November 2000

ICF AGM; PRESIDENT RESIGNS: (By Ciaran McKenna ICF PRO Nov 25) The Irish Cycling Federation’s AGM held on Saturday was going to be a stormy affair with a vote of no confidence put on the president last August by 7 of the nine board members.  Twelve months into his two-year reign Mick Lawless resigned dramatically after coming under pressure from 106 delegates and onlookers. 
“I am doing this for the good of Irish Cycling, which has a lot of work ahead of it and doesn’t need to be side tracked any longer” explained Lawless. Tommy Campbell and Jack Watson in their role as vice presidents are taking over as care taker President and the board are expected to co-opt a new President in two weeks time when the board is to meet again.  “It was a brave decision by Mick today who as we all know has Irish Cycling as his number one priority, he proved that today” said Ciaran McKenna PRO and board member.
Jack Watson was re-elected as Secretary by 80 votes to 26 for Tom Mateer, and Sean O’Callaghan was re-elected as Underage chairman by 86 votes to 19 for Dan Curtain. Peter Thornton, Maurice Murphy and Ciaran McKenna were re-elected unopposed.  In another development a 5 person committee will be announced in two weeks to help the board in the coming year with its plans to increase membership, strategy document and general running of the federation. They will work with the board but will not have any voting rights. The five people will be from a business and sports administration background.
The role of National Team Director which was vacated by Richie Beatty will now come under control by a High Performance Group headed by Paddy Doran and will announce it’s plans for 2001 in the coming weeks. It is expected that a Senior, Junior & Ladies Road, Mountain Biking and Track manager position will be advertised.

ICF AGM - See Shane Stokes Reports Here >>

LCF Underage Coaching: The Leinster Cycling Federation is holding a coaching session for Underage road and mountainbike riders in Donadea on Saturday 2nd December at 11.30am.  Helmets compulsory. Contact Anthony Moran 087 6473704 or Noel Kelly 086 8091258 for further details.

Bangor cyclo-cross: (By Jim Traynor Nov 26) Don Travers (Banbridge CC) won Armstrong Bike Dock's cyclo-cross at Castle Park, Bangor by 7 seconds, from Alastair Martin (Ards CC) and the win was enough to give him overall victory in the 4-race league with 36 points to the 29 of Robert Lamont (Newry Haldane Fisher).  Ulster Cyclo-cross League, Rd. 4, Bangor, 10m.: 1, Don Travers (Banbridge CC) 42.46; 2, A. Martin (Ards CC) at 7 secs; 3, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) at 15 secs; 4, A. Steele (Clarke Contracts) at 1.53; 5, R. Lamont (Newry Whs.) at 1.56; 6, O. Jeffries (North Down CC) at 2.05; 7, M. McCorry (Apollo CRT) at 2.44; 8, I. Graham (unatt.) at 3.00; 9, L. Gamble (Ards CC) at 3.12; 10, J. Begley (unatt.) at 3.40. Underage: 1, Lewis Ferguson; 2, M. Ferguson; 3, S. Clarke (all Armstrong Bike Dock). Final League Positions: 1, D. Travers 36; 2, R. Lamont 29; 3, A. McDonald (Apollo CRT) 20; 4, R. Seymour (Helly Hansen) 20; 5, A. Martin 18; 6, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) 17.

Irish Cyclocross Championship to be held on Saturday 2nd December at Lurgan park for cyclo cross bikes only. Sign on 11am - 11 30 am, all ICF current licence holders welcome.  Venue waves leisure complex ,Robert St Lurgan (food , showers, and hose provided) 1.1.km course, cyclo cross bikes only (straight bars accepted, max tyres 700*32) Contact - Myles 02838 (04838 South) 3229843 or Aidan McDonald 042 9373226

BREAKING NEWS: (Nov 22) The legendary three times Rás winner Paddy Flanagan died in his bed at 1.30am this morning.  Paddy who was from Kildare was one of Ireland's all time greats.  <Tribute by Brian Connaughton - Click Here>

US POSTAL DOPING SCANDAL: (Nov 23) The Paris prosecutor has opened a formal judicial investigation about doping allegations in the US Postal cycling team.  The team's leader is double Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who has consistently denied using performance-enhancing drugs.  The prosecutor's office said a probe was opened 'against persons unknown' for violations of laws prohibiting the use of illegal drugs, incitement to use doping products and violation of laws about dangerous substances. 

