Tour of Fife - Stage 4 - Cambo Estate Trail Race

This was my favourite day of the Tour so far.  Getting the Uphell Time Trial out of the way was a real weight off of my shoulders.  With the sun shining, and the promise of a nice traily course without too much in the way of hills, today didn't carry much in the way of fear.

In fact, at times on the drive through, I almost forgot that we were going to run a race.  It felt more like five mates going somewhere for a spot of lunch and a bit of sightseeing.  Spirits were quite high in the car - laughs about the terrible facial expressions in photos from the night before, talking tactics for the race, targets (in the shape of other runners), and so on.  

Andrew and Willie carried on the "visit to a country house" theme by going for tea and scones, while Michael, Peter and I went for a bit of a recce and warm up.  It's fair to say that we found the course, a two-lapper, very pretty. 

This reminds me of a low budget shoot for a rock band's album cover art...

Below are my pictures of the recce, interspersed with some action shots from the race itself.  Hopefully the flow will make sense.

(photo: Tom Brian)

(photo: Tom Brian)

We lined up opposite the house, and set off down the drive way before heading round the perimeter of a field of long-ish grass, that had been roughed up a little by some cattle.

The Usual Suspects (i.e. the lead 5) immediately jumped to the front (Scott Cassidy I think trying to regain some of his losses from the night before), with Peter doing his best to drag the rest of us along.    

(photo: Vicki Charlton)

Rabid cattle

It was then that the cattle tried to rough up more than the ground - stampeding right across the path of the race, and coming quite close to wiping out Tom the Metro in particular.  If the heart rates and adrenaline weren't up before then they certainly were now!

Heading down onto the meandering paths along by the stream was the best, most interesting, section of the course.  I was happy enough to just settle in behind Peter and young Sam in 8th place, with Keith (also from Fife AC) at close quarters.  While my legs had suggested that they were feeling surprisingly ok during the morning, the stress test of a bit of running at speed quickly uncovered the accumulating niggles.

Sam nearly came a cropper here when tripping over a stake and stumbling towards the door frame

A "technical" descent to a bridge

I see the sea and the sea sees me

We passed what seemed to be a "glamping" set-up

Ah well, one lap done, and one to go.  Peter and Sam were still just about in range, and I was comforted by the thought that none of my V40 rivals were ahead.  There is only so much time you can lose over a further 2 mile lap.  He hoped...

Second time through the cattle field
(photo: Vicki Charlton)

(photo: Tom Brian)

At the start of the second run along the stream Keith passed me, and then passed Peter and Sam into the bargain.

It was becoming more apparent that my legs were definitely not in favour of any of the downhill sections.  The metaphoric elastic band that attached me to Peter and Sam would stretch to breaking point, before tightening back up again on the short uphill sections.  Thankfully Keith wasn't too much further ahead than them, but Craig from Dundee (a V40!) was starting to gain ground from the rear.  

While I kept trying to remind myself that this was a game about seconds and not places, it dawned on me that anything from 6th to 10th was up for grabs.  And there was a final short hill about 400m from the finish.  I managed to pass Peter going up the hill, before overhauling Sam just over the brow on the start of the straight between the fence and the wall.  Winding up to give it as much as was left in my legs, and thrashing my arms furiously, I *just* pipped Keith on the line.  Childishly competitive perhaps, but there is something quite appealing about a run of successive sixths. 

Working...
(photo: Ethan Lee)

Peter, Willie and I all enjoy increased leads in our respective categories after the race.  Michael was less pleased with his run, but his knee is bothering him again, and his training has been seriously disrupted in the run up.

The tour fun then continued with a "fresh" (marketing courtesy of the MG Agency) dip in the sea, Battenberg cake (courtesy of The Stave and Mr Kipling) served on the lawn, rounded off by a wee jaunt down to Crail for chips.  Most enjoyable.
 

Stage 4 Results:

1. Derek Rae (Anster Haddies RC): 24:14
2. Scott Cassidy (Fife AC): +0:01
3. Alastair Brockie (Corstorphine AAC): +0:24
4. Ewan Gault (Central AC): +0:35
5. Tom Brian (Metro Aberdeen RC): +0:45
6: Nick Williamson (Dunbar RC): +1:55
7. Keith Taylor (Fife AC): +1:55
8. Sam Fernando (Fife AC): +1:58
9. Peter Buchanan (Portobello RC): +2:08
10. Craig Love (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers): +2:16
13. Michael Geoghegan (Portobello RC): +2:45
17. Willie Jarvie (Portobello RC): +3:08

 
Yellow Jersey (Overall Classification) - after Stage 4:

1. Derek Rae (Anster Haddies RC): 1:15:30
2. Scott Cassidy (Fife AC): +0:24
3. Alastair Brockie (Corstorphine AAC): +1:03
4. Ewan Gault (Central AC): +2:12
5. Tom Brian (Metro Aberdeen RC): +2:47
6: Nick Williamson (Dunbar RC): +6:21
7. Keith Taylor (Fife AC): +7:39
8. Sam Fernando (Fife AC): +7:45
9. Michael Geoghegan (Portobello RC): +8:01
10. Peter Buchanan (Portobello RC): +8:05
18. Willie Jarvie (Portobello RC): +11:52
 
 
White Jersey (Best Old (V40) Rider Classification) - after Stage 4:

1. Nick Williamson (Dunbar RC): 1:21:51
2. Steven King (Carnegie Harriers): +3:39
3. Scott Strachan (Kinross Road Runners): +8:29
4. Craig Love (Dundee Hawkhill Harriers): +9:35
5. Colin Thomson (Unattached): +11:07

 

FULL STAGE 4 RESULTS

 

AGGREGATE RESULTS AFTER 4 STAGES