September 2002

DOYLE GETS SILVER AT WORLD MASTERS: (Sept 20) Paul Doyle representing Ireland at the 8th World Masters Championship in Manchester won a silver medal in his favourite event the points race. Doyle who has been riding very strongly this year finished 2nd to Bryan Taylor of Britain.

Martin Birney, Dick Keller, Johnny Moran and Malcolm Googins completed the team which set out last Saturday. Bad Luck seemed to blight the team when Birney was held by the starting gate which seemed to be functioning incorrectly as it caused 6 riders in the TT problems. Martin had a good result in the pursuit when he was 5th. Johnny Moran was confident of achieving a sub 1.10 Kilo TT but he too endured misfortune when his handlebars loosened at the start of his effort. 

He eventually recorded a time of 1.13.143 which disappointed. Doyle did a PB in his TT with a 1.10.213 and this was the start of a very good week for him. He followed up with 5th in the pursuit and 2nd in the pursuit. Malcolm Goggins is on the way back to cycling and recorded a time of 1.19 for the Kilo. In the sprint he was paired against Doyle and a French rider, Achim Agger. This presented an opportunity for the team to try their tactics but the French got a massive boost when he was drawn in lane 3 at the top of the track. Googins tried to lead the sprint but Agger had too much speed. He eventually got a silver.

The performances of the Irish on the track were applauded by all when they found out that none of the riders had been on a track in a year. Imagine a Chinese team coming here to play Hurling or Padraig Harrington practising for the US Masters on a crazy golf course! I would expect that next year when Sundrive has been surfaced that the performances of the Irish Riders will be higher again. The standard in the competition was very high with a couiple of World bests been broken in the first sessions.

For more information on this competittion go to http://www.trackcycling.co.uk and http://www.cyclingmasters.com 

RORY WYLEY 5TH IN KENTON RC – NICK CLARK MEMORIAL (UK): (By Gerry McManus Sept 16) Rory Wyley (www.sdeals.com) came fifth in the 88-mile race for Elite/1/2/3 riders just West of London on Sunday 15th September.

The Dungarvan man was unable to challenge local hero Colin Roshier (Team Quest – The Bike Shop) who added another domestic win to his growing tally for 2002.

On a cool and overcast day, Roshier slipped away from the leading group of five riders including Wyley near the end of the race with Yorkshire’s John Charlesworth in pursuit 18 seconds behind.

A break or around 25-riders had established itself early in the race containing most of the pre-race favourites.

With the bunch considerably slimmed down during 11 climbs of the long drag up towards the finishing straight, they couldn’t match the speed of the leaders.

By half distance, the leading group had split into two with Wyley making the cut and GB international Tom Southam (Bloks/Nijdam) relegated to the chase group without team support.

Yanto Barker (GS Bollinton) won the sprint for third place from Andrew Young (unattached) with strongman Rory Wyley (sdeals.com) paying for his race-long hard front running in fourth. Southam still had enough left at the finish to win his group sprint, seemingly without having to get out of breath.

Kenton RC Nick Clark Memorial RR (Sunday September 15th 2002)

1. Colin Roshier Team Quest 88 miles 3.26.30 2. John Charlesworth South Yorkshire Police @18 3. Yanto Barker SG Bollington @42 secs 4. Andrew Young (unattached) 5. Roy Wyley www.sdeals.com 6. Tom Southam Bloks/Nijdam @3.22s 7. Dave Coulson JE James 8. Jeff Williams unattached 9. Nigel Williamson Python RT 10. Andy Collis Team Lichfield

POWER 22nd IN SAN FRANCISCO GP: (By Shane Stokes Sept 16) Ciarán Power yesterday finished 22nd in his last major race of the 2002 season, the gruelling San Francisco Grand Prix. Watched by an estimated crowd of half a million spectators, the 176 kilometre race saw the riders tackle several laps of a circuit which included the torturous 1 in 5 climb of Fillmore Street. More...

ULSTER VETS AND LADIES CHAMPIONSHIP: (By Jim Traynor Sept 1) Lakeland CC rider Kenny Boylan had a runaway win in the UCF Ulster Veterans Championship at Nutts Corner and Mary McKee (Phoenix CC) won the Ladies title.

The vets did six laps of the 8.5 miles circuit while the ladies completed four circuits. The veterans' field was divided into two groups, the weaker vets getting a short 2 minute handicap with the ladies starting in the first group.

Boylan and John Cole (Phoenix CC) broke away from the scratch group on the third lap and caught the leading group. Boylan continued his effort and riding very strongly came through with two laps to go holding a 1.30 lead as the rest of the race came together. The ladies were still in the group which allowed them to sprint it out at the front Mark McKee winning from Northern CC/Dave Kane pair Lisa Rodgers and Debbie Booth.

Boylan continued to storm away in front and took the bell with 2 minutes in hand, stretching this by a further 14 seconds over the final lap. The bunch, racing for second, splintered in the final miles Micky Gallen (Omagh Whs.) coming in on his own for the silver while a further7 seconds back Drew Corrigan (Phoenix CC) outsprinted Alan McCullagh (Maryland Whs.) for the bronze.

Ulster Veterans Road Race Championship, 51m.: 1, Kenny Boylan (Lakeland CC) 2.12.58; 2, M. Gallen (Omagh Whs.) at 2.14; 3, D. Corrigan (Phoenix CC) at 2.21; 4, A. McCullough (Maryland Whs.) s.t.; 5, L. O'Connor (Bann Valley) at 2.24; 6, M. Clarke (BannValley) s.t.; 7. J. Acheson (RT Autoparts East Tyrone CC) at 2.27; 8, J. Cole (Phoenix CC) s.t.; 9, B. McCourt (Phoenix CC) at 2.30; 10, T. Murphy (McQuaid Fireplaces Emyvale CC) at 2.31.

Ladies Championship, 34m.: 1, Mary McKee (Phoenix CC) 1.29.54; 2, L. Rodgers (Northern Dave Kane); 3, D. Booth (Northern Dave Kane); 4, T. Brown (Olympia); 5, S. Rafferty (Phoenix CC) all same time.

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