CYCLO-CROSS, CRAIGAVON, CO. ARMAGH, (By JIM TRAYNOR Nov 18) Robin Seymour (Helly Hansen) won Apollo CRT's cyclo-cross at Craiagaon Balancing Lakes, the third event in a four-week series leading up to the Irish Championship at Lurgan Park on December 2.  Nine-times Irish champion Seymour, who also won the second round, this time started on his own, giving away up to 8 minutes. The early leader was Olympic ladies MTB rider Tarja Owens (Helly Hansen) who started in the first group.  On Lap 3, of the seven -lap race she was passed by Lindsay Gamble (Ards CC) who led for the next three circuits. Meanwhile Seymour was making his way through the field and on the penultimate lap he moved into the lead followed by Don Travers (Banbridge CC) who won the first race of the series. Robert Lamont (Newry Haldane Fisher), who started in the third group with Travers punctured and fell back to finish 5th.  At the finish Seymour had a 13 second winning margin on the Banbridge rider who leads the series with 27 points to Seymour's 20.  
Craigavon Result 10.5m.: 1, Robin Seymour (Helly Hansen) 42.43; 2, D. Travers (Banbridge CC) at 13 secs.; 3, L. Gamble (Ards CC) at 1.19; 4, A. MccDonald (Apollo CRT) at 1.21; 5, R. Lamont (Newry Whs.) at 1.57; 6, D. GIll (unatt.) at 2.25; 7, G. Kinning (Castlereagh CC) at 2.40; 8, T. Hare (APollo CRT) at 2.57; 9, I. Graham (unatt.) at 3.27; 10, M. McCorry (Apollo CRT) at 3.34.  First Lady: Tarja Owens (Helly Hansen).  Under 16 (5 laps): Leslie Ferguson (Armstrong Bike Dock).  Under 14 (4 Laps): Matthew Ferguson (Armstrong Bike Dock). See pictures here >>

WINN IN AUSTRALIA: (By Gerard Cromwell Nov 14) Current FBD Milk Ras champion, Julian Winn of Wales rounded off a fine season by finishing 4th overall in the nine day, sixteen stage Commonwealth Bank Classic in Australia. Riding for the Welsh, Dupont sponsored squad, Winn moved himself to within two seconds of the yellow jersey after the hilliest stage on day three.  Although he managed to finish second in the time trial on the penultimate stage, Winn still finished 2'40" down on Polish star Darius Wojciechowski (try saying that with a mouthful of biscuits!) of the second division MROZ outfit, after missing an eight man move in the 102km Canberra circuit race the day before.  Scott Suckling of Australia took second overall with another Pole Gregorz Wajs (MROZ) in third place. Winn had some consolation when he took home the King of the Mountains jersey, which he held after finishing second on the 156km mountain top finish stage to Bumble Hill on day three.

SEYMOUR WINS IN NEWRY - Cyclo Cross (By JIM TRAYNOR Nov 11) In his first cyclo-cross race of the season, nine times Irish champion Robin Seymour (Helly Hansen) showed any potential rivals that he's going to be very hard to dethrone when he defends his title at Lurgan Park on December 2.  The Olympic MTB rider had over three minutes in hand over second placed Robert Lamont of the promoting Newry Haldane Fisher club at the end of the 14 miles event at Narrowwater, second event of the cyclo-cross league.  Seymour, Lamont, Aidan McDonald (Apollo CRT) and first race winner Don Travers (Banbridge CC) gave away up to 7 minutes in the 7-lap race. Lindsay Gamble (Ards CC) was an early leader before being caught by Colin Campbell (Newry Haldane Fisher) but by half distance Seymour had moved into the lead and he increased his advantage all the way to the finish.  Lamont, Travers and McDonald were engaged in a good scrap for second place but the latter two punctured. However they both got back in the race and did well to make the top six.  Ladies Olympic MTB rider Tarja Owens rode well to finish 10th of the 26 starters. Lewis Ferguson (Armstrong Bike Dock) won the underage event from his brother Matt.  Narrowwater Cyclo-cross, 14m.: 1, Robin Seymour (Helly Hansen) 1.06.27; 2, R. Lamont (Newry Whs.) at 3.25; 3, C. Campbell (Newry Whs.) at 5.03; 4, D. Travers (Banbridge CC) at 5.03; 5, P. McConville (Newry whs.) at 6.02; 6, A. McDonald (Apollo CRT) at 6.28; 7, M. McCorry (Apollo CRT) at 8.23; 8, D. McCaughley (Clann Eireann) at 9.06; 9, P. Lynch (Newry Whs.) at 9.32; 10, T. Owens (Helly Hansen) (first lady) at 10.09. Underage, 10m.: 1, Lewis Ferguson (Armstrong Bike Dock) 50.55; 2, M. Ferguson (Armstrong Bike Dock) at 2.38. The third event in the series is next Saturday at Craigavon Balancing Lakes (12.00).  See pictures here >>

