1 week Ago By [email protected] (Will Clark)
ALAN Dean became the fastest man in the history of Etape Loch Ness as he set a new course record. The 41-year-old from Edinburgh completed the 66-mile Sportive in a record time of two hours 39 minutes and 48 seconds. It is the first time any cyclist has completed the course in under two hours and 40 minutes.
He broke the from Leeds in 2022. Three-time champion Cunningham was the second fastest man this year with Gavin Dempster from Inverness, , taking third place. Dean, who is originally from Glasgow, but works as a tax advisor in Edinburgh, says he was looking for a quick time and was thrilled to claim the course record.
He said: “I hoped to be going fairly quickly in the lead group. I didn’t think I would do it that quickly. “I did the very first edition of Etape Loch Ness in 2014 and it has been a while, but I have fond memories of doing it that day so it is nice to be back.
“There were a few drops of rain as we were going through Fort Augustus, it is nice that the wind held as well.” Dean said his favourite part of the sportive was going uphill saying it was beautiful course to ride through. He said: “It was a nice climb, it is quite long and quite steep in parts, but it is really scenic and it is a nice ride.
” Despite cycling almost all of his life, Dean says he did not cycle competitively until 11 years ago. He said being crowned fastest man and claiming the course record at Etape Loch Ness is among one of his best cycling accomplishments. He says that he will give serious consideration to returning to defend his title in 2026.
“I have been cycling competitively since 2014, I started in sportives and races, I had always ridden a bike, but not seriously until I had reached my 30’s. “I rate this pretty high, hopefully I am coming back and I hope nobody will be stealing my course record.” Cunningham claimed the King of the Mountain title for the fastest man on a 7.
72 km stage which climb gaining 380 m in height with a gradient reaching 12 per cent at points. Inverness cyclist Martha Gates was crowned the fastest woman at Etape Loch Ness for the first time in her career as she set a new women’s record. The Moray Firth Cycling Club cyclist set the fastest time ever recorded by a woman at the event when she completed the course in a time of 2:54:58.
She had finished in second place in and before landing the title this year. (Fastest women’s report to follow).
