The 46^th David Bell Memorial Road Race lived up to its promise as epic, when pre-race favourite James McCallum flew across the gravel roads to win on Sunday.  The event, promoted by Ayr Roads Cycling Club / Harry Fairbairn BMW was billed as the hardest single day road race in Scotland, and with only 35 finishers of the 80 strong start sheet no one was going to claim otherwise!

Riders enjoyed good conditions as they signed on at the race headquarters in Straiton, just a dry light breeze from the east.  As the convoy rolled out and the race hit the opening circuit around a short nine mile loop to loosen up the legs there was an explosion of activity.  The race didn’t dip below 30mph once, as an attack by Matt MacDonald (thebicycleworks .com) and Callum Wilkinson (Endura Racing) looked like a dangerous move. 

A good crowd based itself in Straiton to cheer as the riders passed through their village on the way to the D&J Dunlop Hill prime on the Largs climb.  Despite featuring so early in the race many top riders were already being spat out the back as the young mountain bike star Grant Fergusson (Boardman Elite) showed off the strength that had netted him a top result at the Offemberg World Cup event the week before.

The convoy had no trouble negotiating the difficult right hand junctions through Dalmellington towards Loch Doon as local Police did a superb job of helping the many marshals with traffic.  As the race hit the banks of Loch Doon, event organisers had goosebumps all over – after nine months of organisation the sight of a full peloton racing along under the shadow of the Merrick was breathtaking!  Pity the riders who had no chance to admire the scenery; with the countdown to the Forest Road beginning there was attack after attack to ensure the strongest men were on the front and out of trouble.  Service vehicles were fully deployed as riders succumbed to a quick succession of punctures - even before the gravel track began!

FOREST ROAD:

At full speed past Loch Riecaw and on to Loch Braden, the race was easily recognisable by the big clouds of dust followed the riders.  A group of fifteen gained an advantage before returning to the road, just as Kenny Armstrong, the only remaining home rider suffered an ironic puncture just metres before the tarmacadam re-started!  

Coming into the Sinclair Scott Sprint at Straiton for the final lap, Callum Wilkinson showed off the skills that marked him out as a pre-race favourite.  On the climb a group of four broke away including McCallum, Wilkinson, Peter Murdoch (Team Cyclelane) and Scott MacCrae (Leslie Bike Shop).  No one in the diminished 25 rider peloton seemed willing to chase, and the gap quickly established itself at 90 seconds.  By the time the race returned to Loch Doon the gap was still growing at over two minutes.  Fed up waiting, Gordon Murdoch (Team Cyclelane) made a bold solo bid to counter the attack and had a well established gap of 45 seconds by the time the pack returned to the Forest Drive.

While James McCallum was vying to launch his solo bid to glory at the front, it was local heroes Trevor Wilson (Dales CRT) , Gareth Barnes and Neil Walker (both Walkers CC) who were putting in valiant rides to stick with strong men such as Commonwealth Games runner up George Atkins (Velo Ecosse) and Neil Souter (GS Metro).  Climbing up to Loch Braden exhaustion was evident, as riders struggled to keep traction and momentum on the loose gravel.  Grant Fergusson reported to have popped as he disappeared from view in the official race car mirrors.

Up front James McCallum was turning a 20metre gap into over a minutes lead as he flew down the descent of Tairlaw.  As marshal Paul Torrance observed at the notorious S-bend over Tairlaw bridge 'That lad McCallum can go round a corner'!

Behind him Peter Murdoch was putting in a courageous effort to rejoin the remains of the break following a puncture, while behind brother Gordon soldiered on alone – now over a minute clear of the bunch.

McCallum turned into Straiton to a huge cheer, time to salute to the sky and dedicate the win to his wife’s late grandfather.  A little later Peter pipped MaCrae and Wilkinson for 2^nd place, and Gordon got a hero’s welcome for his super fifth place solo effort.

First finisher from the home club was Kenny Armstrong in 29^th position, after losing time waiting for service.

Councillor Ann Galbraith was on hand to present the winner with the stunning slate trophy, specially commissioned for the event.   A visibly delighted  James McCallum was quick to praise the organising team, and more especially Councillor Galbraith for her help and support preparing the race circuit. 

