Keeping it going!
This weekend past was at Crieff Highland Games and I was feeling confident but you never know until you get off that start line. As it happened I started well but from there the legs started to fail on me to the point I was just going round at the Deil where I got fifth. So not to bad day with the results considering I was not at my best, the season is coming in to the sprint finish with a few rounds left just hope the legs remember that!

800m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR 1m 21.47secs
2nd Tim Allan, Glenrothes 25m
3rd Darren Howitt, Glenrothes 55m

1600m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Tim Allan, Glenrothes 40m 3m 04.38secs
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR
3rd Kevin Barclay, Glenrothes SCR

3200m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Tim Allan, Glenrothes 55m 6m 08.06secs
2nd David Mathieson, Newburgh 125m
3rd Kevin Barclay, Glenrothes SCR

DEIL CYCLING
1st Kevin Barclay, Glenrothes
2nd Tim Allan, Glenrothes
3rd Neil Withington, Carlisle

Anyway that was the racing but I had another job on the day with delivering a fixed wheel Dawes mono to a certain Ewan Mcgregor who is a top bloke and is getting right into fixie's.
I even managed to get him to push me off in one of the races!

Up to speed
Another double weekend of Games past and the legs came back a bit after feeling like lead last week, I knew after my training in the week that the form was still there from a couple of weeks ago but maybe just tailing off a bit.
Inverkeithing Highland Games is run not on Grass but a red cinder track which makes cornering interesting as the bikes do move about underneath you a bit, the key is to let the bike move and not to be be to rigid, easier said than done once there are 7/8 bikes around you it makes for a few buttock clenching moments!

The one race I wanted to win at Inverkeithing was the 6400m Scottish Champs and I was feeling strong but Evan Oliphant got it on the line although I think I pushed him all the way. The other events were good for me but I was a bit frustrated in not coming away without a win on the day.

800m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Tom Hunter, Falkirk 125m 1m 03.94s
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 40m
3rd Brendan Roe, Valleyfield 60m

1600m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Darren Howitt, Glenrothes 140m 2m 17.30s
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 60m
3rd Brendan Roe, Valleyfield 85m

3200m OPEN CYCLING MK TIME
1st Darren Howitt, Glenrothes 300m 4m 57.88s
2nd Tom Hunter, Falkirk X
3rd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay 100m

6400m OPEN SC CHAMPIONSHIP CYCLING MK TIME
1st Evan Oliphant,Wick SCR 10m 16.81s
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay SCR
3rd Alan Clark, Thurso SCR

DEIL CYCLING
1st Neil Withington, Carlisle
2nd Craig Hardie, Dalgety Bay
3rd Alan Clark, Thurso

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