The Mennock Pass Stage Race saved its sting for the end on Sunday 15 June. Five ascents of the long, grinding climb to Wanlockhead – Scotland’s highest village – delivered a brutal final reckoning, blowing apart the race and crowning Matti Dobbins (Private Member) as the overall winner by the slimmest of margins.
Report
The final stage of the inaugural Mennock Pass Stage Race was always set to be decisive. With five ascents of the climb to Wanlockhead – the highest village in Scotland – and a true summit finish, it offered a savage finale worthy of the Southern Uplands’ terrain. What unfolded was a dramatic battle of attrition, calculation and courage, culminating in a last-gasp GC shake-up.
Charlie Genner (Telco’m – On Clima – Osés) began the day in the leader’s jersey, 52 seconds up on Henry Hunter (Kendal Cycle Club) and more than a minute clear of his other rivals. But the GC was far from settled. The first lap saw a group of ten pull clear at the base of the circuit, including prologue winner Logan Maclean (Private Member) and Murray Gray (ROTOR Race Team). That move came back, only for Gray to go again, briefly solo before being reeled in once more.
The attritional pace saw the bunch shrink to 30–35 riders, before the race cracked open on lap three. A well-matched trio – Calum Shackley (Dooleys Cycles), Elliott Colyer (TAAP Kalas) and Colin Dyer (Vanelli–Project Go) – jumped clear, and their gap quickly grew. Of the three, it was Colyer who posed the greatest threat, starting the day fifth on GC at 1’24” down. Sensing an opportunity, Colyer surged clear solo, building a gap of over 1’30” on the bunch and around 40 seconds on his former breakmates.
But the race was still evolving. Five chasers bridged to Colyer to form a strong group of six: Colyer, Matti Dobbins (Private Member), James Sawyers (Cycling Sheffield), Ross Turner (Leadout Performance), Elliot Bain (Team PB Performance), and Ahron Dick (Equipo Finisher). Behind them, Genner remained in the peloton, his lead in danger of splipping away. With 15km to go, their lead had grown to 1’18” – enough to put the GC lead in real jeopardy.
By the final climb, only three remained from the break: Dobbins, Colyer, and Bain – all within two minutes of Genner’s lead and riding with everything on the line. With three kilometres to go, it was clear the overall would be decided not just by time gaps, but by the bonus seconds on the line.
And so it proved. Dobbins made his move on the final slopes up to Wanlockhead, distancing Bain and Colyer to take a brilliant solo win – and with it, the all-important ten-second bonus. Bain crossed the line three seconds back, with Colyer just behind.
Genner, riding bravely but isolated, came home in 13th place, 1’49” down on Dobbins. It was enough to knock him off the top spot – but not enough to hand the title to Colyer. The upshot was a stunning turnaround: Dobbins leapt from sixth to first overall, winning the race by just three seconds from Colyer, with Henry Hunter (Kendal Cycle Club) – the stage 1 winner – rounding out the podium.
A brutal day, a gripping finale, and a GC decided by the narrowest of margins. The Mennock Pass Stage Race may be new to the calendar, but it has already delivered a classic.
Huge thanks to Scottish Cycling’s Alex Marr for his updates on our live ticker throughout the weekend.
Results
Stage 3
General classification
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matti Dobbins | Private Member | 5:04:55 | +60 |
| 2 | Elliott Colyer | TAAP Kalas | +3″ | +52 |
| 3 | Henry Hunter | Kendal Cycle Club | +18″ | +45 |
| 4 | Charlie Genner | Telco’m – On Clima – Osés | +29″ | +40 |
| 5 | Elliot Bain | Team PB Performance | +42″ | +35 |
| 6 | James Sawyers | Cycling Sheffield | +1′48″ | +31 |
| 7 | Ross Turner | Leadout Performance | +1′50″ | +27 |
| 8 | William Taylor | Moonglu SpatzWear | +1′51″ | +23 |
| 9 | Daniel Piercy | StolenGoat Race Team | +2′02″ | +20 |
| 10 | Patrick Clark | Team Lifting Gear Products | +2′03″ | +17 |
| 11 | Toby Tanfield | Leadout Performance | +2′22″ | +15 |
| 12 | Conal Davidson | Vanelli-Project Go | +2′30″ | +13 |
| 13 | Logan Maclean | Private Member | +2′41″ | +11 |
| 14 | Calum Shackley | dooleys cycles | +3′04″ | +9 |
| 15 | Ciaran McSherry | Defined Cycling Team | +3′06″ | +7 |
| 16 | Liam Scott Douglas | JG Cycles CC | +3′12″ | +6 |
| 17 | James Sweeney | BCC Race Team | +3′23″ | +5 |
| 18 | Ethan Squires | BCC Race Team | +3′29″ | +3 |
| 19 | Ahron Dick | Equipo Finisher | +3′47″ | +2 |
| 20 | Ben Goodwin | StolenGoat Race Team | +3′48″ | +1 |
| 21 | Finn McHenry | Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT | +4′06″ | +0 |
| 22 | Robert Smart | Private Member | +4′12″ | +0 |
| 23 | Neil Scott | Deeside Thistle CC | +5′00″ | +0 |
| 24 | Scott Meldrum | Edinburgh Bike Fitting RT | +5′07″ | +0 |
| 25 | Alexander Ball | BCC Race Team | +8′46″ | +0 |
| 26 | Oliver Pemberton | Vanelli-Project Go | +8′50″ | +0 |
| 27 | Milo McIntosh | Team Tor 2000 Kalas | +9′17″ | +0 |
| 28 | Jude Davison | Cog Set Papyrus Racing Club | +9′17″ | +0 |
| 29 | Tyler Clare | Torvelo Racing | +9′18″ | +0 |
| 30 | Kris Lindsay | Veloclub Edinburgh | +9′55″ | +0 |
| 31 | Callum Sharp | Veloclub Edinburgh | +10′18″ | +0 |
| 32 | Eamon O’Keeffe | Private Member | +13′15″ | +0 |
| 33 | Colin Dyer | Vanelli-Project Go | +14′08″ | +0 |
| 34 | Mark Hansom | Leadout Performance | +15′34″ | +0 |
| 35 | Ross Clark | dooleys cycles | +18′02″ | +0 |
| 36 | Philip Campbell | HUUB WattShop | +21′54″ | +0 |
| 37 | Daniel Smith | Leadout Performance | +22′10″ | +0 |
| 38 | Christopher Mellor | Army Cycling Union | +27′48″ | +0 |
| 39 | William Dykes | Vanelli-Project Go | +27′53″ | +0 |
| 40 | Josh Quigley | Pedal Power RT | +52′28″ | +0 |