Having cited the Davie Bell as the one Scottish race he ‘had to win’, winner McCallum told Ayr Roads to “Keep pushing the boundaries, today was awesome and epic!  The trophy is ace too!” - before spraying the organiser Chris Johnson with Champagne

6^th place finisher Eddie Addis of Velo Ecosse praised the post race catering as “Awesome! I’ll be back next year”

Walkers Cycling Duo Gareth Barnes and Neil Walker called the course ‘visionary’, both delighted with top 20 results.

The next major event fixture of Ayr Roads Cycling Club is the Scottish Hill Climb Championships on the 23^rd October.

Full results available here.

The pre-race report looked as follows:

The best cyclists in Scotland will descend on South Ayrshire this Sunday (5^th June) as Ayr Roads Cycling Club/Harry Fairbairn BMW play host to round 4 of the Scottish Power Renewables SuP6R Six series at the 2011 David Bell Memorial Road Race.  The event has attracted a full field for the first time in over two decades, as riders line up to complete the gruelling 120km marathon over the hill roads around Straiton.

Among those competing for the coveted victor’s trophy will be Commonwealth Games runner up George Atkins of Equippe Velo Ecosse, Multiple British Champion and series leader James McCallum of Rapha Condor Sharp, and young mountainbike star Grant Fergusson of Boardman Elite.  Teams from as far afield as Moray, Keswick and Newcastle will also be competing in what is set to be an extremely unique event.

Local interest will focus on the three riders from the host club, Ayr Roads CC.  Kenny Armstrong and Mark Skilling have both been enjoying good form this year in Scotland, whilst Gavin McDonald will also return to make an appearance in the blue and white club colours for a last crack at his home event.

This will be the 46^th edition of the classic David Bell Memorial Road Race, run in honour of the late Ayrshire Post journalist David E.T. Bell, aka The Highwayman.  Past winners include Tour de France jersey winner Robert Millar, the late great Jason MacIntyre, and current Scottish Champion Evan Oliphant.

As the host club start gearing up for the 50^th edition of the race, organisers have introduced some big changes to the race – including the introduction of unsurfaced roads – a first in Scottish road racing.  The elite field will tackle two passages of the Carrick Forest Drive, from Loch Doon to Stinchar Bridge.  With echoes of the famous Paris-Roubaix race in northern France, the route has been one of the mostly hotly discussed topics among the Scottish cycling community this year. 

Depending on weather conditions, riders will experience dry surfaces likely to kick up a lot of dust, or the strength sapping sensation of riding through toothpaste.  Either way, organisers hope the route will give riders a little taste of the adventure found in a ‘Highwayman’ column!  Hundreds of hours have gone into the organisation, and with excellent cooperation from South Ayrshire Council, the Forestry Commission and local police it should be a great spectacle for cycling in the local area.  Already respectfully feared by cyclists for the wild weather and rugged landscape, this years edition will cement the Davie Bell’s reputation as a true classic. 

Spectators will have ample opportunity to view the action, with the race passing through the heart of Straiton four times.  The race will start in the village at 11am before arriving at the D&J Dunlop hill prime on the B741 Straiton Dalmellington road around 11:20.  Riders will then skirt the side of Loch Doon before starting the first passage of the 7km gravel road.  The first lap will culminate in the Sinclair Scott hot spot sprint outside Straiton Primary School before riders start another gruelling circuit.  The winner is expected to cross the finish line in Straiton main street around 13:40.  After 120km of hills, gravel road and high speeds every finisher deserves a huge cheer.

Prizegiving will be held around 1430, and Councillor Ann Galbraith will be on hand at the finish to present the winner with a specially commissioned trophy, sponsored by ACS Prestwick Ltd. to mark the occasion.

For a better insight into the race we caught up with the SuP6R Six series leader James McCallum, multiple British Champion and Commonwealth Games Medallist, ahead of the Davie Bell.  James had just finished stage 3 of the famous Rás - an eight day stage race around Ireland, whose winners include Stephen Roche, and HTC-Highroad professional Tony Martin.

