David Watson

The Tour of the North International cycle Stage race takes to the roads of
County Antrim and Londonderry over the Easter weekend.
The Northern Ireland Cycling Federation promotions group event has
attracted a strong entry from local and visiting teams.
The home based contenders include Mark Downey (Banbridge) who won  a  junior
European silver medal in the track points  race  last  summer.  The  Belgian
Project development team includes Ryan Reilly last years Ulster junior  road
race champion. The Caldwell Cycles team from Omagh is a  mix  of  experience
and youth with Connor Murphy a regular race winner for years, Paul  Mulligan
the veterans Ulster Road Champion and  young  up  and  coming  talents  like
Darnell Moore and Craig McAuley. Other local riders  on  good  form  include
North Down CCs David Watson,  Jonathan  Taylor  (Carn  Wheelers)  and  Brian
Stewart (Phoenix).

David Hamilton

Barry Hamilton

Former professional and  world  championship  rider  Ronan  McLoughlin  from
Donegal is riding for Team Asea. Teams from across  the  water  include  the
PRO Vision Race Team which has the  2014  Scottish  cross  country  mountain
bike elite champion, Robert Friel and David Griffiths who  was  2nd  in  the
Scottish Hill Climb Championships.
The Spirit Bikes Team from  Buckinghamshire  includes  Cameron  Woolsey  the
current National Junior 25 mile Time Trial Champion. Craig  McCullogh  leads
the East Kilbride Road Club team while the Spokes Racing  Team  include  Ben
Forsythe and Sean Noon.
A French team, La Roche sur Yon Vendee and the  WTOS-Delft  squad  from  the
Netherlands bring some continental glamour to the bunch.
Racing begins on  Easter  Saturday  from  Ballymena  at  12  noon.  The  104
kilometre stage into the Glens of Antrim is due to finish on the  Frys  Road
between 2.20pm and 3pm, depending on conditions and race speed.
For specific route details and maps see tourofthenorth.net  Estimated  times
for the entire route of each stage can also be viewed

(Report by Brendan Kirk)

The Tour of the North International stage race takes to the roads of Northern Ireland during the Easter weekend. The NICF promotions group headed by Ballymena woman Joan McCullough(race director) has organised a challenging route comprising of three road races and one time trial.

The stages all start and finish in Ballymena and take in the roads of counties Antrim and Derry/Londonderry. One hundred and ten riders will race almost 200 miles in the three days. Stage One on Easter Saturday 4th April is a 65 mile loop in the Glens of Antrim with four King of the Hills primes. This will be a hard start to the weekend and the peleton will no doubt split into several groups. Easter Sunday begins with a 4 mile individual time trial in the morning which should see a further sort out of the general classification. In the afternoon Stage 3 is a 63 miles road race based on an eleven mile circuit between Ballymena and Randalstown. The final stage on Easter Monday is the longest of the weekend at 70 miles (113 kms) and it takes the riders on a loop around Co Derry/Londonderry including 2 major climbs at Springwell and Cam Forest. Detailed information of the route and passing times can be found on tourofthenorth.net website.

This is the 51st edition of the Tour of the North. Former winners include the former world number 1 Sean Kelly (1976) and more recently the 2013 World Scratch Track race champion Martyn Irvine from Newtownards who won the 2009 race.

The race does not have a head line sponsor this year but it has secured backing from cycle clothing company Powerhouse sport and Ballymena Borough Council.

The start list includes teams’ from the United Kingdom, Ireland France and Holland.

Included in the photograph are competitors who will be on the start line of the tour at Easter, David Hamilton (North Down CC) winner last month of the John Moore Memorial race, junior rider and U23 James Curry (Banbridge CC) one of Irelands best junior cyclists who has attended the UCI School of Cycling in Switzerland, Paul Mulligan (Caldwell Cycles) Omagh) the current Ulster Veteran road race champion who has competed many times in the Tour of the North and local man Hall Booth (Ballymena RC) who has raced successfully for over 20 years and also holds a position on the organising NICF committee.

