A LATE West Fife cycling stalwart was honoured last Sunday as riders turned out in force for an inaugural race in his memory.

Team Scotland squad member Kyle Gordon, who will go for glory at this summer's Commonwealth Games, was one of the star names in an 85-strong field that contested the Sandy Wallace Memorial Trophy Time Trial (TT).

Sandy, who for more than 30 years ran a successful bike shop business in Inverkeithing, died last August following a short illness.

Born in Dunfermline, he operated Sandy Wallace Cycles in Hope Street, providing equipment and support for recreational and competitive riders alike, while he also formed a cycling team in the same name.

A keen rider himself, he came up with the idea to form the Ryan's Bike Surgery-Thomson Homes team, who were behind the memorial race.

It's backed by Inverkeithing-based Ryan's Bike Surgery, and Cowdenbeath-based Thomson Homes, and features riders such as Silas Goldsworthy, a former Scottish time trial and track champion.

The team organised a 12.6-mile race on a challenging circuit around Loch Leven, held on the day before what would have been Sandy's birthday.

Riders were forced to contend with blustery conditions but in the men's category, it was Gordon who took the win with a new course record time of 24 minutes and 55 seconds to become the first recipient of the Sandy Wallace Memorial Trophy.

Following him home was Edinburgh Road Club's Ciaran McSherry (26:36) and Ryan's Bike Surgery-Thomson Homes' Hamish Creber (27:34), while the latter's team-mate, Andrew Underwood, tied for fourth with Vanelli-Project GO rider Andrew Bruce.

The female category was also keenly-contested, with Glasgow Ivy Cycling Club's Natalie Stevenson (30:10) finishing first, ahead of Vanelli-Project GO pair Alexandra Hayden (31:04) and Lorne Breetzke (31:42), while Ryan's Bike Surgery-Thomson Homes' Ray Wilson (32:23), and Rock and Roll Cycles' Katherine Simpson (34:22), took the road bike category wins.

Sandy's son, John, placed third in the male category of the latter, and Goldsworthy was thrilled with how the day unfolded.

"It was an almost-perfect tribute to Sandy," he said. "I'm very, very pleased, and very relieved it all seemed to go well!"