Scots sweep Rollapaluza National Finals in London

John Paul is the 2013 ‘King of Spin’ and Ishbel Taromsari the new ‘Queen of Cadence’ after the pair completed a double triumph for Scotland in this year's Rollapaluza National Series finals, held at the Vibe Bar on Brick Lane in East London last Saturday 13 April.

The 20-year-old Paul was once a 100-metre runner, but inspired to switch to cycling after watching Chris Hoy win the kilo at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Last year, he came within a bike’s length of beating his hero in a heat of the Revolution Series – leaving another Athens medallist, Mickäel Bourgain of France, in third place.

In Saturday’s Rollapaluza National Season final at the conclusion of the fourth edition of the event, Paul beat Leeds-based Alex Moloney, who had qualified through the heat in Sheffield, posting a time of 19.71 seconds over the 500 metres, against his rival’s 20.73 seconds.

The women’s final – which unlike some big races featured equal prize money to the men’s event, with both also scooping plus clothing and luggage from sponsors U34 – saw Taromsari, who had qualified in Glasgow, upset the odds, putting in the second quickest ever Rollapaluza time by a female of 22.51 seconds to beat London’s Caroline Rennie.

You can find full results from the 2013 National Series as well as galleries of pictures on the Rollapaluza website.

Men (500m)

Winner
John Paul - Scotland
19.71

Runner Up
Alex Moloney - Sheffield
20.73

Third 
Lloyd Gale-Ward - London
21.07
Fourth
Greg Dickens - Manchester
21.67

Women (500m)

Winner
Ishbel Taromsari - Scotland 
22.89

Runner Up
Caroline Rennie - London
24.76

Third 
Samantha Ashman - Bristol 
24.98

Fourth
Lola Welch - London
25.54