TB is sad to announce the early retirement of Ace Glass. Ace had hoped to retire at the end of S54 but a long term injury had forced his hand and has instead now moved into the coaching team as Sprint Coach for TB.
For many years, Ace was the unsung hero of the TB Lead-out team, one of the teams top sprinters and a key steeping stone for the success of the likes of Roberts and Spearman. Born into poverty in the Gorbels district of Glasgow. A rough and ready Scot with a short temper but rugged no-nonsense determination and loyalty to the team. His father was a double-glazing salesman who thought it would be a good idea to name his son after his company in the hope he would follow in his footsteps. It failed, leading to divorce, broken dysfunctional family and poverty. As a consequence Ace hated his name and preferred his nickname "Spades" - a term of endearment in recognition of his rugged...
Read moreTB is sad to announce the early retirement of Ace Glass. Ace had hoped to retire at the end of S54 but a long term injury had forced his hand and has instead now moved into the coaching team as Sprint Coach for TB.
For many years, Ace was the unsung hero of the TB Lead-out team, one of the teams top sprinters and a key steeping stone for the success of the likes of Roberts and Spearman. Born into poverty in the Gorbels district of Glasgow. A rough and ready Scot with a short temper but rugged no-nonsense determination and loyalty to the team. His father was a double-glazing salesman who thought it would be a good idea to name his son after his company in the hope he would follow in his footsteps. It failed, leading to divorce, broken dysfunctional family and poverty. As a consequence Ace hated his name and preferred his nickname "Spades" - a term of endearment in recognition of his rugged ability to "dig-in" - he was also a rabid Motorhead fan and half decent metal guitarist.
Ace a natural athlete, a good local school champion sprinter on an off-chance decided to accompany a friend to a local cycle club where he was quickly identified with a natural talent and he also used this opportunity to get away from his family domestic pressures.
It was not long before he came to the attention of TB scouts working in the region, at the time TB was a English based cycle team and he was signed at the tail end of S38 on professional terms. It was a quiet start for the young Scot throughout S38 and S39 as rides were few and far between, however S40 saw the flashes of potential of what he was to become with two places in the U23 category. This was followed the season after with another two places in TB U23 501-800 category Championship year to which Ace made a valuable contribution and immediately endeared him to TB fans.
From this date, Ace quickly settled into a role of domestique / lead out sprinter - he was happy, he was content - it beats the life of crime on the streets of Glasgow. It was quickly apparent that if Captains were unable to capitalise on the lead-outs provided by Ace they would get an ear full from the young Scot - so the element of fear also started to produce results.
Ace was a unstinting team player so individual performances were few and far between although S45 was a PB for the rider with two placements while S48 was a particularly memorable one for Ace as he secured TB best performance on home soil soon after TB moved to Ukraine in the Prylukivka - Novopylypivka #36 earning him the respect of local fans, the local nickname "Piki" or ???? and a third divorce and fourth marriage to a local Ukrainian lass.
He will be sadly missed - but future Captains will be unable to rest easy as TB are delighted to welcome Ace Glass into the coaching ranks.
Key Stats:
Highest ever Ranking: 3235th (S45)
Best Place Performance: 6th Hog Bay - St George´s #3 (s51) D6
Highest ever Divisional Performance: 46th Torshavn - Torshavn #44 (D4 S54)
Best Div4 Performance: as above
Best Div5 Performance: 30th Genève - Genève #37(S50)
Best Div6 Performance: as above
Best Div7 Performance: 5th Port Renfrew - Victoria #30 S45
Best Div8 Performance: 6th Castro - Puerto Montt #19 (S45)
Best Div9 Performance: N/A
Best Div10 Performance: Not competed
Best Div11 Performance: Not competed
Best ND Performance: 7th Grand Cayman Challenge (U23) #8 (S40)
Ukraine Record
9th Prylukivka - Novopylypivka #36 S48
U23 Honours
S41 U23 Team Winners, category 501-800
Tour Record
Race of the Minutemen (D4)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Place: S54 91st
Best Stage Perf: S54 Concord - Faneuil Hall #39
Giro Di Sicilia (D4)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Place: S51 93rd
Best Stage Perf: S51 67th Messina - Palermo #25
Fast on Wheels (D5)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Place: S51 72nd
Best Stage Perf: S51 48th Odense - København #32
Monte Rosa Tour (D5)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Place: S50 71st
Best Stage Perf: S50 30th Genève - Genève #37(S50)
Cesko-Slovensky-Pohar (D6)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Place: S50 77th
Best Stage Perf: S50 54th Bratislava TT
Oryx (D6)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Place: S49 72nd
Best Stage Perf: S49 27th St. Oshakati – Namutoni #8
Sanraizan (D7)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Rating: S49 54th
Best Stage Perf: S49 20th Nagoya – Kyoto #8.
Cup of the Four Rivers (D7)
Best GC: Not recorded
Best Av. Rating: S52 15th
Best Stage Perf: S52 13th Duna - Körös #4
Scotland