MUSSELBURGH ROAD RACE

Farrell Elbows Out Curran for Star Trophy Victory

SMOOTH talking saved Steve Farrell from a disqualification in Sunday's Star Trophy race - the Musselburgh Roads CC promotion in Scotland - after the Tunstall Wheeler had first been demoted to second place, then reinstated to first place, after elbowing out Paul Curran (Manchester Wheelers) in the two-man sprint.

Curran had attacked several times during the three laps of the town centre circuit only to meet with spirited resistance from Stoke-on-Trent's answer to Djamolidin Abduzhaparov, and at first was given the verdict over Farrell, but an appeal gave victory back to last year's Star Trophy winner.

Third was Mark Gornall, another who knows Farrell's elbows only too well from previous encounters in Star Tro-phy races, and it was enough to retain his lead in the competition with 51 points to the 49 of Curran and Farrell, with this weekend's Tour of the Cots-wolds to come.

'I appealed against the decision because I always ride with my elbows out - everyone knows that,' said Farrell. 'I said that if had wanted to elbow Paul out of the way then I had plenty of opportunity to do so while we were both away.

'Paul attacked several times on the finishing circuit and I attacked with 400 metres to go, although I thought it was only 200 metres.'

Curran, clearly disappointed at not winning his second Star Trophy race since being reinstated as an amateur, was as diplomatic as usual, saying: 'It could have been anybody's on the line.'

He refused to be drawn on his chances of winning the competition for the fifth time, but the series leader, Mark Gornall, was less enamoured of the competition.

'We were told that this was the big one, the one to win, he said, but none of the first three are going to the World's. OK, so we know that Paul isn't eligible because of being an ex-pro, but neither Steve or I will be going. Perhaps I am too old.'

As has been the pattern all year in Star Trophy races, the action started early, with Paul Coats (Cumbernauld CC) attacking at the drop of the flag, to be swiftly joined by John Flanagan (Bronte Wheelers). They gained 40 seconds before being caught at Pa-thead (4.9m) by an unidentified seven riders.

From this group the Dinnington RC pair of Wayne Randle and John Tan-ner went clear, but they, in turn, were caught as a new break developed, with all the main riders in contention for final honours in the Star Trophy represented, plus a few out to prove a point or two.

The group comprised Farrell, Cur-ran, Gornall, Randle, Tanner, Scott O'Brien (Manchester Wheelers), Jeff Wright (Tyne Velo), Ian Gilkes (Wem-bley RC), Simon Telford (Ridley CC), Dominic Sweeney (Invicta RC), Mark McKay (CC Luton), Stewart Whitlie (GS Modena) and Martin Coll (Ace RT).

They had 45 seconds in hand before a pursuit was set up: first by Andrew Moss (Northern Ireland), then Roddy Riddle (Moray Firth RT), with Moss making it to the group on the descent after the prime on Soutra Aisle - won by Coll - but Riddle fell back on the climb and was absorbed by the group he had just left.

This was good racing country, fast descents, narrow twisting roads, pot-holes, grit and mud, and superb views if you could spare the time from watching out for potholes, grit, and mud ….

The course now turned right on the A7, heading to Edinburgh, and was to turn right on a number of occasions, something you could get away with in this quiet corner of the Lothians, but not on more traffic-congested roads in other parts of the country.

Gornall moved to the back of the bunch to take a quiet drink as the break reached 56 seconds.

This was a good break, a text book break, with each rider contributing to the work, The sort of stuff that coaches dream about as each rider did a turn at the front of the right-hand string, moved to the left, was replaced by the next rider, and eventually found the back of the right-hand group again.

As the race turned left on the B7007 for the first of three trips around the Granites circuit, a few were missing turns, but why they were became apparent when the second prime of the day loomed up.

First over the line was Randle from Coll, Gornall and Curran. The break was now 1-5, and behind a reaction had come from the bunch.

Paul Rogers (VC St Raphael) and the promoting club's Andy Mathieson were trying to get clear.

Back on the circuit again and a tremendous sprint for the prime be-tween Randle and Coll saw the Scotsman not only losing the sprint but also his chain, and he could only look down in disbelief as his legs whirled round at a tremendous pace and his chain trailed on the ground.

Coll, a serious contender for the race victory, lost contact and was caught by the still chasing Rogers and Mathieson and then by the bunch.

The last prime on the circuit went to Wright from Randle and Gornall, and the lead had now shot up from 1-56 to 2-42.

Curran was now at the back, drink-ing a lot and obviously worried about the effects of the heat generated from wearing his hard shell helmet.

As the break turned off the circuit and a right-hand turn on the A7 Gala road, direction Galashiels, the lead had moved to 3-15.

Eight miles ahead lay the village of Stowe and the 1-in-4 ascent of Big Stowe, but in between were road works, traffic lights, and some really rough stretches of road were Gilkes was one of the few to pass his hand over his tyres to remove any un-wanted flints.