How are you enjoying racing the Ras James?

"Really enjoying it, we won stage 1 and nearly pulled it off again today.  The team atmosphere is great, we’re racing as a unit, treating each stage like a one day race.  The roads here in Ireland are hard, tacky and heavy - just like Ayrshire roads - so its going to be great preparation for the Davie Bell!”

You have ridden the Davie Bell before, do you have any special memories?

“I first rode the Davie Bell years ago, when it used to start in Ayr and head out the coast road before hitting the big climbs of Tairlaw and Nic O the Balloch.  It has always been a brutal event.  It’s such a well known race with such history – The Davie Ding Dong as the riders call it!  The new course will make the race really interesting, and more sporting too.  Upcoming riders need to do a course they have ambitions to race on – courses can get stale after too long.  I remember once riding the race with just 27 other competitors, so it’s fantastic to see the development of the race and a full field of 80 again.”

Looking at the start list, who do you feel will be your biggest challengers?

“To be honest, I think the course will be a bigger challenge than the competition.  We will be riding on unsurfaced forest drive this year, which means its the kind of race where you need to sacrifice some bike performance for reliability.  It will certainly be the course that decides the winner.  And luck will play a huge part – to avoid mechanical incident, be in the right move, luck will be really important.

But saying that the strong teams, like Endura Pedal Power and thebicycleworks.com are always a threat.  If they ride together they can always annoy me enough!  George Atkins of Equippe Velo Ecosse is a phenomenal talent [silver medallist at Delhi, British and European medallist] – really strong, and i’m interested to see how he gets on.

You were part of the winning Rapha Condor Sharp team at the Rutland CiCLE Classic (A spectacular international race with similar terrain to the Davie Bell) – what did you learn from that experience?

It was a really cool race – leading to some really iconic pictures.  Seeing the riders emerge from the dirt sections covered in mud is always going to be interesting.  Our team took the race by the scruff of the neck, we hit the front and hit it fast, long before the first difficult parts.  Being up the front, out of the way of all obstacles was our strategy – prevention rather than cure.  It will be the same at the Davie Bell; make sure I’m on the front before the tricky Carrick Forest Drive section. 

What do you enjoy most about being a professional rider?

I’m now doing something for my job that is my hobby.  And I love going fast! I now get to go fast all the time, and have time to train to go even faster.  Its a great feeling of power, being able to ride much at speeds others cannot match.  I hope I can do that at the Davie Bell!

Tomorrow morning you will get up for stage 4 of the Rás, 142km long with 3 categorised climbs, how will you feel waking up?

“The team are all in good shape and we want to make the most of it.  Its like a rollercoaster of energy, one day you feel fine, the next you might feel awful.  I woke up feeling terrible but then was in the break for 110km!  Its my job, and its great to be in this position. 

What advice do you have for people new to the sport, who might be watching cycle racing for the first time at the 46^th David Bell Memorial?

You know, cycling can seem so boring watching it at times, but there is always so much more going on behind the scenes.  Its really worth exploring on places like youtube, but better yet get in touch with your local clubs like Ayr Roads CC.  Enjoy it, come out and watch the racing and get involved in events!

You have raced all over the world – in the last 12 months you competed in Delhi, in Taiwan, you are now riding the Rás – do you have a special feeling when returning to race in Scotland?

“I do, I like racing in Scotland.  And i’m now in a position where i’m able to be in competition for the win in all the races which is incredible for me.  I’m now getting my name on trophies I remember looking at as a junior thinking they were never for me.  I remember watching the likes of Roddy Riddle riding the RAS and its so humbling to be here now too.  Local cycling heroes are such an important part of racing, but as are the famous races.  I’m trying to win all the trophies I longed for as a junior – the Sam Robinson, the Davie Campbell, Roseneath...  all that eludes me is the Davie Bell!

Good Luck James!

To follow the race, download a copy of the RACE HANDBOOK, including route, start list, spectator information and a time schedule.  This year the David Bell Memorial also has a strong social media presence, and will be covered on Twitter using #daviebell and also on Facebook.