Cycling Reports

Emyvale Grand Prix

 By Patrick Withers

Emyvale 26/05/02

I arrived in Emyvale about 45 minutes before the race start and began to get ready, sign on, get changed etc…

I started warming up about 20 minutes before the start, with my two team-mates, Richard Jones, and Anthony Devlin. The first race off was the Senior A's and B's, followed by the C's, Junior's, Vet's, and Ladies, then us. As we were about to start though, Gary McKenna (Emyvale C.C.) got a puncture, and so that postponed the start for about 5 minutes are so as he tried to get a lend of a wheel.

The race started, and Brian Henning (Newry Wheelers) attacked, virtually sitting on the bumper of the lead car, I thought aw naw here we go again, but actually no one followed, and everyone else stayed together, two Lakeland riders, Mark McGirr and David Dunlop sat at the front controlling the race. After about two miles, David Dunlop attacked, which was then counter-attacked by Northern rider Adam Petrie-Armstrong, as soon as things had came together, McGirr attacked, I jumped onto his wheel, and everything came together again, barring Henning who was out of sight at this stage.

About a mile or two later a continued attack by Armstrong split the group, leaving me dropped. As I headed into Monaghan and turned left, there was no sign of the main group, I kept the head down, winding it out, and as I turned left again, I could see Northern's team-car going round the next bend, I sprinted over the next hill, and before I knew it, I was back on to the group, which was now down to 5 riders. I spoke to my team-mate (Anthony), and he said Richard had went up the road, with McGirr, and McKenna, which meant 3 riders now out of the 5 had a rider represented up the road, so no chasing was being done. In through Glaslough, were the All Ireland Underage Championships had been held last year, and Dunlop was continuing to control things on the front. About a mile or so from the start/finish area in Emyvale, Dunlop attacked on one of the few hills on the circuit, but he was closely followed by Armstrong, I suffered over this, but after regaining my breath, I got back into the group just before we came into Emyvale.

Out of the sweeping left hand corner bend, I passed Anthony, and got onto Dunlop's wheel, through the start finish area, and everything was once again being controlled. Somebody give us a time check that we were a few minutes down, but it didn't matter to me, Dunlop, or Anthony as we had riders in the break. It was at this stage that Anthony got dropped, leaving me as the sole remainder of the Fintona men in the group. Into Monaghan, turned left, and an attack by Armstrong, but yet again he was closely followed by Dunlop, and a rider from Clann Éireann, I lost contact at this stage, and was beginning to suffer, however they had slowed it right down again, and I managed to get back on again. The group was then controlled by Dunlop until we reached Glaslough, as we turned left there was a sprint out of the corner, I managed to keep contact, and then decided to have ago myself, going passed the 3 and gaining 2 or 3 bike lengths before feeling a twinge in my upper leg, I slowed up, putting it into a lower gear and trying not to lost contact, however this was made ever difficult as the Senior group came passed and made matters worse, I decided to call it a day, put it into the small chain-ring. I rode the last 2 mile into Emyvale alone, continuing to suffer with a bit of cramp. After the race Richard told me he'd managed to take 3rd, behind winner Mark McGirr who had caught Brian Henning and then managed to out sprint him to take victory. 4th place went to Gary McKenna who had suffered with a puncture at the startline. Meanwhile in the group I'd been in, Armstrong won the sprint to take 5th, I'd came in 8th some two minutes down on the main group.

There also was some controversy after the race, some people were accusing those of us who had, had riders up the road and refused to chase of riding a "dirty race", it wasn't a "dirty race" it's called tactics, why would I among others chase down riders in our own club?

Overall I was happy enough, I'd manage to complete the race, and had stayed with two All Ireland Champions from last year for one & ¾ of the 2 laps (be it, getting dropped and getting back on again!), and we'd also managed to get a rider from our club in the top 3.

To see more on my club and me go to http://www.go.to/fintonacc or http://www.fcc.sports-page.com