It’s not often that the Easter and May Day holidays occur on consecutive weekends and while this is welcomed by the population in general, for competitive cyclists it means six days of top level racing at an intensity not often experienced in such a short period of time.
| Kirkistown Round 1 Results | |||
| Position | Name | Club | Time |
| 1 | Gary Cranston | East Antrim CC | |
| 2 | Liam Curran | Curran | @1" |
| 3 | Ian Ingles | Curran | @3" |
| 4 | Sam Craig | Curran | @8" |
| 5 | Richard McCullough | 1st NDCC | @9" |
| 6 | Matty Blayney | 2nd NDCC | ST |
| 7 | Shane Farren | 3rd NDCC | ST |
| 8 | Paul Ferguson | 4th NDCC | @11" |
| 9 | Noel Boyce | 5th NDCC | ST |
| 10 | Gerald Irvine | 6th NDCC | @12" |
| 11 | Andrew Crothers | Phoenix | ST |
| 12 | Glen Armstrong | 7th NDCC | @13" |
| 13 | Yellow jersey blue/black shorts | ????? | ST |
| 14 | Mark Hodgins | 8th NDCC | @15" |
| 15 | David Zwahlen | Phoenix | @16" |
| 16 | Michael McMullan | 9th NDCC | ST |
| 17 | Lindsay Gamble | Ards | ST |
| 18 | Connor Hanna | Bikeworks | @17" |
| 19 | William Boyd | XMTB | @20" |
| 20 | Glenn Kinning | East Antrim CC | @21" |
| 21 | John Hunter | 10th NDCC | ST |
| 22 | Andy Young | 11th NDCC | ST |
| 23 | Roger Doherty | 12th NDCC | ST |
| 24 | Phil Dorman | 13th NDCC | ST |
| 25 | Ian McCurley | 14th NDCC | ST |
| 26 | Chris Cameron | 15th NDCC | ST |
| 27 | James NcMaster | Curran | ST |
| 28 | Kevin McDowell | 16th NDCC | ST |
| 29 | Chuck Russell | 17th NDCC | @22" |
| 30 | Brendan Kirk | Ards | ST |
| 31 | Norman Wilson | 18th NDCC | @23" |
| 32 | Raymond Beers | XMTB | ST |
| 33 | Hanna Francis | Bikeworks | ST |
| 34 | Claire Oakley | WXC | ST |
| 35 | Rabb Watt | 19th NDCC | @24" |
| 36 | David Totton | 20th NDCC | ST |
| 37 | Ross Blayney | 21st NDCC | ST |
| 38 | Raymond Nelson | 22nd NDCC | @26" |
| 39 | Mike Hamilton | 23rd NDCC | ST |
| 40 | Cathal Smith | Phoenix | ST |
| 41 | Paul Kirk | 24th NDCC | ST |
| Position | Forename | Surname | Other Club | 1K TT |
| 1 | Ross | Blayney | 01:17.0 | |
| 2 | Robin | Millar | Bikeworks | 01:17.5 |
| 3 | Graeme | Brown | Bikeworks | 01:18.5 |
| 4 | Michael | McMullan | 01:21.0 | |
| 5 | Paul | Ferguson | 01:21.5 | |
| 6 | Tony | Mitchell | 01:24.5 | |
| 7 | Mark | Coyle | 01:25.5 | |
| 8 | Brian | Simpson | 01:26.0 | |
| 9 | Kevin | McDowell | 01:26.5 | |
| 9 | Alan | Patterson | 01:26.5 | |
| 11 | Andy | Young | 01:28.0 | |
| 12 | Mark | Hodgins | 01:28.5 | |
| 12 | Colm | McLarnon | 01:28.5 | |
| 14 | Garth | Beattie | 01:29.0 | |
| 14 | Paul | Kirk | 01:29.0 | |
| 14 | Colin | Massey | 01:29.0 | |
| 17 | Colin | Wilson | Bikeworks | 01:29.5 |
| 18 | Michael | Crowe | 01:30.5 | |
| 18 | Tim | Kells | 01:30.5 | |
| 20 | Alex | Proctor | 01:31.0 | |
| 20 | Philip | Downey | 01:31.5 | |
| 20 | Micky | Forbes | 01:31.5 | |
| 23 | Doug | Ruddock | Peninsula | 01:34.0 |
| 23 | John | Simms | 01:34.0 | |
| 25 | Chris | Martin | u/a | 01:35.0 |
| 25 | Austin | McNally | 01:35.0 | |
| 27 | Rachael | Mitchell | Eurocycles | 01:36.5 |
| 27 | Louise | Togneri | 01:36.5 | |
| 29 | Alison | McMullan | 01:38.0 | |
| 30 | Mark | Simpson | u/a | 01:39.0 |
| 31 | Stephen | Morgan | 01:42.5 | |
| 32 | Andrew | Thompson | 01:44.0 |
The Tour of Ards is one of the most prestigious races on the spring calendar and each year it attracts a field of top class riders. This year was no exception and with the entry numbers increased to 80 there was a distinct big race atmosphere as the riders rolled through the centre of Newtownards in cavalcade before the racing proper got under way on the dual carriageway to Bangor. The expected high speed attacks began almost immediately with riders going off the front at speeds approaching 40mph. The Bangor ring road with its roundabouts often disrupts the flow of the race and it was there that a breakaway group was established. In the break were Bangor men Liam Curran, James McMaster (Curran Racing) , Frazer Duncan and Adam Armstrong (Eurocycles). Pre- race favourite Conor Murphy (Eurocycles) was a non- starter. Also in the group was Sean Downey, Commonwealth Games medallist and full time rider with continental team Cotes D’Armor. In the chasing group North Down’s Ross Blayney, Matty Blayney and Mark Irvine were active at the front and both Blayney boys tried valiantly to bridge the gap but with a headwind and a breakaway group of top men going flat out it proved to be an impossible task.
North Down Cycling Club’s early season success continued last Sunday at the PJ Logan Cup races at Coalisland, promoted by Island Wheelers. Once again it was the Masters race that caught the eye with John Hunter bagging the club’s second win in two weeks. Hunter is best known as a time-trialist and in previous races this season he has put his tester’s ability to great effect by driving the peloton from the front, sacrificing his own chances by softening up the opposition and allowing other team riders such as sprinter Ian Blayney, last week’s winner, to reap the benefit. This time, Hunter’s early attack, with only two miles covered, proved to be the winning move, with only Shay Giles (North Pole CC) managing to go with him. Donegal man Giles, we learned later, has just recently returned to Ulster having lived and ridden in the south of England for many years where he was a champion time triallist. Clearly a man to watch at future races, on this occasion he was pulled round by Hunter who shook him off in the final kilometre.
North Down Cycling Club’s early season success continued last weekend with two victories. The first win was chalked up last Saturday by Michael McMullan in the A4 race at the John Moore Memorial races staged over rolling countryside around Carryduff. McMullan had shown consistently good form in earlier races, grabbing fifth place behind club mate Shane Farren at Annaclone at the beginning of March. At Newry, it was another top ten sprint finish, this time hot on the wheels of team mate Brian Simpson who just missed the win by half a wheel. The win everyone was predicting for Michael came in circumstances which suited McMullan, an uphill finish where speed and power were the telling factors. This time it was Farren who played a supporting role, getting up to finish just outside the top ten.
Sprint King