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Last Updated: Aug 14th, 2008 - 09:31:31 |
WEEKEND ROUNDUP:
By Tommy Campbell
Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent
Aug 14, 2008,
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© Tommy Campbell
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On a weekend when most of the events commemorate particular individuals.
Cyclists no matter who they are or where they are! Always think of the weekends and the activity of cycling. Unfortunately there is a palpable air about the length and breadth of the country with the news of the passing of Davy McCall. Death when it arrives does not post a time of arrival and takes us all unawares. A couple of evenings ago Davy McCall lost his life in tragic circumstances doing what he enjoyed both as racer and a leisure participant. His loss cannot be defined particularly to his immediate family, but in cycling circles that affable smile will be missed.
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CORK PROMOTIONS
Down south, St. Finbarr's Ventilux are shaping up for a double header on the outskirts of Cork City. They are promoting the George Harding and the Karl McCarthy Memorial trophies on the Glounthoune circuit. This course was recently used for the 'Ladies All Ireland Championships' and by all accounts was a very sporting course. According to John O'Mahony of the promoting club, "the advantage we have as organisers is the course is comparatively safe which makes life much easier for all concerned.We are expecting a good turn out to honour two cycling officials who were unselfish with their time when it came to promoting the sport down the years," said John.
Miceal Concannon of Killorglin Credit union Cycling Club is going for back to back wins in the Karl McCarthy Cup. No doubt the Dan Morrissey/Carrick Wheelers will have their spoke in to deprive of the double. Miceal on previous years, has a habit of coming good around this time of the year.
Making the journey to the 'real' capital of Ireland is Brian Cunningham of the Lucan Stagg cycle team. But along with the rest of the punters he'll face the might of Sam Bennett also of the all conquering Dan Morrissey squad. along with being national champion, Sam was the outright winner of the recent Martin Donnelly Junior Tour. It was generally anticipated that Sam would now have been housed in Agile in Switzerland at the UCI HQ, but somewhere along the line, it failed to materialise for the moment anyhow. So! For the George Harding Trophy the smart money will be on the Carrick junior to add yet another trophy to the cabinet. Racing gets under way Glounthoune at
13.00 hours for the Seniors A & B's and the combined race for the respective distance of ten and eight laps.
St Finbarr's CC Summer League venue change - The venue will change for the remaining events; from Thursday 14th August the "Glounthaune/Elm Tree" circuit will be used. Start time is 7pm sharp, outside Biocel Ltd. Please note there are 3 events remaining in the league - 14th, 21st and 28th August. Further information from John at 021-4961516, Eddie at 087-2388624
PORTLAOISE TIME TRIAL
On Saturday morning the Laois Cycle and Touring Club will stage a 10 mile time trial sponsored by Edenderry Power.
The Portlaoise 10 mile TT. Sign-on open at 10am in Midway Hotel,
Cork Road, Portlaoise. Sign-on closes at 10.30 sharp. 1st rider off at
11am. U16/J/V/L/S1,2,3. Showing excellent form in the Marrey bikes.com Ballinrobe two-day, Simon Coughlan from Donamon Dynamos should take all comers on!
BRENDAN CAMPBELL MEMORIAL
For the last number of years, Stamullen Martin Donnelly RC were happy and contented with the staging of the Brendan Campbell Memorial in Donore but because of extensive road works in the area, they have moved the goal posts for a once off. On this occasion, the event will start and finish Gibbons Cross on the Drogheda Road. Also it will be a blessing in disguise as the course for Sunday is a very competitive one.
From the start point the race will proceed by Platin Hall out onto the Duleek/Drogheda road at the Cement Factory. The race then turns left in the direction of Drogheda, passing under the motorway and immediately turning left onto the new slip road and then rejoins the Donore road and returns to the start/finish area. The race will be contested of 12 laps of this 3.75 mile circuit, a total of 45 miles and will start at 1:45. The underage events, U.12. U.14 and U.16’s will have a start time of 12:00 noon and will race over a shorter local circuit, just outside Donore. The sign-on will be held in the usual place, Donore National School.
Valuable sponsorship has been given by Drogheda Concentrates/Coca-Cola for the Brendan Campbell Memorial Senior Race, with the Underage events being generously sponsored by Special Steels Ireland, Caffreys Monumental Works, Banana Importers of Ireland and Platin Grain.
