IrishCycling.Com

July 2002

ARDS CC'S PORTAFERRY 3-DAY: (By JIM TRAYNOR July 28) Owen Jeffries (Northern CC, Dave Kane Cycles) had the best win of his career when he took the major honours in Ards CC's Portaferry 3-day. The Belfast rider took the lead in the opening 30 miles stage on Friday evening and rode superbly throughout to defend the yellow jersey.

On Saturday morning's 50 miles stage he was in the break and finished 7th in the same time as the stage-winner, his teammate Paul Kane.

In a race that has so often been won or lost on the short time-trial stage, Jeffries defended in the best possible manner winning the 1 mile test which finished after a climb up the steep slopes of Windmill Hill. he won by 2 seconds from Kirk Sloan of the promoting Ards CC and this win gave him a margin of 15 seconds over Willie Hamilton (East Antrim Audi) going into the final 51 miles stage yestrday morning.

Jeffries and his team had plenty to do during the stage as there was always a break away but they never allowed the margin to ride above 20 seconds.

After a six-man group were away for much of the first of three 17-mile laps taking in Portaferry, Cloughy and Kircubbin, three riders: Alastair Martin and Lenny Kirk (both Ards CC) and Norman Campbell (unatt.) went away and hovered off the front for the second circuit.

Martin took the sprint at the end of the second lap to take back the lead in the points race which he had lost to Willie Hamilton who was second on lap 1.

The break was caught at the start of the final circuit and Ian Proctor (Castlereagh CC), who was lying 4th at 37 seconds, went away on his own and riding strongly held a 20 second lead for around 10 miles until a final effort from the bunch saw him recaptured. This was the signal for a two-pronged attack from the Banbridge club as Garteth Rogres and Roger Aiken went away to take first and secondwith the bunch led in by Hamilton 16 seconds down, the points for third giving Hamilton the points prize but Jeffries was secure in the top spot after finishing 9th on the stage.

Portaferry 3-day, Stage 1, 30m: 1, Owen Jeffries (Northern CC Dave Kane Cycles) 1.17.01; 2, R. Connor (Ballymena Scott RC) at 2 secs; 3, W. Hamilton (East Antrim Audi) at 8 secs; 4, P. Marshall (Toyota North Down) at 12 secs; 5, I. Proctor (Castlereagh CC) at 17 secs; 6, P. Heverin (Castlereagh CC) s.t.

Stage 2, 50m.: 1, Paul Kane (Northern Dave Kane) 1.54.15; 2, I. Proctor ; 3, A. Martin (Ards CC); 4, L. Kirk (Ards CC); 6, M. Greer (Maryland Whs.); 7, O. Jeffries; 8, K. Sloan (Ards CC) all same time.

Stage 3, 1m. TT: 1, O. Jeffries 2.25; 2, K. SLoan 2.27; 3, R. Connor 2.29; 4 eq., W. Hamilton and G. Cranston (Northrn Dave Kane) 2.32; 6, R. Aiken (Banbridge CC) 2.33; 7, P. Kane 2.35; 8, M. Greer 2.38.

Stage 4, 51m.: 1, G. Rodgers (Banbridge CC) 1.58.57; 2, R. Aiken at 2 secs; 3, W. Hamilton at16 secs; 4, S. Jackson (Glasgow MTB Alpine MTB); 5, S. McGreevy (Phoenix CC); 6, M. Robinson (East Antrim Audi); 7, M. Greer; 8, P. Ferguson (Toyota North Down); 9, O. Jeffries; 10, A. Martin, all same time.

General Classification: 1, O. Jeffries 5.12.54; 2, W Hamilton at 15 secs; 3, K. Sloan at 30 secs; 4, I. Proctor at 37 secs; 5, P. Kane at 39 secs; 6, A. Martin at 46 secs; 7, M. Greer at47 secs; 8, L. Kirk at 52 secs; 9, B. Nugent (Classic Walls) at 53 secs; 10, P. Hawkins (Castlereagh CC) at 57 secs.

