NORTHERN ROUNDUP:

NICF Northern Ireland 10 Mile Time Trial Championships.

This Wednesday night (29th July at 7.00pm) Team Madigan will be promoting the NICF Northern Ireland 10-mile Time Trial Championships at Ballygalley on the world famous Antrim Coast Road . This is a new course, the Carrickfergus club have been using it this year for the club events but it is the first time in the championship. The curse has proved popular with the club riders. The course has the potential for fast times as it is pan flat and is at sea level. Like all Time Trial’s it all depends on wind speed and direction.

The advantage with this course is it has good parking facilities at Ballygalley and Toilet facilities, plus very few Trucks use this road. Ballygalley is five miles north of Larne on the A2 Coast Road and is a 45-minute drive from Belfast and around the same drive time from Ballymena.

The start and finish is two miles north of Ballygalley, so it means a ride out to the start and a ride back into Ballygalley from the finish. Davy Ross on behalf of Team Madigan stated “We don’t want cars driving out to the start and blocking the road, please use the Ballygalley Car Park. Only cars registered to follow a rider will be allowed to be at the start area and these cars must leave gaps of 50 yards between cars when parked to allow public traffic to flow around them, if parked close together this will cause congestion.”

Davy also went on to add “We hope to be able to relay the times back to the Ballygalley Car Park so that riders will not congregate around the time keepers at the finish and cause congestion.”

The course is five miles out to the roundabout in Glenarm and five miles back to the finish line, where the start was. Sign-On will be in the Ballygalley Car Park from 6pm . Fee is £5 for Seniors, Veterans, Ladies, Juniors and Under 16. Eligible riders are those with a Cycling Ulster licence. Note there are no categories below Under 16. Medals will be awarded at the joint Cycling Ulster / NICF Dinner later in the year.

Result from 2008 Championship:

1 John Heverin Clann Eireann-Linen Green 21.38
2 M Irvine Team Pezula 21.44
3 J Madden Bann Whs 22.05
4 T Martin Clann Eireann Linen Mill 22.33
5 A McDermott 4-Masters 22.37
6 G Scott Audi East Antrim 22.40
7 I Robinson Ards CC 22.44
8 J Cole (Junior winner) Team Madigan 22.53
9 G Cranston Audi East Antrim 22.54
10 S Stockton Team Madigan 23.08

Ladies: Gillian Orr. Ards CC
Under 16: David Neill. Team Madigan
Team: Ards CC

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Can Irvine Take Madigan GP for 3rd year?

Team Madigan are also out on the road o Saturday when they promote the Madigan Grand Prix and the club has been asking the one question.

The following is a Press Release by Davy Ross on behalf Team Madigan and follows as:-

Can Martyn Irvine from Ards make it three Madigan Cycles Grand Prix wins in a row this Saturday 1st August and take the Northern Ireland Road Race Championship too? Last year the then Team Pezula rider won the race for a second year in a row in what was a very close sprint for the line between Martyn and Stephen Gallagher (An Post) after the pair broke clear of the 53 strong field on the first of three grueling laps on the Kilroot, Glynn, Gleno, Beltoy circuit when the sun beamed down.

The promoting club Team Madigan hopes for the same weather this year. Mr Ronnie McKeegan of Madigan Pro Bike Centre in Carrickfergus will again kindly sponsor the race for the 21st year. This year the tough 55.5 mile race will double up as the Northern Ireland Road Race Championship for Men, Ladies, Veterans and Juniors. Additional £250 sponsorship from Carrickfergus Borough Council will give a prize fund of £600 as well as N.I. medals for the first three Men, first three Women, first three Veterans and first three Juniors. These medals will be presented at the joint Cycling Ulster / NICF Dinner later in the year. Eligible riders are those holding a Cycling Ulster licence.

