Dolan claims top six finish in Wexford

Liam Dolan completing the final stage of a rain soaked Wexford 2 Day

Wexford was the destination for many of Irelands’ road cyclist when Wexford Wheelers promoted the Wexford 2 Day, a three stage event held over the Saturday and Sunday. Three different events were run, the main event for the A1 & A2 category, an A3 and Junior category and an A4 event.

Cuchulainn had riders competing in all three events, with Liam Dolan and Sean Loughran lining up in the main event. Both Dundalk men finished in the main field in Saturday’s 115km road stage and performed well in the afternoon’s 4km mountain time trial, a gruelling event despite the short distance. On Sunday, the sunshine of the day before was replaced with rain as the riders tackled the final 105km stage. At the 20km mark Dolan made it into a large breakaway of 10 riders, which were not to be seen by the main bunch for the rest of the day. In the sprint for the finish Dolan finished a disappointing 9th, but the time gained was enough to see him move up into 6th position overall.

In the A3 & Junior event, Dundalk’s junior rider Nathan McGrane finished up in 24th overall and 6th placed junior. In the A4 event Fran Egan of Cuchulainn, in his first ever stage race, rode strongly all weekend to finish up in 30th position.

The week ahead is a big one for Cuchulainn Cycling Club when on Thursday the club promotes the Leinster and Louth Hill Climb Championship. The event, run up Jenkinstown Hill, is a gruelling event and Dublin’s James Davenport is bound to return to defend his Leinster title. For the Louth title the favourites will be defending champion Ray O’Shaughnessy, Alan Bingham and Tomas McCabe. On the women’s front Annette Dolan will be looking to reclaim her title.

On Sunday the club is hosting the Skoda Challenge Sportive, a 120km cycle event which takes in the best scenery in the county. Over 500 riders are expected to compete in the event, which is part of a series of cycle challenges which have been held in Kerry, Waterford, Donegal and Wicklow throughout the year

Barry is second amateur to finish An Post Rás

Michael Barry, who finished as second amateur overall in the An Post Rás, leading a bunch on stage four heading into Kerry

Sunday saw the end of the An Post Rás in Skerries after eight days of racing around Ireland. The overall victory went to the Austrian Clemens Fankhauser of the Trolie Austrian Professional Cycling Team. As always, the European-based professionals dominated the race with the first Irishman being Banbridge’s Sean Downey, who rides for the An Post Sean Kelly Pro Cycling Team.

With over 90 professionals in the race Louth’s Michael Barry, a Lieutenant based in Dundalk’s Aiken Barracks had a superb race to finish in 28th position overall and was second amateur. Barry, originally from Dublin, was competing in his fourth Rás and has been riding with Cuchulainn Cycling Club since relocating to the Aiken Barracks in 2012.

Stage two was the first day that Barry made his mark when despite crashing early on and being hit by a car, he managed to finish in the chase group. Each day Barry was in the thick of the action and in the end was only 3:30 off the amateur leader’s jersey, which was taken by Mullingar’s Damien Shaw.

Louth Rás debutants Alan Grey and Niall Clarke battled well throughout the week and can now call themselves “Men of the Rás”. Other Louth riders Sean Loughran and Liam Dolan were unlucky to succumb to a virus that swept through the race and abandoned on stage four with another 10 riders also suffering with similar symptoms. Ray O’Shaughnessey has clocked up another race and had some good rides during the week.

The Bike Station’s Women’s League continued this week and it was another dominating performance by Annette Dolan to sweep all in front of her and take the win for the second week in a row. Moynalty’s Helen Bennett was in second position with Kathleen Byrne rounding out the podium.  On the points board Dolan has a healthy nine point lead over Celine McPhilips, with Bennett in third. However with six rounds still to go there is still a lot to play for.

Carry earns Cuchulainn their first win of the season in Drogheda

Stephen Carry

Dundalk’s Cuchulainn Cycling Club has taken it’s first win of the season when Stephen Carry won the A4 event in Drogheda on Sunday.

Ardee man Stephen, who took up cycling in late 2012, has already tasted success by winning the 2013 FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League and 2014 was his first foray into open road racing. He had already notched a few top 10 results but this was his big breakthrough performance, which will now see him upgraded to A3 status. Stephen’s race was run over 50km and saw him win the sprint from Dublin’s Valdis Anderson and Galway’s Cathal Dilane in third. Stephen’s clubmate Alan Kelly was close behind in eighth place. Also in action in Drogheda’s underage racing was Aaron Trainer and Conor McKeown.

