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Last Updated: Jul 17th, 2008 - 18:52:48 |
WEEKEND ROUNDUP:
By Tommy Campbell
Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent
Jul 17, 2008,
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© Tommy Campbell
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Amazingly, the boys in the 1st category must be on a diet! Of late they have been starved of competition?
But, the Navan Avonmore Club have a race listed for Saturday evening in for a festival event in Ballivor.
It is for all categories and the scheduled start is 7pm. On current form the MyHome.ie/BDCB squad and in particular Stephen O'Sullivan should collect the spoils.
Those A competitors who have ambitions of making the cut for the upcoming Tour of Ireland supported by Failte Ireland next month will need racing.
Unfortunately the Sea Breeze Festival Criterium listed for Arklow tomorrow evening has been cancelled. The event a criterium in the town would have brought bike racing to the general public in a confined area. But,
conscious objectors to the proposed race were in wings and the an event that would have brought cycling to the centre of the universe as far as Arklow was concerned went down the tube!
DUBLIN WHEELERS 75
Seventy-Five years on and in this year Dublin Wheelers have had a number of functions to celebrate the unique milestone.
The 'Wheelers' go that extra mile this Sunday with an open race. On paper it looked strange that they restricted the A's. but that in no way will deter the competition that has been arranged from under age right up to the Ladies and veterans included in their programme.
Talking to Wes Murphy and Ciaran Farrell both are excited about Sunday.
"The gala function in the Springfield early in the year was a total success. It brought the old and the new faces in the club together and in stories about the intervening years went long on into the night.
"But on Sunday there'll be no pomp with everybody dressed to the nines. No! This will be a cycling race. Hopefully the weather holds up for all concerned. The event will not a have a title sponsor as it is felt generally that the name 'Dublin Wheelers' can stand on its own two feet."
As regards a winner of the main event. The handicapper will play a major in this, with the B's having to take up the baton.
We have the community centre for the day for sign-on/changing/prize-giving, open from 10am.
Details
Jul 20th, 2008 (Sun)
11:00 AM DWCC Youth Race
Dublin Wheelers 75th Anniversary Race
Dunboyne Community Centre
Sunday 20th July 2008
Categories: Youth
Senior 2/3/V/J/L
Sign on from 10.15am
Youth races start 11am
Senior Race starts 1pm
Contact Ciaran Farrell 087-9271211
The senior race will start at 1pm, (handicapped). Ladies and Vets over 50 first, then Vets and Juniors, then C’s and then the B’s. The race goes out the Summerhill Road turns right onto the Batterstown/Mullagh circuit, they do 4 laps and at the end of the 4th will be directed towards Dunboyne where the finish line will be on the Summerhill Rd.
The U16’s will do 2 laps of the circuit about 28km – the plan is to put them off at 11.am with a lead and following car. The U14 will do 1 lap, the U12 we will escort them out the Summerhill Road a few miles and let them race back to HQ with a lead car.
Prizes/Trophies 1st, 2nd, 3rd for the U16, U14, U12 and medals for those coming in after. In the Senior race we have a crystal trophy for the winner, cash prizes for the 1st 6 and for unplaced C, V, J, L.
TUAM ROAD RACE
Moving down the road to Tuam in Co.Galway the annual road race is scheduled for an early afternoon start. All the lads in the A category are catered for. "We have great co-operation for the event here in the town. You can be assured that all the authorities are behind the event which comes through the town.
"In the early days we had more marshals than competitors, but since we restricted the 'A's the event has mushroomed and the numbers are great. I have to say it is unique in the last number of years, the defending champion has not been back to defend the trophy. Last year it was Maurice O'Brien from the Kanturk Town CC who stole the show and now he is a Senior One like many of his predecessors. The one thing I need is good weather for the supporters whop line the street to see the action," said Dara O'Neill.
The prize list for the Galway event would do justice to a top class event.
TOUR OF ARMAGH 10th August
Riders are reminded that they need to complete an Entry Form for this event before the 7th Aug, Entry Forms can be downloaded from our calendar section.
---- MTB ----
Irish National MTB Championships
Sign on: Saturday 1pm - 4pm, Sunday from 10am
*note --if you are in race 2 sign on closes at 12:30 without fail. This is in order to facilitate the inputting of details into the computer timing
Race 1 - 12:00pm
Underage & sports
Race 2 - 13:30pm
Vets, Masters, Experts, Juniors, Elite Woman & Elite Men
Please check at sign on for your exact start time. Please note races will start exactly on time so be at the start area at least ten minutes before your scheduled start.
Entrance to the race is not the same as the K Capital earlier this year. Please take the Bray South/Greystones exit off the N11 as per the map below. The race HQ will be sign posted from the N11 from both directions. The gates will not open till 1pm on Saturday so please avoid coming any earlier as you won't get in. You will then have three hours to practice those lines that will give you the edge on Sunday. Riders must be signed on and display their race number and being wearing a helmet before practicing on the course.
One day licenses are available on both days. If you own a license please bring it with you otherwise you will have to take out a day license. For riders riding elite you will need a full license to quailify for UCI points as this is a UCI CN event.
Please note there is no access outside the advertised hours to Kilruddery as it is a private working farm.
