The breakaway group in the Aghagallon Cup near Lurgan last Sunday.  Jonny Cole (Team Madigan) in the middle, Tommy Wilson (Ballymena RC) at the front and race winner Stuart Henry at the back.

 

Jonny Cole second in Aghagallon Cup!

 
Jonny Cole (Team Madigan) from Magheramorne came very close to winning the Aghagallon Cup last Sunday in a three up sprint on the shores of Lough Neagh near Lurgan.  The event promoted by Clann Eireann Cycling Club was closed to first and second category riders.
 
Young Cole a first year junior was part of a three man breakaway group that broke clear from a strong 14-man lead group midway into the 15 lap / 45-mile race.  Veteran Tommy Wilson (Ballymena RC) winner of the Cup last year and another first year junior Stuart Henry (North Down CC) were his companions. 
 
In the chasing group were three East Antrim riders, veterans Gordon Scott and Gary Wilson plus third category rider Danny Hylands, also in this group where Shaun Gray (Orchard Whs), Ronnie Smith (Dromara CC), Paul McGinn (Ards CC), John Haverin (Clann Eireann CC), Cathal Hendron (Apollo RT), Richard Lyons (Omagh Whs), Peter Williams (Omagh Whs) and Adam McGreevy (Orchard Whs).  Earlier in the race this group along with Cole, Wilson and Henry had broke clear from a 50 strong group on lap 6.
 
However at the front the three leaders Wilson, Henry and Cole never missed a turn going through to the front.  They held off the hard working chasing group at around 30-seconds for some 22-miles. This was a gutsy performance indeed given the weather conditions.  A strong ice wind coming in from the Lough battered the riders for the whole race and showers of sleet made things very unpleasant for all concerned.
 
On the run in to the finish the three riders still holding 30 seconds had to think of how they could win the race.  Tommy Wilson was the first to break clear with half a mile to go, but Stuart Henry closed him down quickly and the gap to Jonny Cole went out to 20 yards.  Tommy Wilson could not get Stuart Henry to come through and Jonny Cole digging deep swept past them both, but with 100 yards to the line Stuart came from behind Jonny’s wheel to claim the win.  Tommy took third spot.  All three deserved their placing’s for the amount of effort they committed to staying clear!  Thirty seconds later in the sprint for fourth place Gordon Scott took it from Ronnie Smith and Gary Wilson took sixth place.
 
It was nice to see a good turnout of Team Madigan riders in the race.  Glenn Cobain and Gary McDermott just missing the split, but showing good form in trying to bridge the gap that in the end proved impossible given the windy conditions.  They finished in the main bunch at 1.55 down.  Also enjoying the racing and getting a good workout were Richard Alexander, Brian McCammon, Steven Stewart and Simon Stockton. 
Young David Neill from Mossley rode very well in the under 16 race finishing in 8th place in a bunch sprint for 3rd place.  Orchard Whs took the first three places and looked very impressive in this category.  Young Jack Wilson (East Antrim CC) did well to take 5th in the sprint.
 
Jonny Cole will have taken heart from the result after his misfortune in the P&O Irish Sea Tour of the North at Easter.  The young junior took 8th spot in the Time Trial in a field of 100 riders from the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, and Holland.  Disaster struck later that day on stage four when he was caught up in a crash that put him out of the race.  Also taken out of the race by the same crash was Jimmy Wright from Preston who was once again a guest for Team Madigan in the race.  Jimmy who was 15th overall last year had rode a blinder in the Time Trial taking 4th place and looked like he would again be in the top 20 overall.  Hopefully Jonny’s second place in the Aghagallon Cup will have lifted the spirits of both riders.