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

Dolan comes second in Moneymore

Cuchulainn’s Liam Dolan (right) was just pipped to the finish line by Belfast rider Mark Millar on Saturday

Cuchulainn Cycling Club came agonisingly close to taking its first outright win of the season when Liam Dolan was second in the Ciclisport Grand Prix in Moneymore on Saturday.

Dolan was active from the start and got into the main break after 10 miles of the 60 mile race. Team mates Colm Quinn and Alan Gray, back in the bunch, hindered any chase efforts to ensure the break maintained its advantage. On the final run into the finish Dolan attacked the break and got away with Belfast rider Mark Millar, who unfortunately had too much speed for Dolan in the sprint finish.

Both Gray and Quinn were racing again on Sunday in north Dublin, a 75 mile race which featured seven ascents of the dreaded Nag’s Head climb. Both had solid days to finish in the main bunch. Stephen Carry, FPM Accountants League Winner in 2013, was also racing in the A4 event and came home just outside the top 10.

Sunday also saw the start of the Irish Veterans’ Cycling Association season, a league that has seen much Cuchulainn success over recent years. In the main race former National Champions Sé Weston and Martin Grey finished in the top 10. In the second race Aidan Delaney, Dale Copas, Enda McKeown and Brendan Dunne all had successful debuts, despite a mix up with the actual location of the finish line.

Thursday April 10th also sees the start of the FPM Accountants Summer Cycling League. The 18 round league is the stalwart of bike racing in North East Leinster and has been extremely successful in developing up and coming riders. The League run on a handicap basis caters for all, as evident from the fact that the 2013 winner, Stephen Carry was cycling less then a year, yet won a competition that featured some of Ireland’s best road cyclists and An Post Rás participants. Details can be found at www.dundalkcycling.com