes marked the final party for the well-deserving and saddle-sore riders, and the final prize presentations were made. For some, the spoils of victory, for others the commiserations of coming so far and yet so close; yet all could lay claim to a share in the proud knowledge that they had completed and survived the TransScotland.
Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance) took the women's solo open category competition, whilst her male counterpart was the popular Andy Barlow (Whyte Bikes), who's winning time of 47:13:13 would have placed him a close second overall in the men's open team event, behind eventual winners Ryan Bevis and Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK) who completed the course in just 47:12:23.
The veteran women's race was claimed by Julie Dinsdale ahead of Tatjana Troll. In the men's, Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger) clinched the title and led the thanks and praise for the organisers and support teams from the podium. The mixed category was a runaway win for the pairing of Maddie and Jay Horton (XC Racer.com/Trek) who finished almost 20 minutes up on second placed Alice Crook and Neil Hamblin (Cakemonsters). Elsewhere, the male veteran's Category was sewn up by Bryan Singleton and Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff), whilst Robert Barker and Mark Langdon (Sportstest.co.uk) took second, with the charismatic and ever playful Police Team Italia pairing of Mario Brunello and Fulvio Damian rounding out the podium in third. The winners of the female category were the strong and fearless pairing of Julie Cartner and Renel Brennan riding for the 7Stanes. And finally, Cyclingnews diarist Keith Bontrager finished the event himself to claim ninth overall in the veteran men's Solo race.
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The event will return in August 2008, when the Trans-UK format will revisit its birthplace for the second TransWales.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by TransScotland
- Keith Bontrager on the final day.
- Starting out with one stage to go.
- Winners of the Mixed category.
- The podium for the open men teams: Ryan Bevis & Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK) in first, Andrew Wardman & Steven Halsall (7Stanes) in second, David Preston & Chris Herraghty (Hoop Troop) in third.
- A rider negotiates a scenic corner.
- Still more scenic singletrack.
- Andy Barlow (Whyte Bikes) celebrates his win in the men's solo.
- Julie Dinsdale wins the vet women's category.
- Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger) takes top honors in the men's vet category.
- Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance) dominated the women's race.
- Bryan Singleton & Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff) won the vet men's team category.
- Matt McCarr takes the turn.
- Julie Cartner corners on the final day.
- Who can chug it the fastest? Champagne to celebrate the finish.
Results
Final Overall Standings Women's Solo Open Category 1 Meggie Bichard (Extreme Endurance) 47.47.36 2 Helen Lambert 20.20 3 Christie Boucher 50.01 Men's Solo Open Category 1 Andy Barlow (Whyte Bikes) 47.13.13 2 Ben Thompson (Nevis Cycles) 2.13 3 Mansour Youssef (Fusion Bikes) 3.33 Veteran Women's Solo Category 1 Julie Dinsdale 48.27.35 2 Tatjana Troll 5.55 3 Hilary Bloor (Team Planetfear) 29.59 Veteran Men's Solo Category 1 Rob Waller (ERC One Week Younger) 47.22.25 2 Antony Green (G A Cylces/gonebikinmad) 7.25 3 Matt Scrase (MTB Marathon.co.uk) 12.35 Mixed Category 1 Maddie Horton & Jay Horton (XC Racer.com/Trek) 47.36.54 2 Alice Crook & Neil Hamblin (Cakemonsters) 20.22 3 Yolande Wase & John Singleton (Laurel & Hardy) 38.50 Veteran's Category 1 Bryan Singleton & Peter Strong (Global/Torq/Buff) 47.32.56 2 Robert Barker & Mark Langdon (Sportstest.co.uk) 13.58 3 Mario Brunello & Fulvio Damian (Police Team Italia) 25.45 Female Category 1 Julie Cartner & Renel Brennan (7Stanes) 48.05.10 2 Sally Lee & Kate Chappell (Extreme Endurance) 11.46 Male Category 1 Ryan Bevis & Jonathan Pugh (RAM Bikes/Scott UK) 47.12.23 2 Andrew Wardman & Steven Halsall (7Stanes) 9.04 3 David Preston & Chris Herraghty (Hoop Troop) 10.31
