1990: Jubilee Celebrations: The Cycle Race
The ‘annual’ cycle race formed part of the Jubilee celebrations.
As was traditional, the route followed the road left, up to Kirkpatrick Durham where cyclists turned left toward Bogglebridge and the A712. Left here all the way toward Corsock Bridge before turning left onto B794 along the Urr Valley and back to Kilquhanity. A circuit between 10 – 12 miles.
The cycle race took up one afternoon with participants cheered on by the crowd as they set off according to some sort of handicap procedure.
Getting ready for the Chaos; here.
The Booth brothers – Ed, Adam and Sam had built a three-seater bike – which I know ended up on a car and trailer around the corner.
The Booth brothers. From the leftt, Adam, Sam and Ed
remember them passing me, waving as I sweated somewhere near the Corsock turn. I had borrowed my son Matt’s mountain bike, complete with can of McEwans in the bottle holder, leaving midway through the field of cyclists. Proudly coming in second last!
It must be said that some cyclists took the event very seriously – preparing bikes, kitted up in cycling gear and shoes with clip-ons. Others from ten year olds to 60 years olds took the event in a more leisurely manner.
I remember Steve Winning being held by two others at the start, feet on pedals in order to get the most efficient launch!
Later in the afternoon after a couple of crashes all competitors were rewarded with a medal and drank ‘champagne’ from the cycle trophy to the applause of the gathering.