NORTH DOWN INTERNATIONAL: (By JIM TRAYNOR July 20) After finishing first and third in the Manx International, Tommy Evans and David McCann reversed the positions next day in the North Down Games International at Bangor.

Evans came home on his own 8 seconds clear of Conor Murphy (Team Ireland) with McCann next home 1.26 seconds behind after eight laps of the 11.5 miles circuit through Bangor and Newtownards, made very tough by strong winds throughout.

Nine riders went away on the opening lap and on the third circuit they were joined by a 4-man chasing group including McCann and Evans, riding for the Northern Ireland Commonwealth Games team.

This left a 13-man group which also included Davy Gardiner and Stephen Gallagher of the NI Comonwealth team, and Team Ireland riders Murphy, Brian Ahern, Paul Griffin and Sean Lacey. Completing the group was Jim McConnell (NICF), Simon Kelly (Connaught) and Tim Allan (Scotland).

These 13 stretched their lead throughout the race and on the penultimate lap Evans and Murphy went away to a 30 second lead over McCann and it stayed like than until the final miles when Evans attacked to go ahead of Murphy, who was in his first senior outing in the Ireland jersey.

The Women's International over three laps was won by Lorraine Manning (Team Ireland) beating Leda Rae (Team Letchworth) in a 4-up sprint.

North Down International Games 92m. Cycle Race: 1, Tommy Evans (N.I. Commonwealth Games Team) 3..47.45; 2, C. Murphy (Team Ireland) at 8 secs; 3, D. McCann (NI Com. Team) at 1.26; 4, P. Griffin (Team Ireland) at 1.41; 5, D. Gardiner (N.I. Com. Team) at 3.10; 6, T. Allen (Scotland) at 3.12; 7, S. Kelly (Connaught) at 3.18; 8, S. Gallagher (NI. Com. Team) at 7.15; 9, B. Ahern (Team Ireland); 9, S. Lacey (Team Ireland) all same time.

Women's International 34.5m.: 1, Lorraine Manning (Team ireland) 1.43.43; 2, L. Rie (Team Letchworth); 3, C. Pridham; 4, M. Boyd (Team Letchworth), all same time; 5, C. Moore (Team ireland) at 38 secs; 6, R. Kennedy (Team Ireland); 7, S. Hamilton (Team Letchworth); K. Rudd (Team ireland); 9, C. Clarke (Bann Valley); 10, O. Coady (Team ireland).

Good start in Belgium for Moriarty: (By Gerry McManus July 15) Eugene Moriarty has started well in his summer season in Belgium. Moriarty took sixth in the 99km kermesse in the town of Valmeer on Monday 15th July. The event was won by Rabobank's Jos Van Brandt, who took the sprint in a five man breakaway group from Eddy Mennen (Domo Farm Frites).

Moriarty took the sprint verdict in a 12-man chase group after 22-laps of the 4.5km circuit race run off at 26.2 m.p.h. With prizes down to 20th place, even the minor places are hotly contested in these summer evening events.

Martin O’Loughlin escaped on the last lap to finish in 18th place only a handful of seconds in front of the bunch. Martin O’Loughlin is pleased with the new Belgian set-up: “There are local races nearly every night,” he said: “ The kermesses are between 100 an 120km on mostly flat circuits and the standard of racing is good. The circuits vary and this one had eleven corners on the course. The speed was high and the bunch of around 90-riders had split by half-distance.”

Moriarty, O’Loughlin, Paul Helion and JP Dempsey are the first residents of the Team Ireland house in the little village of Sluizen. “Population is now 1000 and four,” amuses O’Loughlin, who apparently is a dab hand is the cooking department too: “Our next race is on Friday night is a 115km race in Budingen.”

Paddy Moriarty is due to arrive in Belgium shortly to spend a few weeks racing up to the Surrey League Revolutions 5-Day in England at the end of August. Paddy is no stranger to the Belgian style of racing, having spent two summers racing there in his early years of serious racing. He will be keen to win the prestigious 5-day event for the second successive year around Sussex and Surrey and heads up a planned five-man team, guest riding for the London Irish Cycling Club, with Rory Wyley, John Horgan, Stephen O’Sullivan and Mark Kiernan.