Clydebank doctors to compete at UCI Cycling World Championships

Husband and wife duo Jason Roberts and Donna Clayton will compete in races at the prestigious event which is being held across Scotland over the next ten days.

The championships officially kicked off in Glasgow on Thursday and will run until August 13.

Jason Roberts at the start line at the Tour of Cambridgeshire event in June (Image: NHS Scotland)

Jason, an Orthopaedic consultant at the NHS Golden Jubilee in Dalmuir, qualified for the event after finishing sixth in the 50 to 55 years heat at the Tour of Cambridgeshire Road Race in June.

This secured his qualification for the same age category road race at the Scottish event which is being held across the country in locations including Loch Lomond and Glasgow.

He will also compete in the men’s time trial on Monday (August 7) in Dundee.

Donna Clayton on the podium after being crowned champion at the Tour of Cambridgeshire in June (Image: NHS Scotland)

Meanwhile, Donna, a specialist doctor in anaesthetics at the Golden Jubilee, qualified for the championships after finishing first at the Peterborough event, earning the Great British crown.

Ahead of his first road race in Perth on Friday Jason, who replaces hips and knees as an orthopaedic surgeon at his day job, is hoping all his joints are in tip-top shape.

He said: “It’s really special to be involved in this event, especially as it’s the first of its kind, we’ll be representing our country wearing the GB kit, and we are both competing in the sport that we love.

“I think she [Donna] has a better chance than I have of finishing with a medal being the British champion and we’ll both be trying very hard to compete well in our races.”

The couple met at university in Leicester whilst studying there in the late 1980s to early 1990s.

They have now been married for 25 years.

Jason added: “I went to study at Leicester because they had such a great cycling programme as I was already competing at quite a high level back then, and I was lucky enough to meet Donna there too when she was training as an Anaesthetist.”

This event is the first time that the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) has run all the different cycling specialities in one event.

It is being hailed as ‘the biggest cycling event ever’ with Scotland as its first host.

Gordon James, NHS Golden Jubilee chief executive, praised the couple for their cycling talents.

He said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to see Donna and Jason competing in these world championships.

“It just highlights how talented they are, not just in our theatres and clinics treating and caring for our patients, but through their cycling, which I know they are so passionate about.

“Everyone here at Team Jubilee will be rooting for them and we wish them, and all the competitors, well in what promises to be a thrilling event for the whole of Scotland.”