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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
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| Gerard Cromwell |
'A' WINS 'C' RACE would have been a more appropriate headline, but anyone perusing through page 11 of the April 12th edition of 'Cycling Weekly' would have read one of 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR CONNOR'.
The piece in question goes on to describe how Ryan Connor of Ballymena Road Club went on to win a 'combined category event' in Balbriggan a couple of weeks back. This combined event was in fact the C, Junior, Vets and Ladies race. Fair enough. Nothing wrong with that! Except that Ryan Connor, now a first year senior, represented Great Britain at last year's Junior World Championships, holds the NICF 10, 25 and 50 mile time trial titles and was planning to ride the Archer Grand Prix (a UCI 1.5 race!) with the professionals the week before only for a delay in flights to scupper his plans. Does this sound like your average 'C' rider to you? Me neither!
In the article, Connor readily admits; "Most of the big riders were in the first race but I missed the start." So instead of riding in the category he's supposed to, he decided not only to ride the third category race, but to actually compete and take somebody's prize home with him. The strange thing is he wasn't stopped from doing this. It's not clear whether Connor had actually signed on for the A race and then rode the C race or not. As he is a member of the NICF there is also the question of licensing.
As far as I know, and I drove behind him (and the poor unfortunate Junior he beat), for the final five miles or so, he rode on a one-day licence. What category did he fill in on the form? If it was higher than 3rd, then he is not entitled to ride that race or to receive a prize. What is to stop any first cat taking out a one-day licence and riding the C race? Nothing. Except the morals of the rider, or the ability of the commissaire to recognise these guys! One-day licences are a great idea. Some say these licence holders shouldn't be allowed ride the 3rd cat races, but that is precisely what they were introduced for. They give a newcomer the chance to try out the sport without having to shell out 100 euro for a licence first. Try before you buy, if you like.
Ryan Connor, who has just signed for the VC Vannes club in Brittany and according to himself is "planning to ride the Rudy Project TT Series and the British National U/23 Road Race Series" is also hoping to gain selection for the 2006 Commonwealth games in Melbourne. Surely he has a NICF licence? Not that it's even recognised by the world governing body, but this licence must have a category on it? I'm guessing it's not 3rd Category! Did he show this at the sign on?
I've heard plenty of guys since, juniors, vets and third cat's, say that the Balbriggan race was the hardest start to a 'C' race they had ridden this year. Wouldn't have anything to do with the guy in the Ballymena jersey up the front trying to ride everyone off his wheel for the first five miles would it? It was actually the first time I saw a line-out in a C race. Fact! Now I've nothing against riders from other federations riding our races, as long as they ride in the proper category. Why didn't the rider in question go to the commisaire and say "look I'm after missing my start. I'll ride in the C bunch for training but won't interfere with the racing!"
There are lots of questions to be answered and I suppose by highlighting this, even though he highlighted it himself by doing the interview in the first place, (in the words of Homer Simpson - "DOH!") I've opened a whole new can of worms. Oh well, I hear fishing is a nice tranquil sport! Maybe I can use them as bait.
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