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Last Updated: Sep 8th, 2010 - 20:40:34 |
Ulster Road Race Championships Preview
By Patrick Withers, Cycling Ulster Administrator
Sep 11, 2009,
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On Sunday Ulster will crown its 2009 Ulster Road Race Champion in the Senior, Junior and Veteran’s categories. There will be no Women’s event as Cycling Ulster have agreed with the Women’s Commission of Cycling Ireland not to host another major Women’s only race while the Rás na mBan is taking place.
The venue for this year’s Championship is the Nutt’s Corner circuit, approximately 10 miles from Belfast, and will be hosted by Phoenix CC.
Domestic based rider’s such as Ballymena Road Club’s Conor McAllister and recent winner of the All Ireland ‘B’ Road Race Championship’s, Mark Buchanan (North Pole CC) chances of victory in the Senior event have improved in recent days following the news that the province’s double Olympian, David McCann will miss the action being promoted by his club due to his on-going preparations for the Men’s Elite World Time-Trial Championship in Switzerland.
Clann Éireann’s Thomas Martin is also expected to be among the medal contender’s during the 67 miles event following his silver medal in last week’s Under 23 National Time-Trial Championship’s in County Mayo. Lakeland CC duo of Raymond and Dane Dunlop will be two of the main hopeful contender’s for medals from the west of the province.
The Junior race will contain several riders who have represented Ireland in 2009 on both the road and track. Jonny Cole (Team Madigan) and Marcus Christie (Usher) have been making the decisive split’s all season long, and could well do so again, while Peter William’s (Juiced Orchard) and Johnny Beers (East Antrim) will be hoping their strong sprinting ability will be a factor in deciding this year’s Junior Champion.
Dave Rayner Funded rider in 2009, and defending Junior Champion, Philip Bremner (Ballymena RC) will also hope to show some late season form. Bremner was unfortunate to break his collarbone in April this year but made a strong recovery and spent several months in Belgium over the summer.
In the handicapped Veteran’s race it will be hard to look past the recently crowned National Veteran’s Time-Trial Champion, Mark Greer (Maryland Wheelers). Tyrone’s Paul Mulligan has also had several strong results during his first season as a Veteran and cannot be discounted. Curran Racing founder, Liam Curran could also be among the medal contender’s following a season of many top 10’s.
Race HQ is the Crumlin Community Centre, with sign on from 9.30am, and racing getting underway at 11am.
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MASS RIDE TO STORMONT
By Andrew McMurray
Belfast Cycle City - Mass Bike Ride to Stormont, Tue 15th September 4pm.
On Tuesday 15th September there will be a mass bike ride to Stormont. This is the FINAL BIG PUSH of the campaign to deliver our vision of Belfast as one of the top ten cycling cities in the UK. This is your BIGGEST and BEST opportunity to influence cycling in N. Ireland for the next ten years. We need YOU to join us, cycling up the road to Stormont to show public support for the campaign.
At the event on Tuesday, the organisers will meet the Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy to present him with our vision for cycling in Belfast and ask him for his support. The campaign aims to increase the amount of cycling in Belfast to 10% of all journeys by 2020. In order to do this, the group has identified the need for an annual spend of £15 per person on cycling infrastructure and the need for a cycling strategy from 2010 to 2020.
In August we staged a well-attended bike ride from Belfast city centre to Comber. Later in the same month we delivered our paper, "Belfast Cycle City - 2020 Vision", to Belfast's Lord Mayor, Naomi Long. We now also have the full support of approximately half of Belfast City Councillors.
We plan to “paint” a massive cycling symbol on the road up to Stormont, symbolically turning the government’s own road into a cycle path for a day. (Don’t worry, we won’t be leaving a permanent cycling symbol on the road to Stormont, it will only be there for a few minutes for a photo shoot.)
We need your support in this final action –
Meet at the main Newtownards Road entrance to Stormont at 4pm, Tuesday 15th Sept with your bicycle. Please pass this invitation to all your friends; we want to make as big an impact on Stormont as possible.
For more information about the event, or any other aspect of the campaign, please contact Andrew McMurray on 0790 99 00 883 or belfastfoe@googlemail.com
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