Big Stowe came suddenly. A sharp left-hand in the village, and there was the hill, scene of so many Scottish hill-climb championships.

It proved too much for Whitlie a former speed skater, and for Moss too, and they were dropped as Curran put in a burst of speed and power with Farrell and Randle on his wheel.

Randle didn't quite make it, and Curran and Farrell went clear. This was the move, and from 25 seconds they quickly had a minute to spare.

There was no immediate reaction from their former companions, and whether they were stunned by the move or simply accepting the inevita-ble, Curran and Farrell were well and truly away.

Now the race had turned left at Lauder and was on the A68 in the direction of Edinburgh, a well-surfaced road but with a quite considerable amount of traffic build-ing up behind the chasers as they battled into a headwind and the long drag up to the sixth prime, the Soutra. Sweeney asked permission to drop back and get some water for his drinking bottle from a service car, as the heat and the distance began to exact its toll. Riders swapped bottles as the break reached 1-35.

The final right turn, off the A68 and on to the A6093, was a tricky one, with loose gravel to trap the unwary on the left turn to Fordel Dean Road and the final prime of the day.

Telford had tried to break away as the race turned off the A68, then Wright and Randle attacked. Telford tried again, but again it came to nothing.

Behind the chasers Rogers was still trying to get across, and he was to receive the BCF's combativity prize for his efforts, although he had spent the whole day chasing and all to no avail, unless you discount his 12th place at the end of it all.

Curran took the final prime from Farrell to take the mountains award, with Randle third but a long way behind, and the race came into Mus-selburgh which it had left some four hours earlier.

There were three laps to do in the town, made tricky by local traffic, and Curran led Farrell as they passed by the racecourse, empty of horses but full of golfers fired up after watching the British Open on TV.

Sweeney tried to get away from the chasing group on the final lap, but Gornall was swiftly on to his wheel, while ahead Curran made his move, Farrell responded, then Curran ob-jected, Farrell was relegated and then wrote out his appeal.

Gornall took the sprint for third place, his overall lead was safe, but for how long? As usual, Gornall wasn't fit yet, something he had been saying since March when he had won the opening round of the Star Trophy, the Grand Prix of Essex.

'I caught a cold on Thursday, 'he said. 'You name it, and I have taken it, all legal of course. I hope I am called to the dope control as I have a list a mile long!'

His wish was soon granted as Gerry McDaid presented an invitation to attend the dope control.

After being reinstated and given the victory, Farrell was his usual talkative self.

'Paul jumped away on Big Stowe and I went after him.

'I caught him and he said to me: 'Do you want to carry on?'

'I said: 'I haven't chased you all the way up this hill for nothing', and so we carried on.'

Curran explained: 'I went hard up the prime hill and the gap looked reasonable. We worked together.'

Inevitably, questions were asked about the standard of promotion of this first Star Trophy event in Scotland, compared to those in England, which is unfair as some of the English races have had 30 years to hone their act to perfection.

The first three: Farrell, Curran and Gornall enjoyed the race, the course and the scenery, and they will surely spread the word among their contem-poraries who didn't enter or didn't start, that this was a first-class promotion by the enthusiasts of the Musselburgh Roads CC.

RESULTS

1. STEVE FARRELL (Tunstall Wh-L & M Autos) 105m in 4-10-38
2. P. Curran (Manchester Wh) st
3. M. Gornall (Manchester Wh) at 2-10
4. Gilkes (Wembley AC)
5. M. McKay (CC Luton)
6. J. Wright (Tyne Velo)
7. S. Telford (Ridley CC)
8. W. Randle (Dinnington RC)
9. J. Tanner (Dinnington RC)
10. S. O'Brien (Manchester Wh)
11. D. Sweeney (Invicta RC) all st
12. P. Rogers (VC St Raphael) at 4-51
13. Irvine (N Ireland) at 6-25
14. R. Riddle (Moray Firth AT)
15. M. Coll (Ace RT)
16. G. Irvine (N Ireland)
17. Matheson (Musselburgh RCC)
18. MacAulay (Cum-bernuald CC)
19. P. Coats (Cumbernauld CC) all st
20. S. Cassells (VC de l'Avenir) at 10-23.

Mountains.- Curran.

STAR TROPHY (after nine events).- MARK GORNALL (Manchester Wh-Trumanns Steel) 5lpt; eq2, Curran, Farrell, 49; 4, Randle, 34; eq5, Gilkes, A. Perks (Royal Sutton CC) 30; 7, S. Hempsall (GS Strada) 27; 8, D. Spencer (Alpha RT) 17; 9, G. Speight (Paragon RT) 16; eqlO, C. Boardman (Manch-ester Wh), S. Lillistone (Team Haverhill), M. Postle (CC Abergavenny) 15.