Champion cyclist regains title to win Etape Loch Ness for the third time in Inverness in record time
Yorkshireman Andy Cunningham secured the Etape Loch Ness 2021 title by setting a new course record in Inverness to claim a hat trick of victories.
The 32-year-old cyclist from Ilkley raced to victory in the fastest time in the event's history when he crossed the finish line in a time of two hours 42 minutes and 57 seconds.
The 2017 and 2018 champion broke the course record by almost three minutes which was held by Lewis Macfarlane who won in 2019 in a time of 2:45:56.
Cunningham was 23 seconds ahead of Gary Paterson (2:43:20) with Moray Firth Cycling Club riders Darren Dean and Scott Davidson sharing bronze in a dead heat of (2:43:23)
Cunningham also claimed the King of the Mountain title, consisting of a 4.8 mile (9km) climb to the top of the Glendoe summit, in a time of 19 minutes and 36 seconds.
Despite the emphatic win, he says he never at any point thought victory was secured until he crossed the finishing line.
"I never felt that I had it sealed," he said.
"You are always paranoid and I was only comfortable that I won when I finished.
"At the start it was a fast pace, but the main thing about the race was there was no wind.
"When there is no wind when you are doing a loop you can go quite fast for the overall time as it feels like your are not getting bogged down at any point.
"I think that is why the guys that finished even fourth and fifth broke the previous record."
The race did start in foggy conditions before breaking into clear sunshine with no wind, but Cunningham said that was not a problem.
"It was normal coming up from Yorkshire so I am used to that, but it turned out alright in the end.
"The thing I struggled with most is the fact that it starts at 6am, as I had to wake up at 4.15am.
"But it is such a nice event to take part in and even my parents take part in the event."
Cunningham says he is determined to come back next year to defend his title and is pleased to be riding on the racing calendar again which has been heavily impacted by the pandemic.
"It is a nice feeling with everything that has happened," he said.
"I have been riding my bike because there is nothing else to do, but I haven't been able to get stuck into an event like this.
"It is nice to know that I can still ride at a good level."
