St Andrews Highland Games
Travelling up to St Andrews on Sunday things were looking grim as the rain bounced off the ground, once at the games circuit the rain started to go off and blue sky was even seen.
So going from being virtually cancelled in the morning the Games kicked off all be it a bit on the slidy side :O As it turned out the day was good for me picking up four straight wins, the first for me this season, the form is there I will just have to hang on to it for a few weeks.
St Andrews Results:
800m - 1st
1600m - 1st
3200m - 1st
Diel - 1st
Ya Beauty!

Was at first Highland Games of the weekend and it ended up quite good for me. St Andrews is tomorrow but looking at forecast it may be a non starter :( If it goes ahead maybe it will be a bit of cycle speedway :))

Airth results:
1600m 1st
3200m 2nd
4800m 5th
Diel - 2nd

Grass Track Racing
After last weekend with my off into a car all the week was spent recovering and trying to get the inflammation down and keep the muscles moving. I knew I had a big weekend ahead with three Highland Games Grass Track meetings one after another. Lying in a hospital bed last Sunday it seemed like it was not going to be, the body is a fantastic tool and by Wednesday I was getting better and to be honest amazed after the impact I had.
The first Games was Balloch at Loch Lomond and this was going to be my tester, I faired good through the day and apart from the standing starts where pulling up on the bars was sore I felt good.
Results:
800m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st James Melville, Dumbarton 50m 1m 31.37s
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR
3rd David Mathieson, Newburgh 55m

1600m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st James Melville, Dumbarton 70m 3m 26.28s
2nd Tim Allan, Glenrothes X
3rd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR

3200m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Tim Allan, Glenrothes X 7m 21.41s
2nd David Mathieson, Newburgh 90m
3rd James Melville, Dumbarton 85m

DEIL CYCLING
1st Tim Allan, Glenrothes
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay
3rd James Melville, Dumbarton

*All the races are handicapped (apart from Deil) as the MK is where the rider starts from and the SCR is the scratch man who starts behind on the finish line. The X is someone that does not have a mark and the handicapper will give them one on the day.

On to Thornton Sunday and I was starting to feel better again although some riders were missing as there was a Games on the same day in Roseneath but I was still having to catch up coming off my back mark
Results:
1600m OPEN CYCLING
1st D Howitt, Glenrothes 60 2m 48.73s
2nd D Mathieson, Newburgh 80
3rd F Morris, Glenrothes

3200m OPEN CYCLING
1st C Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR 2m 56.40s
2nd D Mathieson, Newburgh 90
3rd F Morris, Glenrothes X

4800m OPEN CYCLING
1st C Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR 6m 15.20s
2nd D Mathieson, Newburgh 95
3rd D Howitt, Glenrothes 85

DEIL CYCLING
1st C Hardie, Dalgety Bay
2nd D Howitt, Glenrothes
3rd F Morris, Glenrothes

Last race for me was Burntisland Mon the 20th and this was going to be a cracker with 10 bikes and everyone racing at a similar level apart from two Pro's Alex Coutts and Evan Oliphant. This was a different games for myself also as I was not off scratch which went to Evan, I felt good throughout the day and was getting better but was struggling to get the better of Evan. The Deil was the last event and last chance for a result, this event is run off together after a rolling start so it is mano mano to the line if you are left after everyone else is eliminated.

The Deil panned out well and I managed to stay on Evan's wheel till the last corner which was a bit dodgy, I dived into the inside and Evan went wide, it was then a drag strip to the line where the Judges had to decide who had got it and I am over the moon to say I got it by a tyre width!! This will go down as one of the best win's of my Grass Track career.
Results:
1600m OPEN CYCLING
1st Alan Clark, Thurso 50m 2m 45.31secs
2nd Tim Allan, Glenrothes 80m
3rd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 60m

3200m OPEN CYCLING
1st Evan Oliphant,Wick SCR 5m 45.09secs
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 100m
3rd Tim Allan, Glenrothes 140m

4800m OPEN CYCLING
1st Evan Oliphant,Wick SCR 9m 27.88secs
2nd Alex Coutts, Burntisland X
3rd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 130m

DEIL CYCLING
1st Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay
2nd Evan Oliphant,Wick
3rd Tim Allan, Glenrothes

Evan Oliphant leading out the pack.

Photo from Marty Steele

Me leading out Alex Coutts and Alan Clark
Photo from Marty Steele

On Sunday morning I was on my way out for a spin when I hit a car and had a trip in an ambulance to A&E, after getting checked out with x-rays my injuries were not as bad as first suspected (broken arm). I am just a bit banged up at the moment and should be recovered in the next couple of days. Bikes hitting cars with a squashy tomato sitting on it is not a good combo :(

The Games
Another weekend and another Highland games, this week we were at Cupar in Fife. On arrival the rain started and got harder and harder, fortunately the rain went off and the track dried up. After the track dried the racing got fast and as such I changed my gear from 48x17 to 48x16 as I seemed to be spinning out.
It was a funny weekend for me in that my legs did not seem to be working very well although as the day wore on I seemed to get better. I was disappointed in not getting into the 80m final but my handicap and the fast conditions did not help.

Photos from Tom/Nick Hunter

Results:
800 Mts Final
1st Darren Howitt
2nd Tim Allan
3rd James Melville

1600m
1st Darren Howitt
2nd James Melville
3rd Stu McManus

3200m
1st Tim Allan
2nd Alan Clark
3rd Craig Hardie

De'il (Devil) tak the hindmost*
1st Alan Clark
2nd Craig Hardie
3rd Darren Howitt

*Elimination race where one rider comes out last over the line each lap till 3/4 left who sprint for the win.
There is mention of the De'il in a passage of the address to the haggis written by Robert Burns:

Then, horn for horn they stretch an' strive,
deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums ;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit hums.

Grass Tracking
Started the Highland Games season last weekend and managed to get the season of to a cracker.
The ground was very slick after rain overnight and once the runners/cyclists were round the grass went like ice in sections!
Was on my new Gary Fisher Triton which was fantastic all day.

Triton

Results:
800m
1st Craig Hardie
2nd Neil Withington
3rd Tim Allan

1600m
1st Brendon Roe
2nd Darren Howitt
3rd Tim Allan

3000m
1st Craig Hardie
2nd Tim Allan
3rd Brendon Roe

5000m
1st Craig Hardie
2nd Dave Mathieson
3rd James Melville


Report from Shane Fenton here: Ceres Games