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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
YOUR LETTERS: CYCLING RANKINGS A JOKE?
By email to Letters2006@irishcycling.com
3 May 2006,
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Letter Added 3rd May
Okay Cycling Ireland, just give it up... stop putting up the rankings! There's no point. It's ridiculous.
How can the winner of a three day stage race have just six points?
How can someone who won two stages and finished third overall be on exactly the same points as he was when the last rankings went up?
They are the only two people I bothered looking at, I'm sure there are plenty more. I'm sick of people coming up to me and complaining about 'B's who should be 'A's and 'C's who should be 'B's. Scrap the rankings until they get sorted and let Ullrich ride the 'C' race in Drogheda next week, he might even get up!
Gerard Cromwell
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The ranking issued yesterday morning have been updated by Cycling Ireland now, the 2 points mentioned above should be corrected now.
Incorrect Road Rider Rankings released 2 May
SENIOR 1
1 Paul Healion S1 Team M&G Newlyn Group 38
2 Adam Petrie Armstrong [upgrd06] S1 Northern CC 35
3 Frazer Duncan S1 Northern CC 33
4 Conor Murphy S1 Team M&G Newlyn Group 30
5 Martin Irvine S1 Ards CC 28
6 Martin O'Loughlin S1 Dan Morrissey Carrick Wheelers 27
7 Stephen McKenna S1 East Antrim CC Audi 23
8 Tommy Evans S1 VC Glendale 21
9 Daniel Lynch S1 Kanturk Credit Union CC 20
10 Simon Kelly S1 Team M&G Newlyn Group 18
Most of the errors have been corrected, if anyone has problems with the rankings contact info@cyclingireland.ie
Letter Added 28th April
Cycling Ireland will never have any decent rider ranking system in place as long as the clubs keep resorting to the practice of picking people at the line to see who is the first red, green blue or black number to pass the line. People should stop making excuses for CI as they are the body charged with running cycling in this country and therefore must be held accountable for the state of all cycling affairs. They are also paid to carry out this job,they are not just an organisation to liase on behalf of a few riders who ride internationally but are also responsible for grass roots cycling in the country along with all the hiccups that come with it.
Gerald Francis
Letter Added 27th April
Hi Lads,
Please restrain yourselves, it can’t be easy gathering all the results nationwide on each race in due time after each weekend – especially if one is not as experienced as Sean Bracken! One has to ask the question is the quality of the information being fed back suitable or timely? Is there a bigger question to be asked here? Perhaps ALL sporting volunteers not just Sean, could be “paid” for their efforts via a tax credit on their income tax thus overcoming these kind of situations? Please remember this at next years general election, or perhaps we can ALL come together to form a lobby group WITH Cycling Ireland and start working with other sporting organisations such as the GAA (who are not as inward looking or self critical) to bring about positive change.
Finally, count yourselves lucky – I’ve never even heard of a Track Based rider ranking system - let alone Cat 1,2,3 track racing licences here in Ireland !
Regards,
Malcolm Goggin, Communications Manager
TEAM MURPHY GUNN - NEWLYN GROUP
Letter Added 27th April
Hello,
I am an ex-St. Tiernans member but couldn’t help reading the letters regarding the ranking system in Ireland. I live in the US now and Irish Cycling could benefit from something that the US Golf Association uses for golfers’ handicaps.
At every course there is a computer. Once you finish your round, you enter your member number and your scorecard witnessed by a playing partner. The computer adds up the previous ten rounds and compiles your average score and your handicap.
It seems to me that if the race organizers can compile listings of the finishers, then the ranking system should, well, almost take care of itself. A website could be established whereby the race organizers could enter the finishers by position and the rankings would total up and be available on a real-time basis for everyone to see. Movements up and down from category to category would be automatic and riders could bring updated sheets to sign-ons for immediate recognition.
