Article from Evening Times - By Rebecca Gray (25th November 2009)

 

Our biking hero 

PARALYMPIC heroine Aileen McGlynn has cycled off with yet another accolade to add to her medal collection.

 

The Glasgow-based cyclist was presented with an OBE by the Princess Royal at Buckingham Palace yesterday, where she was joined by actor Alan Cumming who also collected an OBE.

 

Aileen, the former Evening Times Scotswoman of the Year, was recognised for her achievements in cycling, having won three golds and a silver at the Paralympics.

The 36-year-old, who was born partially sighted, set a world record to win gold in the 1km time trial in Beijing in 2008 with her tandem pilot Ellen Hunter. Ellen will also be awarded the OBE.

 

A delighted Aileen, said: "It's amazing and it's great to get recognised.

 

"My mum is totally delighted. Maybe we'll have a glass of champagne to celebrate."

 

Earlier this month, the Royal Blind Organisation's vice-president and Ellen won gold and bronze at the UCI Para-Cycling World Championships in Manchester.

 

However, success has not been straight-forward for the pair, who have to juggle their separate lives in Wrexham and Glasgow to train for major events.

 

They prepare individually most of the time, but met up every other week to train for the Paralympics.

 

Dennis White, Aileen's tandem pilot when she trains in Glasgow, said: "Aileen has inspired many people through her dedication, extreme hard work and her desire to be a good ambassador for Scotland."

 

 

An article from the Paisley Daily Express - Tues 17 Feb 2009

 

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AN inspirational pensioner who will go down in history as one of Scotland’s greatest cyclists is being honoured at an exhibition in her home town.

 

The amazing achievements of world-beater Rita Jones Montgomery are featured in a display of photographs, newspaper cuttings, cycling jerseys, medals and trophies.

 

But pride of place goes to the beautiful bicycle which carried Rita to famous victories over the world’s fastest cyclists at prestigious championship races in the rugged Austrian Tyrol.

 

Heritage volunteers at Johnstone History Museum, where the exhibition is being staged, are gearing up for a massive influx of visitors as the town pays tribute to the woman regarded as its most famous sporting heroine.

 

Road-racer Rita’s lung-bursting accomplishments in a career spanning five decades and thousands of miles include two World Veterans Championship gold medals and eight Scottish Best All-Rounder titles – a record which still stands to the present day.

 

Many of her fans believe she was good enough to have competed in the Olympic Games but a brave decision – when she was at the peak of her powers – to look after her sick mother meant the Johnstone Jet had to put her cycling career on hold for several years.

 

It was only after she married fellow cycling enthusiast John Montgomery that she decided to saddle up for top-class cycling again.

 

Together with her new husband, she entered the World Veterans Championship in the Austrian Tyrol in 1980 – and no-one was more surprised than Rita when she won the coveted title over a gruelling distance of 46 kilometres.

 

She was aged 49 at the time and the success – which she repeated in 1983 – was well worth waiting for.

 

Not to be outdone, John won a bronze medal in the men’s race.

 

Nine years later, Rita produced another fantastic result when she won a gold medal at the Russian Championships in St Petersburg – defeating the cream of Eastern Europe’s fittest and fastest race cyclists in the process.

 

John made it a husband-and-wife double by taking first place in the men’s race.

 

Attending the opening of the exhibition and admiring her cycling souvenirs and memorabilia from through the years, Rita looked back nostalgically all the way back to that day, in 1942, when she joined Johnstone Wheelers cycling club as a little girl aged just 12.

 

The club’s hut in Miller Street was just a few revs of a bicycle wheel across the road from her home in Broomward Drive. There she came under the wing of cycling legend and founder member Walter ‘Wattie’ Buchanan, who ran a photographer’s business in Johnstone before emigrating to New Zealand, where he passed away a few years ago.

 

Rita went on to win scores of championship titles over distances, including 50 and 100 miles.

 

Memories of those triumphs are enshrined in the medal-filled cabinets at the museum.

 

But being a champion speed cyclist has had more than its fair share of ups and downs.

 

On one occasion, Rita ran into a ginger tomcat while on a training spin along Paisley Road West in Glasgow and crashed off her bike.

 

While her severe head injuries were being patched up, the needle snapped and lodged in Rita’s scalp, forcing her to remain in hospital for four days so it could be extracted safely.

On another occasion, she crashed into a horse, which was pulling a milk cart, in Paisley.

 

According to local legend, the horse – which made a full recovery – was knocked out cold by the force of the collision.

 

Rita doesn’t remember too much about the incident because she was feeling pretty groggy herself after having been catapulted over the handlebars on to the hard road.

Among those who came to her assistance was a local minister in his dog collar, black shirt and suit.

 

Rita looked so bad after the crash that, when the ambulance crew arrived and saw the minister, they mistook him for a priest who had been summoned to administer the last rites because she was so badly injured.

 

Her sportswomanship came to the fore one day, more than 50 years ago, when Rita sacrificed her chance of winning a major race in Ayrshire after stopping to help another woman cyclist who had crashed into the back of a vehicle during the competition and was badly injured.

