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DH: So Sean, as the riders get underway behind the cars for this neutralised section of the Velo Club Glasgow South Road Race, what would you choose as your strategy today? It's a very, very hot - glorious day... does that change things at all? Where would you try to be?
SK: Well, er, I think that definitely, we're going to see some riders struggling with this heat. At this sort of level, there are going to be a lot of riders who are not used to taking on so much fluid as they go, and maybe, with the hills, the fitness won't be there, so, you know, but I think it's certainly a lot safer than in the real heavy weather like we have seen in the past number of months. But it is still good to get forward in the bunch, always. There are going to be some nervous riders, even in this neutralised section, and the last thing you want is to be caught in an accident at this early stage.
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DH: And the riders are coming around to the climb up to White Loch for the first of three times now, and, so far, I have to say, not a lot going on.
SK: No, as you can see, we've got this small number of riders willing to make the pace, and the rest of the peloton just sitting in behind very comfortable.
DH: Would you be tempted, at this point, to break away?
SK: Well, with a big number of kilometres left to race, you would have to make a group of strong, strong riders to make a break for the win.
DH: And, of course, there's a lot of unproven legs out there.
SK: Yes, well, as you can see, there are a number of riders looking about, trying to pick wheels to follow, whilst some riders are already starting to blow on these smaller climbs. I think it's difficult, at this level, to know whether your breakaway companions are really going to go for it or not.
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DH: ...along this section of the A77 with this brutal headwind. And, Sean, it's all seemed to settle down a bit now, hasn't it?
SK: Well, as you can see, nobody's really willing to go away now as we can see riders coming around to try their legs, but there's no willingness to form a group and chase away. At this early stage, a break would have to get a big advantage over the peloton to go for the win, and most of the big favourites will be making that calculation - do I play it safe until that last climb?
DH: At this level of racing, do you think maybe putting a sprint or king of the mountains prime might liven things up a bit?
SK: Yes.
Well, with a peloton moving this slow, you would expect to see some of the riders maybe not so capable of a sprint trying to go away if there were intermediate points on offer, but with only the race win, you see a lot of hesitation in the bunch.
DH: They just don't want to risk blowing too early.
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DH: They're sitting comfortably here as they make their second run along the Clunch road and-
SK: -Puncture.
DH: -Hold on, there's a mechanical. It's a Glasgow Green rider. Yup, his hand's in the air, definitely a- yup the back wheel's out, definitely a puncture. And that's... Yoong! Ròberto Yoong! And that's going to be a big, big problem for the young rider.
SK: Well, that's certainly not what he would have wanted. He was going real strong, real good in the front group there, and he'll have to work real hard now to chase back on.
DH: He'll start clawing his way back n- no! He's got another puncture! He's not at all happy with the wheel he's received from the service car.
SK: Well, this is going to cost him a number of minutes.
DH: What a stroke of bad luck for the man in the black and white strip of Glasgow Green. He'll have a hell of a job to catch back onto the group now.
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DH: Another Glasgow Green rider! This time it has to be Aandie Dòbinson! And this is turning out to be a terribly unfortunate day for the young city centre club - two mechanicals in this second lap, with one rider still desperately trying to chase on.
SK: Yes, well, as we can see, his chain's just come off the inside of the chainwheel there and not been caught and has jammed between the chain watcher and the chain wheel.
DH: The service car's cleared him quickly, and he'll be able to jump back on to the back of that group...
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DH: It's gone again! I don't believe it! The chain's jumped on the outside this time!
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DH: And that's it for Dòbinson, he's had enough. Was looking like a really good day for him, but enough's enough.
SK: Well, when your chain's coming off like that, you have to be able to trust your equipment. In a real hard effort losing the chain will just push the bike sideways and, you know. Can be real dangerous.
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DH: And poor old Yoong's just hanging out there, unable to close that gap into this headwind. Even if he did, the riders in the group are getting so much shelter - surely there won't be much he can do?
SK: Well, he'll certainly be digging into his reserves now. When your hanging out the back for a number of kilometres, the wind can be a real - can really eat into your strength. But, you know, in a race of this length, you've got to keep going to the finish if you can. A lot can happen, and if he can regain contact with a good bunch, you can get your legs back a bit.
DH: He's a proven climber, and he would have favoured this course. We caught up with him earlier.
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RY: I reckon I can give it a good try. The headwind over the final climb's going to make a bit of difference to the tactics, and I think it's going to keep the whole race together for much longer, but, so long as I don't get any mechanicals, I should be in with a good shot.
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DH: Famous last words for Yoong there. Well, some days it's your day, and some days it really isn't. We have to take a commercial break...
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DH: ...and Crooickshahnks goes early! That's set the ball rolling at five hundred metres, but is it too early?
SK: Yes.
DH: I think it probably was. Here comes the field...
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DH: And here comes Yoong up this final climb. Ooh, that is a mask of pain. He's still passing the backmarkers, though.
SK: I think he's on a training ride now.
DH: Yes, a twenty mile time trial to finish just outside the bunch. I think it's pride, as much as anything, Sean - he's saying "I wasn't dropped, I'm still as strong as any of you."
SK: I think what he maybe said was "AAARGH!"
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