The Brendan Campbell Memorial Senior Race on Sunday is sure to attract a huge number of cyclists because incorporated into this very popular event will be the final leg of the Wheelworx SuperLeague. This League, which has been ongoing over the 5-race promotions of the Stamullen club, is still wide open going into this final leg. There are only 5-points dividing the first 7 riders on the league table. The pressure will most certainly bear heavy on the shoulders of twice-winner of this race, Greg Swinand from the Usher Irish Road club in Dublin, as not only will he be trying to win the race for the 3rd time, but he will also be having a serious attack on winning the Wheelworx SuperLeague, which he is currently leading and will receive the Leaders Jersey prior to the start of the race. Close on his heels is Daniel Kirwan, Stagg Cycles Lucan, Craig Sweetman who along with Robert Moore of the promoting club are lurking in the long grass and may deny Swinand outright victory at the death. Also one to watch is Mark Nestor who cannot be ruled out of the title!
In the Under 14 event, the Campbell twins, Ciaran and Daragh (also grandsons of the late Brendan Campbell, popularly known as the ‘Bear’), will be flying the flag for the Drogheda Wheelers club and trying their best to keep the trophy on ‘home-ground’.
The Under 16 Race could well come down to a battle between two local cyclists, Drogheda Wheelers Benner Maguire and Stamullen M Donnelly’s Javan Nulty, who both rode extremely in the recent Kerry Youth Tour down in Killorglin.
FESTIVAL RACE CANCELLED
The Kilnaleck Festival race due to be held on this Saturday night 16th August, has been cancelled, due to pipe-laying and heavy road works all around the Kilnaleck area.
MAYO SUPPORTS TOUR OF IRELAND
Mayo Wheelers are back in the arena again. I presume they are in, engaging mode for the Tour of Ireland sponsored by Failte Ireland that will be coming their way at the end of the month. Also to jizz up the spectator decibel. But, the week previous the Westport Criterium will be run on Saturday the 23rd and the following day the Westport Grand Prix will follow the course of the recent visit by the Martin Donnelly Junior Tour to the town. HQ for both events is the Clew Bay Hotel in Westport. The crit is for 45 minutes plus 5 laps with a start time of 7.30pm The grand prix has a scheduled start of mid-day the following day.
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TRACK COACHING COURSE
There a still a few spare slots for this w/ends track coaching course. It will be run as three hour session in the West County Hotel, Chapelizod, with a teaching practical the next morning at Sundrive.
Please note that this course is free and open to all Cycling Ireland members.
If interested please contact Will Byrne by e-mail will@kingscroft.ie to confirm your attendance
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MTB NEWS -
The final round of the Irish MTB XC NPS takes place on Sunday. The venue is in Castlewellan Forest Park, County Down. The course is similar to the one constructed by XMTB for the final K-Capital race in April, however a number of new sections have been added. In spite of the recent deluge of rain, the course is holding up well with only a few ‘sticky’ sections.
All Senior classes plus U-14 and U-16 will compete over the full course, while the U-12 and U8/U10 riders will have their own courses. The start/finish area will be based on the fire road normally used for the start. The final drop down through the trees to the lake remains the same, though instead of riding onto the lake road, riders will take a different path to the finish via the small track that leads up to the stony bridge.
Racing gets underway with the U-8 event at 11am; this will be followed by the U-10s. The U-12 race starts at 11.30am. The U-16 race sets off at noon followed at 12.01pm by the Sports Men and 12.02 by the Sports Women. The U-14 race starts at 12.03pm. The Elite Men’s event starts at 1.30pm followed by the Elite Women/Junior at 1.31pm, Experts 1.32pm, Masters 1.33pm and Vets at 1.34pm. While there is no official practice on Saturday, riders are free to take a look at their own risk. On Sunday sign on will be open from 9.30am. Only riders signed on will be permitted access to the course on Sunday. Due to the constantly changing weather conditions, race laps will be decided closer to the race after consultation between the orgainsers and the race commissaire.
Castlewellan Forest Park is signposted from the main street in the town. Forest Service staff will direct MTB event traffic to the Crow Road, the car parking found at the end of this road. Should weather conditions not be favourable, the normal overflow car park will be the main car park.
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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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