The field is a good mix of local riders and visiting teams so it promises to be an exciting contest for the coveted yellow jersey for race winner.

The race also includes an Under 23 year old competition in which the leader wears a white jersey and the King of the Hills spotted jersey.

Brendan Kirk

Mullingar cyclist Damian Shaw (Team Asea) was the dominant winner of Ards Cycling Clubs classic race, The Tour of Ards for the Tommy Brown Memorial Trophy last Saturday. He finished 2 minutes 44 seconds ahead of local hero David Watson (North Down CC) who beat Craig McAuley (Roe Valley CC) and the rest of the original breakaway group in the sprint for second. Newry men Mark McKinley and Sean Featherstone were fourth and fifth with Belfast rider Alastair McAuley (Team Asea) sixth.
Brian Stewart (Phoenix) from Carryduff won the bunch sprint for seventh. Eighty riders started the 65 miles race in cold and dry conditions. The strong men like Shaw ans Watson were already on the attack by Ballyboley Corner after just five miles. Several attacks in the first 15 miles came to nothing but eventually Shaw broke clear just after Ballyhalbert. David Watson jumped across to Shaw with five others following to form a strong break of seven riders. This was the move of the day with Craig Rea (Phoenix) being the only rider to loose out as he was dropped in the last few miles and bunch passed him just before the finish line.
The break gained a one minute lead during the first of two loops taking in Cloughy and Portaferry. Several chasing groups tried to bridge including a strong looking move by Glen Kinning (Kinning Cycles) and David Hamilton (North Down CC) but the bunch closed them down. On the second approach to Portaferry Damian Shaw made a powerful attack and no one had a reply. He time trialled the last twenty miles to a well deserved win. Shaw works as a fireman and also represents Ireland as a pilot on tandems in the World Paracycling events. He is racing for the newly formed Team Asea which is an American Health Products chain. He had high praise for the Ards CC promotion and the racing scene up north in general. Also in the team is Bangor man Fraser Duncan who won the Tour of Ards last year and was competing for the first time this year on Saturday.
David Watson (North Down) is having a career best season so far. He now sits third in the current Cycling Ireland rankings, having begun the year with a win he has been placed in the top eight in all five events he has started. The 28 year old works as a Construction Engineer and travels to Edinburgh every week. As a junior he won the prestigious Kerry youth Tour back in 2002 and represented Northern Ireland in the junior Commonwealth Games in 2004.
His aims for the rest of the season include the Tour of the North, Tour of Ulster and the An Post Ras in May.
Newtownards man Barry Hamilton was the next of a big North Down club entry to finish in 23rd place with Johnny Webb and Garth Beattie also in the top thirty. First Ards CC man and winner of the Simon Hamill Memorial Trophy was Ian Carson. Killinchy CC had its first Tour of Ards finisher in Paul Crossan. It was pleasing to see a rise in the numbers of junior riders competing including North down CCs Will Hamilton, Joash Lawrence and Andrew Chivers.
The race was sponsored by See Sense (local cycle light company) and Romas Bar and Restaurant.

Paul Kirk On Podium again
North Down veteran, Paul Kirk was in the prizes again last Sunday. He raced to a fine third place in the Masters event at Feeny, Co.Derry. This result leaves him in second place in the season long Masters league.

European Youth Selection Races
North Down girls Molly McLarnon and Katie Armstrong made the long trip to Westport for the first of four Olympic Youth selection races. Molly impressed with a 2nd place in the 10 kilometre time trial with Katie not far behind in fifth place. The European Youth Olympics are in July in Georgia.

One of North Downs newest members, 15 year old Jacob Kennedy took part in his first downhill event last weekend at Carlingford. He placed tenth in the dare devil’ race which is definitely not for the faint hearted.
Report by Brendan Kirk