IVCA NEW OFFICERS ELECTED: The new committee of the Irish Veterans Cycling Association were elected at their AGM last weekend, they are Chairperson: Henry Whelan, General Sec: Donal O'Connell, Treasurer: Willy Lawlor, Race Director: Dick O'Brien, Projects Manager: Liz McKenna, Leisure Group Org: John Hunt.

US POSTAL UNDER INVESTIGATION: (Nov 7)  The Paris prosecuting office has launched a preliminary enquiry into doping allegations about the US Postal cycling team.  The probe, which was revealed today, began last month after the prosecutor received an anonymous note saying journalists had gathered information about doping suspicions in the team.   The French drugs squad, in charge of the case, have not found any evidence, sources said.  A preliminary enquiry, led by a prosecutor, aims at determining whether there are sufficient grounds to start a proper enquiry.

VIRENQUE MAY ESCAPE SENTENCE: (Nov 6) The prosecutor in the Festina doping scandal today demanded that French star Richard Virenque not be sentenced for his part in the scandal.   Deputy public prosecutor Gerald Vinsonneau told the Tribunal that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that Virenque had taken part in organised doping within his former team Virenque, 5-time winner of the King of the Mountain title at the Tour de France, admitted last month taking drugs after having maintained his innocence for two years.  The former Festina rider is the most high-profile defendant in the Tour de France doping trial. 

APOLLO CYCLO-CROSS, CRAIAGAON, CO. ARMAGH, (Report by JIM TRAYNOR Nov 4) Don Travers (Banbridge CC) won the opening event of the cyclo-cross season, promoted by Apollo CRT at the Balancing Lakes, Craigavon.  Travers came out on top after a race-long tussle with Alastair Martin (Ards CC) who came home 3 seconds behind the Banbridge rider with Barry Monaghan (Newry Haldane Fisher) a further 50 seconds back in third place. Travers, Martin, Robert Lamont (Newry Haldane Fisher) and Aidan McDonald (Apollo CRT) started on scratch giving away up to 7 minutes and for much of the race it lookes like Darragh McCaughley (Clann Eireann), who started with the first group, had too great a lead to be caught and in fact he had completed his first lap of the circuit before the scratchmen set off.  After four laps he led by 1.53 over Barry Monaghan, who had started in the middle group with Martin and Travers at 2.15 and Lamont at 2.50. A lap latyer Travers led through Martin and Monaghan 1.17 behind the leader but when McCaughey's lead was down to only 20 seconds with 2 laps remaining the writing was on the wall for the Clann Eireann rider. Martin attacked and went 5 seconds clear of Travers but at the bell the Banbridge rider had come back and half-way round the final circuit he attacked and opened a gap which he held to the finish.  Results: (8ml) 1, Don Travers (Banbridge CC) 49.10; 2, A. Martin (Ards CC) at 3 secs; 3, B. Monaghan (Newry Whs.) at 53 secs.; 4, R. Lamont (Newry Whs.) at 1.53; 5, D> McCaughley (Clann Eireann) at 1.57; 6, A. McDonald (Apollo CRT) at 2.18; 7, J. Bingley (Team San Jose); 8, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC); 9, A. Parks (Lurgan RC); 10, T. Hare (Apollo CRT) all at 1 lap.  See pictures here >>