2008 News Archive
2007 News Archive
McCallum wins Drummond Trophy
21st April 2008
Team Plowman Craven's James McCallum clinched the Drummond Trophy outside Glasgow at the weekend (20 April) after edging out Gary Hand (Pedal Power) and Alex Coutts (Giant Asia) in a tight finish.
He was rewarded for his hard and attacking style with the most aggressive rider award, after being in every move that mattered in the 90 mile epic.
The event was held on the Stewarton course for the first time and it proved to be every bit as challenging as the old Strathaven course.
The attacks started immediately after the neutralised zone. The bunch was strung out on the A77 by Alex Coutts. The group then split, with three riders breaking free and gaining a 12 second advantage at the bottom of the Stewarton climb. Three more riders joined the group.
However they were gradually pulled back before McCallum launched the next attack, with only Arthur Doyle and Gary Hand able to follow .This group gained a 20 second lead on the hard chasing pack before being joined by several riders including Coutts, Paul Coats, David Lines, Scott Macrae, Jim Cusick , Micky Mallen, Tim Allen and Euan Pope.
The strong wind split the group again leaving only Coutts, McCallum, Hand and Doyle at the front. With two laps left to go this was the winning move and Doyle was then droped and caught by the pursuers, who were two minutes down.
McCallum proved to be the strongest man on the Balligeoch climb and he prevailed by two seconds, making him the latest in a long list of riders from the host club to have won this prestigious event while riding for other teams.
The club was again grateful to Norrie Drummond of Drummond Racing (Castle Bookmakers-Strathaven) who put up the extravagant prize list this year totalling £5,500. This years Drummond was the 53rd uninterrupted year of the race, which has always been backed by the Drummond family.
After the event Jimmy Mac commented:
"This one means a lot to me. I was brought into the sport by this club way back in 1993, so to come back and win it is pretty special.
"I can remember watching it so many times as a kid and wanting to be the winner and today that happened."
Final result
1 James McCallum Plowman Craven (87Mls in 4Hrs 1min 30sec)
2 Gary Hand Pedalpower.org.uk/endura RT @2 secs
3 Alex Coutts Giant Asia RT (Same)
4 Dieter Droger Sportscover/ spuik/ je james @( mins 40secs
5 David Lines Pedalpower.org.uk/endura RT Same
6 Paul Coats Pedalpower.org.uk/endura RT @6 mins 30 Sec s
7 Scott Macrae Pedalpower.org.uk/endura RT (Same)
8 Josh James Kinesis UK (Same)
9 Euan Pope Glasgow Couriers (Same)
10 Ian Taylor MTS cyclesport/ inkland (Same)
11 Callum Wilkinson Bicycleworks (Same)
Most aggressive rider James McCallum Plowman Craven
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