On Saturday in Banbridge Liam Dolan took part in the 75mile John Beggs Memorial run over a tough course. With 20 miles still to go Liam attacked from a group of 12 and forged on ahead with Ballymena’s Sean McIntyre. They managed to hold off the chasing riders but in the sprint Liam was found wanting coming home in second position. Alan Bingham was also in action in Banbridge in the A4 race and a brave attempt to win the race came up agonisingly short, when Alan was swept up by the bunch after a lone escape with less than one kilometre to go.

Also in action on Sunday were five Cuchulainn riders in the 70mile Tour of the Mournes race hosted by neighbours Newry Wheelers. Sean Loughran was active early on and made his way into the break that lasted until the 45 mile mark. Liam Dolan, Gary Shiels and Niall Clarke were all unlucky to puncture, but having received quick wheel changes all three safely made it back into the main bunch. Alan Grey was first of the Dundalk men home when he made it into the chase group by powering up the incredibly steep Rathfriland hill with some eight miles to go.

Meanwhile on the leisure front, 30 Cuchulainn riders tackled the harsh weather to complete the 50mile Slieve Gullion Wheelers sportive. Rolling roads, wind and rain made for a hard day at the office but a good time was had by all.

This Thursday night sees the hotly anticipated start of the 2014 FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League. All details can be found at www.dundalkcycling.com

McCrystal triumphs in Des Hanlon Classic

Bryan McCrystal being presented with the Des Hanlon Memorial Trophy

Sunday saw the first big showdown of the 2014 cycling season when 140 riders descended on Carlow for the annual Des Hanlon Classic. The 100 mile race, which features some of the most brutal hills in the country, is one of the most prestigious one day races in the country and sees the top riders travel from throughout the country to compete.

The course is legendary and features three ascents of the dreaded “Butts” climb as well as a number of other significant hills. The list of winners reads like a “who’s who” of Irish cycling. Now Dundalk has a man on that list as Bryan McCrystal put in a massive show of power to take a solo win.

The large bunch rolled out of Carlow and within the first 10km McCrystal went away in a break of six riders and that was the last most would see of him for the day. After the first furry of hills a chase group of 20 riders had formed behind the main break and Cuchulainn’s Liam Dolan was present in this group.

Slowly but surely McCrystal dispensed with his breakaway compatriots and with 25 miles to go set off alone to take the chequered flag. The chase group caught the vast majority of the original break and Dolan came home in the top 20. Behind in the main bunch was Sean Loughran. Alan Grey was also comfortably in this bunch until a puncture pulled the plug on his day with less than 30 miles to go.

Meanwhile, April 10th will see the commencement of the FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League. This event is pre-registration only and those interested should go to www.dundalkcycling.com

Cuchulainn Cycling Club have huge turnout at Newry race

Alan Grey (far right) taking sixth place in the John Haldane Memorial Cycle Race

Cuchulainn Cycling Club had a huge turn out at Newry Wheeler’s John Haldane Memorial promoted on Sunday last. The race consisted of a 9 mile lap along the dual carriageway out to Warrenpoint and back and was run off in atrocious conditions, cold, wet and very windy.

In the main race, covering 54 miles, six Cuchulainn men were on the start line. Alan Grey, who had taken a prize the day before when racing in Summerhill, had a great day making it into the chase group and coming home in sixth position. Gary Shiels, Sean Loughran and Nial Clarke were very active throughout the race, while Colm Quinn was unlucky to puncture at the half way mark.

In the women’s race Cuchulainn had four women brave the conditions, Annette Dolan, Fiona Rogers, while Debbie Lundy and Rosemary Gibson were competing in their first ever race. Fiona had an outstanding race to come home in fifth, while Annette was riding well in the bunch all day, but was caught behind an accident some 5km from the finish.

In the masters race Jimmy Flynn was unable to defend his win of a year ago, coming home in eighth position. In the other support races Declan McCabe, Karl Dolan, Thomas McCabe, Gary Morten, Alan Bingham and Barry Douglas all finished safely in the main bunch.

The day before, Alan Grey, Michael Barry and Liam Dolan had competed in the main race in Summerhill, held over 55miles. Again Alan was on form taking second in the A2 prize.