Alternatively, the governing body could use the little ankle gadgets that marathon runners get or even a chip to put on their frames and it would register automatically in races in which they compete. Although the two previous options involve hi-tech avenues of approach, it is ultimately in the interests of the rider that this must be pursued, after all without the riders, there is no Cycling in Ireland.
Keep up the good work on the site!
Regards,
David O'Sullivan
Letter Added 27th April
Interesting to note that both Morgan Fox and Eoin Concannon have been downgraded by Cycling Ireland to second cats, even though they are pros, albeit the latter with Killorglin! Paul Mulligan still rides with Crannog and Julie O'Hagan must be the only lady racing as despite numerous ladies races, is the only one with any points. Interestingly she has five points, and if the points are six for a win, who did she finish second to? Andy Roche was ranked last week and despite winning the Shay Elliott now doesn't exist!
Gerard Cromwell
Letter Added 25th April
After reading Gerard Cromwell’s article regarding the poor attention to detail on Cycling Ireland’s ranking system I decided I’d better check my own position, after being successful in this years Bertoni Gorey 3 day event. Which was well run as usual by people who without their dedication to the sport we would have no races. After checking the rankings I was not surprised to find that I don’t even exist in the rankings, I know I’m fast but not so fast as to shoot off the top of the ranking page. There is a Declan Byrne from Navan Avonmore on 12 points who I’m not sure is even racing this year, just to set the record straight if the Declan Byrne from Navan is actually me, the Declan Byrne from Orwell Dundrum Town Centre on the ranking system, could it please be corrected.
Just to comment on Irish Cycling’s web page which I think do super work, it’s a pity that Cycling Ireland don’t treat their members as well. After trying and failing to find my name on Irish Cycling’s rankings page (which I presume is a copy of cycling Ireland’s records) I tried to see if I existed on the Cycling Ireland web page; shock horror, I didn’t. I have contacted cycling Ireland’s offices twice in the last week and left messages on the office phone and emailed the office twice...all without any reply.
All they seem to want to do is to recruit new members, take their money and run. I’m a member for the last twenty years and I think all members deserve better than that.
Declan Byrne, Orwell Dundrum Town Centre.
CYCLING RANKINGS A JOKE: (22 Apr)
Just a quick note on the rankings you have put up on your site. Last year, as in the past few years Sean Bracken did the rankings on a voluntary basis and they were always up in time and updated regularly. It's a tough job and you are bound to get a few little mistakes or race results omitted, but this year as Cycling Ireland decided they would do the rankings themselves and are paid to do so, there should be no hiccups right?
Wrong! How stupid do you have to be to rank two riders twice in the top 50? Not only are they ranked twice but they both ride for two different teams. Okay, Connor Murphy is a bit of a God at the moment, but even he can't be in two places at the same time. Maybe himself and Simon Kelly have learned the art of teleportation since joining Murphy & Gunn / Newlyn group or should that be TM&G/ Newlyn Cycling or Murphy and Gunn as their various teammates seem to ride for? Murphy is ranked 5th with Crannog and 48th with TM&G/ Newlyn Cycling, whoever they are! Simon Kelly is not doing as well with Galway Bay as he is with TM&G/ Newlyn Cycling, must be tired from all the travelling!
Andy Roche is ranked 33rd for an unknown team, even though the people compiling the rankings are the people who gave him his licence. How hard would that be to look up? John O'Shea is still with Dan Morrissey apparently, while only Brian Kenneally seems to have the support of myhome.ie and Andrew McQuaid who actually rides for... wait for it... the federations own team... is down as UCD in 55th and also ranked 39th. No point in sponsoring a team if you're not going to get mentioned.
In the veteran rankings some riders may not even be veterans according to all the question marks attached to people's names. How can someone with 27 points be a second cat, when you only need 15 to move up? Why is only one lady ranked, even though there have been lots of ladies races?
With all the recent controversy about 3rd cats and 2nd cats not getting a fair deal, how can anyone move up or down if the rankings are a joke.
Bring back Sean Bracken and pay the man!
Gerard Cromwell
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