Annette triumphs in women’s cycling league

The Bikestation Women’s League winners, L-R: Celine McPhilips (3rd), Annette Dolan (1st) and Fiona Rogers (2nd)

After the torrential rain of last week, dry skies awaited the ladies for the first round proper of the Bikestation Women’s Cycling League.

Over 20 riders signed on and were split into four different groups. Group 1 saw a unique pairing in Mairead Caraher and Maeve McCabe in that Maeve thought Mairead PE in Ballybay secondary school back in her schooling days. The duo worked to good effect and were last to be caught by the express train that was Annette Dolan and Fiona Rogers. These two started in the last group and quickly shed their accomplices to catch all in front of them. In the sprint for the line Annette took a commanding win ahead of Fiona. Celine McPhilips led the next group home, taking third place ahead of Clones cyclist Tracy McConky.

Moynalty Cycling Club riders Helen Bennett and Bronagh Gaffney took the next two spots. The race was a great success and a number of newcomers, such as Martina Carey and Nicola Jordan enjoyed great debuts. The action continues every Tuesday night for the next five weeks.

Meanwhile, the FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League is up to round five, the most recent race being the tough circuit that finishes at the Long Woman’s Grave. In Race 1 underage rider Lorcan Kilkenny took his second win of the league beating Shaun Paul O’Shaughnessy and Thomas McElroy. In race 2 Tómas McCabe took a hard fought win ahead of Alan Bingham, with Nathan McGreehan in third.

At this stage at the  top of the leader board is Trevor Kane from race 2. Trevor has a slim three points to spare over Mickey Stokes, with Mark Duffy a further two points back. Things are all very tight with only 10 points separating the first 12 riders. In total 119 riders have scored points at this stage and with 13 events to go it is too early top start putting your money down.

Finally, last Thursday the FPM League took a one week hiatus for the Louth Road Race Championships. The 52km course saw the riders head out to Carrick, across to Ardee and home. With the An Post Rás starting this Sunday a lot of the club’s riders chose to skip the event, however this didn’t make the racing any easier. Over 50 riders signed on for the mass start event and as the riders left Carrickmacross a breakaway group emerged with all of Cuchulainn’s top junior talent on show with Nathan McGreehan and brothers Aimhirghin and Cuirithir O Brannagain present. These three, along with Tómas McCabe, David Holland, Richard Murphy and Peter Tomany drove the break along to establish a gap over the main bunch, which stretched out to just over a minute by the end. In the sprint for the line Nathan took the win ahead of Tómas in second and David Holland in third.

Cuchulainn well represented in Spring Sixty Six Sportive

Cuchulainn Ladies who took part in the Camlough Sportive from left: Fiona Rogers, Debbie Lundy, Annette Dolan

Sunday last saw one of the first “good” days of the year for cycling. It wasn’t quite shorts and t-shirt weather but only one pair of gloves were required and no protective overshoes.

The good weather meant that there was a great turn out, with well over 150 riders signing on for the Spring Sixty Six Sportive. Starting from Camlough, riders completed a 60km course, which took in many of the roads that the professional cyclists of the Giro D’Italia will cover in May. Most impressive was that nearly one third of the peloton was comprised of green, white and red jerseys from the men and women of Cuchulainn Cycling Club.

Such was the appetite of many of these Dundalk cyclists, that over 25 of them met in Dundalk, cycled to Camlough, did the 60km event and cycled home again, giving a 100km plus day for them.

On the racing front, the club’s cyclists were active all round the country. On Saturday Alan Bingham posted his first result of the season taking 8th place in the A4 race in Carryduff. In the main race Bryan McCrystal was fourth. On the same day Alan Grey, Val Gargan and Michael Barry travelled to Clonard in Meath to race.

On Sunday the racing action moved to Newbridge, where racing was held on a tough 17km course that featured two significant climbs. Richard Murphy and Karl Dolan had solid days in the massive A3 race, which had a field of 150 riders. In the main event, covering six laps of the course, Cuchulainn had five riders sign on. Michael Barry was unlucky to firstly crash and then puncture after re-joining the bunch. Liam Dolan had a good race to come home in the second break of the day to take 11th place in the 90 man race and first A2.