Chris Smart (GTR - Return to Life) was the winner of the Dundee Thistle 50-mile time trial in Angus on Sunday, while Patricia Baird (Ecosse Performance CC) took home the win in the women’s event.

Veteran Smart clocked in at 1:40:36 to win the event, but it was not a comfortable margin with just 13 seconds splitting the top three.

Trailing just six seconds behind with a time of 1:40:42 was second placed Douglas Watson (GTR - Return to Life) and just seven seconds behind him was third placed Iain MacLeod (Kelpie Racing) who came in at 1:40:49.

Smart set his 50-mile personal best back in 2017 when he clocked 1:44:42, and he sliced four minutes off of that during this event to come away the victor.

Watson came into this event having won his previous two, the last of which being in the Merlin Cycles Classic Series veterans’ category where he got the best of team-mate Smart. The tables were turned this time around but he did still also manage to set a new personal best, going just shy of seven minutes quicker than his previous best of 1:47:03 which he set in 2018.

MacLeod was another rider coming off the back of a win and he carried that form into this event, using the momentum to set a new personal best for himself. His former best time over the 50-mile distance was 1:45:38, which he smashed.

Veteran, Patricia Baird was the winner of the women’s event, clocking a time of 2:04:30, which turned out to be a comfortable victory, with her closest rival being around five minutes behind.

Sonya Drummond (Dundee Thistle) was that closest rival coming in second, she finished in 2:09:27. Taking the final spot on the podium was Miriam Rennet (Kinross CC) who completed the course in 2:15:54.

Drummond set a new personal best, 2:17:48 was the best she had ridden prior to this event, that being in 2017.

Personal best’s all around in the men’s and women’s event as Rennet was another rider to join the long list of participators to set one. Her previous best was 2:17:45, she reduced that to 2:15:54 this weekend.

* All reports are copyright of Cycling Time Trials/Snowdon Sports. Not to be used without permission. This report by Neral Buckley.

Results:

Men:

1. Chris Smart (GTR - Return to Life) 1:40:36

2. Douglas Watson (GTR Return to Life) 1:40:42

3. Iain MacLeod (Kelpie Racing) 1:40:49

4. Tommy Murray (GS Metro) 1:42:46

5. Rory Downie (Roarsz Performance) 1:44:09

6. John Waller (EH Star Cycling) 1:45:45

Women:

1. Patricia Baird (Ecosse Performance CC) 2:04:30

2. Sonya Drummond (Dundee Thistle) 2:09:27

3. Miriam Rennet (Kinross CC) 2:15:54