Last year the N.I.C.F. cancelled the Championships out of respect for the late Davy McCall as this was the day of Davy’s funeral. We need to go back to the 2007 N.I.C.F. Road Race Championship / North Down G.P. promoted by North Down C.C. when the result was as follows: Senior Men 1 Ross Blayney (Ards C.C.); 2 Davy McKnight (Dromara C.C.); 3 Martyn Irvine (Ards C.C.). Junior 1 Thomas Martin (Clann Eireann C.C.) 2 L McAllister (Ballymena RC-North Stone); 3 R Byrne (Newry Whs-Haldane Fisser). Veterans 1 Gordon Scott (East Antrim-Audi); 2 Jim McConnell (East Antrim-Audi); 3 Peter McConville (Newry Whs – Haldane Fisher. Ladies 1 Louise Fullerton (Ballymena RC – North Stone).

Race HQ this Saturday is at Eden Playing Fields on the Beltoy Road Kilroot, this is the road facing the large Kilroot Power Station Chimney and is 3-miles north of Carrickfergus on the A2 Coast Road. Sign-On will be from 10.00am to 10.45am and the race will start at 11.00am for Men and 11.05am for the Ladies who will cover 2 laps = 37 miles. The Senior Men / Veterans / Junior race is 3 laps = 55.5 miles and will be a mass start if numbers don’t exceed 60 riders. There will be KOH primes on lap 1 and lap 2.

Should there be more than 60 riders then riders will be split into category groups and the primes will only apply to the Senior Men. There are 3 climbs on the 18.5-mile triangle circuit; the first is the long 2.5 mile drag from the start at Kilroot to the Bla Hole above Whitehead, followed by a decent of 2.5 miles to Ballycarry Crossroads. The road then becomes fairly flat for around 7-miles until reaching the edge of Glynn Village.

A left turn at Glynn starts a winding 1-mile climb of the “Lizard” / Rectory Road and then a fast decent of a mile towards Gleno Village, a slight climb into Gleno and then a left turn into the Seven Sisters climb heading back to Kilroot. This is undulating road for a mile before rising for half a mile and becoming steep at around 12% for the next half mile on approach to the KOH prime at around 15-miles covered. After the prime the road is again undulating for 1-mile and then it is a very fast decent of Beltoy Road for 2-miles back to Kilroot.

At the T-junction in Kilroot the fast left turn onto the A2 Coast Road brings the riders onto a slight uphill drag of ¼ mile to the finish line. Please note the event is open to Senior Men / Veterans, Senior Women and Juniors only, there is no underage racing.

So how did the 2008 Madigan G.P. race go last year? Well, Irvine and Gallagher had broken clear of the field on the first lap. They continued to build their lead as every mile passed. With two laps covered they had 3mins 50secs over a chasing group of 6 and the bunch were at 4.10 behind.

On the run into the finish at Kilroot Gallagher tried to drop Irvine on the fast decent of Beltoy Road, but Irvine was not letting him get away knowing he had a good sprint in his legs. So it was Irvine who caught and out sprinted Gallagher for the win. Both riders rode so strongly that day it was a pity one was to lose! The surprise package of the day was North Down's Neil McKenna a third category rider at the time who won the sprint for third place overall at 5.22 behind. Connor McAllister (Ballymena North Stone) took 4th. Paul Mulligan (Omagh Whs) was 5th and Shaun Gray (Juiced Orchard) took 6th.

Any further info can be obtained by contacting Davy Ross on 07917 592814 or email davy_ross@btinternet.com

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Freewheelers Tour of the Lough

The Freewheelers Tour of Lough Neagh will be held this Saturday 1st August and will suit many of the leisure cyclists throughout the Cycling Ulster region. The event has been promoted for the last 20 years and has been very popular with all cyclists.

The event is promoted mainly for fun but the main purpose of the event is to raise much funds for charity for people with disabilities. Such monies raised goes to The Freewheelers Sports Development Association, who distributes grants to sport organisations that whose members who have disabilities. Such sports organisation who have benefit are : - Wheelchair Basket, Wheelchair Tennis, Track-chair sport and also Disability ski-ing.

