Top cyclists descend on Dundalk for Leinster Time Trial Championships

Linda Stokes winning Round 9 of the Bike Station League ahead of Jamie O’Hare and Cyril Sherry

Last Friday night Leinster’s top cyclists descended on Dundalk for the Leinster Time Trial Championships.

The course was the 16km route starting at Felda Gym, going out to Castlebellingham and back in again. The light rain and breeze meant that fast times were expected on the night and Colm Cassidy of Cork’s Aqua Blue did not disappoint, setting a new course record of 19mins 36secs for the distance.

However as Cassidy rides for a Cork club he was not eligible for the Championship, which meant that Summerhill man Mark Reilly took the gold with a time of 21mins 20sec. Niall Clarke took silver with a time of 21mins 20sec. Taking the bronze medal was another Cuchulainn man Colm Quinn with a 21:28.

Ciara Kinch was the ladies champion, ahead of Cuchulainn’s Celine McPhilips and Hannah Ormesher in third.

The latest round of the Bike Station Cycling League saw Linda Stokes take her first win in race two. Linda was part of a strong group which took maximum advantage of their handicap to stay away.

Jamie O’Hare was in second, Cyril Sherry in third, Kathleen Byrne was fourth and Jason Boyle rounded out the top five. In race one the first group off also worked well together to stay away for the win. Sean McEvoy won the sprint ahead of Alex McDonnell and Eamonn McKeown.

At the half way stage of the league Alan Bingham, tops the leaderboard with four points to spare over Alan Malone.

Gorman clinches Summer Cycling League

Gary Gorman takes the win in the final round of the league and with it the league title

Thursday last saw the curtain fall on the 2014 FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League. Over 18 Thursday’s since April 7th the league has been held come rain and shine. Some 130 different riders took part in the campaign and between them logged in excess of 35,000km, just 5,000km shy of travelling from the North to South Pole.

Going into the last race it had boiled down to a two horse race between Trevor Kane and Donore’s Gary Gorman, with just three points separating them. With family holidays, Kane’s chance of the win was out of his hands. The last round was the shortest of the campaign – a race of only 30km. The appetite for racing was such that even at this late stage some 50 riders signed on.

With Gorman starting in the sixth and final group the pressure was on him to catch all those in front to finish in the points and secure the necessary four points to take the lead. As always the pace was fast from the gun and with Gorman, along with Aidan Cunningham, Tomas McCabe and a few riders from Ardee Cycling Club driving the pace the group held an average speed of 43.5kph.

By the half way point group six had only caught one of the groups in front, which meant Gorman would not finish in the scoring positions and the league would go to Kane. The ride home from Dunleer, where the time would have to be made up, was made harder by the fact that it was into a strong headwind. However, Gorman and company made a mockery of the blustery conditions and continued to drive the pace. With less than 5km to go only one group remained out front and if they stayed away only the minor places were left, which would not carry enough points for Gorman to take the outright win. With this knowledge in mind Gorman attacked and soloed across to the leading group, rode straight through them to take the win on the night, thereby scoring maximum points and the securing the FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League.

When the dust had settled Kane remained in second postion, with Alan Bingham in third. Ardee’s Richard McMullen – in his first year of racing – finished in fourth and Dundalk’s Mickey Stokes was fifth. Fourteen year old Conor McKeown was the first underage rider. Conor is only cycling 18 months, having been inspired by watching his uncle Eamonn McKeown race the FPM league in 2013. Conor will be hoping to medal in the underage nationals, having already earned a Leinster bronze.

Dundalk’s Eve McCrystal, currently on international duty with Ireland’s Paraolympic team, has been selected as part of the Irish team for September’s Rás na mBan. The five day international bike race is held in and around Ennis, County Clare. Last year Eve competed as part of the Leinster team and this year as part of a stronger Irish team is bound to compete for the overall win.