Any questions please email info@mtbireland.com or call 01-2863890
---- LEISURE CYCLING ----
TOUR OF INISHOWEN
This will be the second year for The Tour of Inishowen.The 150k.tour starts in the seaside town of Buncrana on the shores of Lough Swilly.It crosses the Inishowen Peninsula in an easterly direction reaching Lough Foyle after a 20k trip crossing the Illies Hills and taking in a category 2 climb past the Fullerton Pollan Dam. From there the route goes north along the shores of the lough on a relatively flat course through Moville,reaching Greencastle after another 20k.Turning west there looms another cat2 climb over Cooks Hill to Kinnagoe Bay and onwards for a welcome lunch-stop at Culdaff Town Hall.From here the direction is north westerly taking the road to Malin Head,Ireland's most northerly point.As we head south there will be a few more gear-crunching moments before we reach level ground at Lagg.A relatively flat course then takes us through Malin Town,Carndonagh,Ballyliffin and Clonmany.Moving westwards again we will then reach the foot of the Urris Hills and the famous Category 1 Mamore Gap.This will then be crossed through a serious of hair-pin bends.Rumour has it that Sean Kelly had one of his early successes as a teenager crossing the Gap in the 1975 Ras with a 42/18 as his lowest gear!
From the summit it will be a relatively easy 16k.cycle to the finish at The Inishowen Gateway Hotel who are major sponsors of this event together with Inishowen based North Pole Cycling Club.The cycle is being held in aid of The Donegal Branch of M.S.Ireland which helps sufferers of multiple sclerosis.
There are two shorter routes of of 64k.for beginners and a 100k.route which will test the best! Confirmed entries include Joe Barr,Marcus Christie (who created a lasting memory for the young old who were at the Martin Donnelly Junior Tour last week in Castlebar, Co. Mayuo),Louise Fullerton from Ballymena and a number of Phoenix guys. The usual talent from Four Masters,Roe Valley,Omagh Wheelers and Foyle CC will also test themselves against the toughest course in Ireland..
The North Pole Cycling Club promises all comers a day to remember and hospitality which you will never forget!
Start The Inishowen Gateway Hotel,Buncrana. Date Sunday 20th July 2008. Start at 9am. Registration from 7.30am at the hotel reception.
WALKING and CYCLING
Bikers and hill-walkers in the south Mayo/west Galway region have an active weekend. it is a challenge with a difference.
The Joyce Country Challenge features be a 30km hill-walk, starting and finishing in the village of Finney, just five miles from the Co. Galway town of Clonbur. There are also two shorter walk options on the day also on Saturday.
On Sunday, many of the walkers will then turn their attentions to the bike for the Polka Dot Challenge. The main challenge here is a 120km ride over nine hills in the Partry/Joyce County mountains on roads circling Loughs Carra, Mask and NaFooey. There are short-course options too that will allow cyclists to complete 80km (over three or five, depending on level of ability.)
Organiser for the event is Fergal O’Neill, an active member of Western Lakes Cycling Club and the Lake District Hill-Walking Club.
All money raised will go towards the Make-a-Wish Foundation, with kind support by Tesco (Irl) Galway.
The programme is as follows:
Saturday, July 19th – Joyce Country Challenge:
Walks start and finish in Finney Village, at Finney Community Centre. Sign-on is from 6.45-8am, and experienced walkers can depart on the walk at anytime during that time-frame.
Discover one of Ireland’s hidden gems. Follow the ridges of the Joyce/Partry Mountains that circle Lough NaFooey. The walk takes in the Maumtrasna Plateua, the Devil’s Mother, and the southern shore ridge of Bunacuuneen and Ben Beg.
There will also be the Joyce Country Half-Challenge, and the Joyce Country Ramble on the day, which will prove less demanding walks. The Joyce Country Half-Challenge sign-on is also from 6.45-8am, and walkers can either venture off on their own or join a group leader at 8am. The Joyce Country Ramble sign-on is from 8-9am, and will leave Finney at 9am, under the guidance of a leader.
Entry fee/donation is €50.
Sunday, July 20th – Polka Dot Challenge:
Cycle starts and finishes at the Western Lakes Cycling Centre, Kilmaine Road, Ballinrobe, at 10am.
The course sees riders leave Ballinrobe, travel to Carnacon, Ballintubber, Killawalla, Tourmakeady, Maam, Cornamona, Cloughbrack, Clonbur and back to Ballinrobe.
The Polka Dot Challenge takes riders over nine hills – Bohaun North, Lallys, Churchfield, Cappnacreeha, Maumtrasna, Ail Dubh, Maumean, Treena, and Toonlegee. The combined climb will be 3000m.
There will be refreshment stops at Lallys, Maumtrasna, and Cornamona. Short-course options involving three and five hills, both over 80kms, are also available on the day.
For Cycling Ireland members, the entry fee/donation is €50, while non-members must also pay a €10 one-day licence fee.
For information, contact Fergal O’Neill on 087 1211047. It is not necessary to take part in both events, though many participants are planning to do so.
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IMPORTANT: All articles,
quotes and results which appear on this page are strictly © Copyright
2008 Tommy Campbell,
IrishCycling.com.
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