The start is at the Antrim leisure centre, with signing-on open from 9am with the event setting at around 10 am. Cyclists will head to Antrim, Randalstown, Toome, Ballyronan, Drumenny then lunch stop near Dungannon-Juntion 14. After refreshing your tummy with lunch or a snack, then it is onto Portadown, Lurgan, Crumlin via Aghalee and then finishing back at the Antrim leisure centre.

The Freewheelers have an organising committee who run the event and further details of the event can be contacted at 028 97532889. Cycling Ireland members should contact the number listed here and not the Old Bleech Cycling Club.

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Sperrin Challenge on Sunday

Listed in Cycling Ireland year book is the Autoparts East Tyrone CC promotion of the Sperrin Challenge leisure cycle run. The event is due to commence from Cookstown Hockey Club at 10 am.

There are three distances available, a 32 miles, 55 miles and a 72 miles. After the event is over, there will barbecue for all cyclists. Entry fee is £20 with charity donation included. Further details can be obtained by contacting Rod Davidson on 028 86765064

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Clann Eireann News

Even with Team Madigan, who are promoting two events within three days, Clann Eireann Linen Mill Cycling Club have gone one better are are promoting two events within 48 hours.

The first of these events is the Lurgan Criterium which will be held on Friday 7th August in Lurgan town centre on a close circuit. The promotion will be catering for all category of competitive cyclists including beginners. Maurice Bann-Lavery in speaking to Q Cycling News stated “We welcome cyclists from all over Ireland and event at present we have entries from the South of Ireland as well as from England.” Maurice also continued to say “We promote cycling to attract beginners in to the sport of cycling and we will accept entries on-line on the evening of the event, which include all other categories.”

Forty eight hours later the Classic Mineral Water Tour of Armagh will be held on Sunday 9th August at 12 noon and the club promotion is run over a tough 72 mile course and is a new course this year of which further details will be release later. The Tour of Armagh is round 8 of the Slane Cycles Cycling Ulster Classic League.

Q Cycling News in speaking to Maurice Bann-Lavery, advise that entry for the event is now close, but would welcome those who are unable to take part in the race should contact the club, so others can gain entry. Further details are due shortly on the Clann Eireann Linen Mill promotions.

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Madden back to winning ways

After a surprise finish in the uncustomary eighth place in round four of the Island Wheeler / Autoparts East Tyrone Super 6 promotion, John Madden (Bann Wheelers) returned to his winning ways in round 5 of the league event at Toome last night.

Only Madden and D Heagney (Autoparts East Tyrone CC were the only two to finish under 22 minute barrier. Madden also extends his lead in the league. In all, there were 22 finishers for the event. There is now only one remaining Super 6 league event which will be held on Tuesday 18th August at Woodgreen.

Results

1.J Madden Bann Wheelers 21.00
2.D Heagney Autoparts East Tyrone CC 21.58
3.E Magwood Autoparts East Tyrone CC 22.14
4.S Hutch Autoparts East Tyrone CC 22.20
5.N Wilson Autoparts East Tyrone CC 22.21
6.B McCourt Dave Kane Northern CC 22.47
7.A Steele SIS.com 22.56
8.J Hunter North Down CC 23.02
9.N Seffon Harps CC 23.14
10.K O Doherty 23.23
11.M Tohill Spires CC 23.48
12.J McGlaughlin Island Wheelers 23.51
13.B Doyle Harps CC 23.52
14.P Withers Fintona CC 24.06
15.G Kelly Carn Wheelers 24.10
16.R Young Carn Wheelers 24.32
17.A Sommerville Autoparts East Tyrone CC 25.04
18.Rachael Withers Fintona CC 25.07
19.C Doyle Carn Wheelers 25.20
20.M Seffon Autoparts East Tyrone CC 26.12
21.G Scullion Bann Valley Road Club 27.16
22.G Leonard Autoparts East Tyrone CC 28.30
23.Bernie Gribbon Carn Wheelers 29.20

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Press Release issued by Pat Clarke, Q Cycling News (NI) 07788433683 (ROI) +44 7788433683