 

Today, 67 years on, Rita – now in her late 70s – still cycles regularly with John on the country roads and the bike path near her beloved Johnstone, where she still lives.

 

She still looks as fit and trim as she did all those years ago when she was winning cycling titles on the world stage.

 

When asked if she will ever give up cycling, the proud Johnstone Wheeler has a straightforward answer: “I’ll keep going till they wheel me away!”

 

Judging from her youthful appearance, that won’t be for a while yet.

 

‘Rita Jones – A Johnstone Lass Born and Bred’ can be seen at Johnstone History Museum, within the Morrisons supermarket, Napier Street, Johnstone, on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10.30am to 4pm. Admission is free. 

 

 

 

Cheered on by hordes of visitors to the Isle of Cumbrae, aging Boy Wonder and Johnstone Wheelers Club member Alan Yeoman set a new record time of 38 minutes and 15 seconds on the 9-and-a-bit miles around the holiday island course.

 

The successful attempt was a culmination of many months of organisation and no great amount of training.

 

Speaking after his spectacular record breaking attempt Alan gasped "It’s brilliant. I would never have done it if it hadn’t been for my mates who have supported me on my 2 training runs this year and cajoled me in the run up to this attempt. Many have travelled from afar and have dug deeply into their own pockets to fund the special dietary requirements for such an attempt."

 

The attempt, as is natural in these occasions wasn’t without a few hiccups. Project Director Mulhooligan takes up the narrative "Well, it was important to ensure that Alan’s nerves didn’t get the better of him as he’s a fairly timid, introverted character. So I took the decision early on to avoid telling him of the attempt. To ensure complete distraction I hinted at maybe going on holiday to various far off places like a training week in Spain or the Canaries, a trip to one of the Spring Classics, a weekend over at the Giro an even a Led Zeppelin tribute band concert. I must applaud myself as this worked a treat. He didn’t have a clue what was going on."

 

However it was the issues of logistics and finance that were to provide the biggest challenges. Mulhooligan continues. "I’d been watching a documentary on the TV last week and realised the importance of reliable transportation. Rather than flying to the island, I cancelled the chartered plane and opted for a train and ferry trip instead. Unfortunately, the trains were playing up a bit between Glasgow and Largs on the Saturday. The heat in Paisley, as is normal in early June, was oppressive. Coupled with the delays in the train, the support team were under pressure to keep Alan’s fluid levels up. This meant a whip round every 10 minutes or so for another twenty quid each and the recruitment of an extra member to the support team, Marco van W, who fortunately was passing through the train station on his way to Glasgow."

 

The benefits of altitude training are well documented. Sadly Cumbrae is quite flat with the exception of a solitary hill in the middle of the island. "The thought of climbing the hill never crossed our minds," conceded Mulhooligan. "Instead we headed for the Royal George which has a pool table upstairs. I thought this would also give a welcome release to some tension which was building up in a few tummies."

 

The morning of the attempt arrived and Yeoman was in high spirits at registration. "I’m in the shape of my life. The support guys have been looking after me all weekend. I even had one of them on each side of me in bed last night in case I rolled over and fell out injuring myself."

 

The logistics curse struck again. "Alan is supposed to be riding a fixed for the attempt," bemoaned Mulhooligan as he ordered a full Scottish breakfast without toast for Yeoman 42 minutes before the attempt. "Unfortunately, the support van carrying the polo bikes has been delayed and we will need to find a suitable replacement. Alan is also without a regulation helmet as one of the support guys has disappeared with the keys to the villa where we have set up base."

 

A last minute dash to the local bike hire shop sees Our Hero kitted out in a helmet and with minutes to go he took his place on the start line on a pristine, slick, black, butcher's bike of the single-gear variety

 

Not much is known of the actual ride as the course takes in the more desolate parts of the island but the lack of concern on the faces of the support team was apparent.

 

38 minutes and 15 seconds later, Alan freewheeled across the line to loud cheers from the huge crowd on the waterfront and took the record.

 

"I’m ecstatic," gasped Alan as he searched for more fluids at the finish. "I reckon there’s some fat in that time as my chain came off three times and I was stuck behind some character in a carbon fibre bike with disc wheels, funny handlebars and some strange looking lycra gear. I’m not sure if I’ll make the attempt again or leave it there for someone else. I’ll need to recover from this one first."

 

A proud and somewhat relieved Project Director Mulhooligan gushed "This is fantastic. The culmination of many hours of effort by a lot of people. I really need to thank Organiser Ian Loughran and all at the TLI for hosting the event. Getting the record is especially significant as Alan faces a potential lifetime ban from cycling and other activities. He is due to be married within the next few weeks but what a way to bow out if that’s the case."

 

Congratulations Alan!!

 

The ‘Round Cumbrae in a Superhero’s Outfit Record Holder - 38 mins 15 secs

 

Coverage of the record attempt can be viewed at the following -

 

here and here