McLean rounds off another good season with Burma Rose Bowl

An invitation to the Merseyside Ladies’ Cycling Association diamond jubilee prizegiving rounded off another successful season for Christine McLean when she had the honour of being presented with the beautiful silver Burma Rose Bowl.

The Burma Cup is awarded every year to the woman who has ridden the greatest distance in the 12-hour time trial event and therefore in addition to being 2009 ladies’ British champion in the event McLean qualified for the trophy.

The Burma Cup is so named because it was purchased by cyclists who had served in Burma during World War II, using the money remaining in the kitty of the Burma Cycling Club when the troops came home.

The trophy was initially awarded in 1947 for the ladies’ 25-mile time trial distance but in 1962 after much discussion it was agreed that the trophy be presented to the woman who completes the greatest distance in the 12-hour event.

For McLean it was a satisfying finish to a season which at one point she thought would be her last competitive one due to injuries sustained in road accidents earlier in the year. However, anger, frustration and then determination saw her battle back to fitness.

In addition to winning the British 12-hour title she won gold in the Scottish 100TT, silver in the Scottish 50TT and silver in the Olympic TT/Tour of the Trossachs.

McLean achieved personal bests in all but the 50-mile distance including British age records in the 10 and 30-mile distances and Scottish age records at all distances, a placing in the World Masters Championships, second in the ladies’ Scottish best all-rounder competition and sixth in the ladies’ British BAR.