Ballymoney’s Garreth McBride in Top Form

Also favourite schoolboys Aaron Swan and Craig Crawford showed the class that puts them in every Irish squad that is picked to represent their country.

In the Northern Ireland Schoolboy championships, Swan was first in the Under 14’s and Crawford 3rd in the under16s at Bangor, Co. Down.

Riders featuring in the top ten placings were Garreth McBride, Bryan McKinney, Niall O’Hagan and Jerome McKendry. Niall is now achieved the ten points required to be upgraded from A4 to A3. A big congratulations is in order to the hard work he has put

in the get there. Also riding at Bangor in the Over 50’s race was former Irish Road Race Champion Eddy McKinney BCC,

Eddy was a national Champion back in the late 70’s beating Maurice Foster and Davy Kane on the tough Dundrod circuit landing him with the Jersey and gold medal.

Inter Club Road Race at Ballymena

Ballymoney Cycling Club along with Bann Wheelers, Carn Wheelers, Bann Valley CC and Ballymena rode club are involved a series of road races promoted by each of the clubs. This time it was the turn of Ballymena to get the ball rolling. With 60 plus riders divided into 3 groups.

Ballymoney CC was represented by Philip McKeown, Aaron Dickie, Olly Bateson, Jerome McKendry Adrian Madden, Jason Taggart, Ryan Fenton, Garreth McBride, Wayne Stevens and Steven McAllister.

With the faster riders well handicapped it was clear after the first lap that the “Scratch” group would not be getting up and it was left to the front riders to get into the top placings. On a flat and fast circuit the front two groups came together and it was a sprint to sort out the placings.

Ballymoney CC getting 4 riders in the top 12. The order at the line was Garreth McBride 5th, Adrian Madden 8th and Wayne Stevens

9th with Ryan Fenton in 11th. This round was won by Coleraine pair of father and son James and Michael Thompson

taking the top placings.

The rest of the Ballymoney CC riders all finished and will again be in action on the Thursday 2nd June when

it is Ballymoney CC’s turn to host the second round at Stranocum.

McBride wins on the Tullaghans.

28 riders faced the daunting task of 5 laps in the heart of the Long Mountain on Wednesday evening a total of 25 arduous miles.

Fives times the four groups climbed to St Mary’s cross before hammering down the Mullen Rd in an attempt to recover their

fast tiring legs.

Eventual winner and fast improving rider Garreth McBride was off in the front group with Philip McKeown.

Ann Paul (ETCC), Neville Patton, new addition and one to watch Devon McIlwain, Martin Carroll, Hugh McConaghie, Aaron Dickie and

Paul McAfee from Bann Wheelers.

Right from the gun they set about holding off the groups behind and made good their overall 9 minute handicap setting up

a sprint finish over the Mullen top between McBride and Patton who had broken away in the last few miles to the finish.

Garreth getting first and Neville second from Michael Thompson (Bann Wheelers) 4th went to the Northern Ireland U14 Schoolboy

Champion Aaron Swan, Arron was one of the riders in the second group who had pulled back the 5 minute deficit but could not catch the two front riders. 5th went to another BCC rider Martin Carroll from Ballycastle.

Results

1st Garreth McBride BCC

2nd Neville Patton BCC

3rd Michael Thompson (BW)

4th Aaron Swann (BCC/TSC)

5th Martin Carroll BCC

A full results table can be seen at www.ballymoneycyclingclub.com.

Niall upgraded at Emyvale!

Sunday was the venue for racing cyclists from all over Ireland to assemble for the Co. Monaghan’s Emyvale GP. Held on a rolling circuit outside Tyndavet and Scotstown, part of this course will be used in June for the Irish Road Race Championships, where Tour de France and Tours of Spain and Italy icons Nicholas Roche son of 1987 treble winner Stephen and Donegal professionals Philip Deignan and Ronan McLaughlin will battle it out to win the coveted Irish National Jersey.

With the Ballymoney riders assembled at Tyndavet to face to test on a bright and sunny afternoon. Niall O’Hagan

set out and achieved the two points he needed to get him to A3. The club would like to congratulate him on his achievement.

Other riders in the field were Jason Taggart, Jerome McKendry, Garreth McBride and in the A3 race Bryan McKinney.

With the A4 race following its usual trend of coming to a sprint finish, Niall was able to mix it with other riders from

Dublin and Westport getting an excellent 5th placing ahead of club mates, McKendry, Taggart and McBride.

Bryan McKinney was in a rich vein of form getting a top placing in the A3 race when he was narrowly beaten into 3rd place

behind John McCormick and Darragh Zaidan. Bryan really pushes himself and this week was in 25 mile TT action at the League TT at Ballymena on Thursday evening. Bryan got a 12th and a time of 59.31, averaging over 25mph.

Coming Events

This Tuesday night the Bann Wheelers have a Road Race on the Drumail Circuit at Aghadowey and then on Wednesday night Ballymoney

CC hold their 16km TT on the Stranocum - Dervock circuit. This course saw the record being set by top vet rider John Madden

in a time of 22.52 for the just over 10 mile event.