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NOT ANOTHER INCH: Simon Stockton (Team Madigan) gets his breath back after taking the Silver Medal in the Cycling Ulster 100 mile Time Trial last Sunday 27 September 2009.

A 100 mile bike ride is a testing challenge at the best of times. An all day ride in the company of friends with a couple of refreshment stops does little to ease the pain that inevitably follows such an undertaking. So to tackle that distance alone, against the clock, takes the achievement onto another level. This was the challenge that awaited 21 local cyclists who competed in the Cycling Ulster 100 mile Time Trial Championship held last Sunday on the Antrim/Ballymena Dual Carriageway.

The winner was Jim McConnell (East Antrim) who completed the distance in 3h 59m 35sec – an average of just over 25mph!

Simon Stockton (Team Madigan) took Silver with John Heverin (Clann Eireann) taking the Bronze.

Kay Hack (Bann Wheelers) the only woman in the event claimed a new Women’s record for the distance with a time of 4h 56m 24sec.

With Nigel Laffin finishing 5^th, Mel McCann 7^th and Colin McCluskey 8^th Team Madigan took the Team Prize to add to the silverware on display at the Club Prize-giving Dinner on Saturday night in the Coast Road Hotel.

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Ian Johnston from Team Madigan Cycling Club presents a cheque for £3,000 - the proceeds of the annual John Lindsay Memorial Charity Cycle to Claire Brown Regional Community Fundraiser for the Northern Ireland Hospice

Forecasters are promising the sun will shine on Team Madigan’s 2009 John Lindsay Memorial Torr Head Charity Cycle Challenge in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care which takes place this Sunday 20^th September at 10.30am on the Antrim Coast. A choice of 3 distances - a family friendly 20 miles along the Coast Road, a 50 mile trip for the more adventurous and the ultimate 70 mile challenge taking in the climbs over and around Torr Head, means that there is something for all ages and abilities.

Minimum donation is £15 for adults and £5 for children who will be required to have a parental consent form completed at the Sign-on which will be open from 9.30am in the Ballygalley Public Car Park.

Last year nearly 200 cyclists raised £3000 for the Northern Ireland Hospice when they completed their choice of the 3 Challenges on offer.

70-miles Torr Head Challenge (Hilly): Starting from Ballygalley Public Car Park along the A2 Coast Road through Carnlough and Cushendall to Cushendun (Refreshments). Then over Torr Head’s unclassified road to Ballyvoy, back down to the coast and return to Ballygalley (Refreshments at Finish).

50-miles Cushendun Challenge (mostly flat): Starting from Ballygalley Public Car Park along the A2 Coast Road through Carnlough and Cushendall to Cushendun (Refreshments). Return via A2 through Cushendall and Carnlough to Ballygalley (Refreshments at Finish).

20-miles Carnlough Challenge (Flat): Starting from Ballygalley Public Car Park along the A2 Coast Road 10 miles to Carnlough and return to Ballygalley Public Car Park (Refreshments at Finish).

There will be a support vehicle available to assist anyone in trouble and certificates available for each finisher. Participants should wear cycle helmets and adhere to all traffic laws.

Carrickfergus cycle club Team Madigan celebrate their 21^st birthday this year and are planning a reunion at the annual end of season Prize-giving Dinner to be held in the Coast Road Hotel on Saturday 3^rd October. As well as a salute to current successes it promises to be a night of nostalgia as it is hoped that former members of the club will take the opportunity to renew old friendships and bring along any photographs they may have of the early days of the club. Any former members wishing to attend should contact the Club Secretary, Davy Ross tel.9336 7703 or Ronnie McKeegan tel.9335 1844 for further information.

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IRISH CHAMPIONS: Jonny Cole and David Neill (Team Madigan) who shared 3 Gold Medals and a Silver at the Irish Nation Junior Track Championships at the weekend 22.08.09.

While the Tour of Ireland professionals were on the road to Killarney last Saturday the cream of Junior Track Cycling assembled at the Tommy Givan track at Orangefield for the Irish National Championships.

There were successes for local riders as David Neill and Jonny Cole both Team Madigan claimed Gold Medals in their respective disciplines.

David Neill followed up a Gold Medal ride in the 500metre Time Trial with a second in the Sprint where he held off another local rider Jonny Beers in a fascinating duel to become a Double National Title holder.

When Strabane’s Marcus Christie took Gold in the Pursuit leaving Jonny Cole to collect Silver and Aaron Baines Bronze it completed a clean sweep of medals for Ulster riders in the event.

If Cole was disappointed with second in that race he soon set about putting matters right with a strong ride in the Scratch Race. Breaking away in the early stages with Bangor’s Stuart Henry the pair lapped the field and it was Cole who won the sprint for the line to claim a well deserved Gold Medal and National Title.

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Local Team Madigan cyclist Jonny Cole who won the West Down Grand Prix last weekend 15 August 2009

Team Madigan cyclist Jonny Cole sprinted to victory in Saturday’s West Down Grand Prix in Katesbridge. The 50 mile race held on a 10 mile circuit burst into action on the last of the 5 laps as Cole and four other riders staged a breakaway from the main peloton. As they worked together to establish a lead over the others it was clear that a sprint finish was on the likely outcome. And so it proved to be with Junior rider Cole outpacing his Senior opponents in the race to the line to claim the win to add to his early season Aghagallon Cup success.

Jonny was in action again on Sunday in the Billy Stewart Cup near Derrymacash – coming 4^th after 65 miles of racing in blustery conditions. Winner Martyn Irvine came home well clear of his pursuers with Marcus Christie winning the sprint for 2^nd and a minute later Cole edged out Leo McAllister and Thomas Martin to claim his 4^th place.

1. Jonny Cole (Team Madigan)
2. Peter Lilley (Banbridge CC)
3. Tommy Wilson (Ballymena RC)
4. John Madden (Bann Wheelers)
5. Alan Lavery (Curran Racing)
6. Liam Curran (Curran Racing)

1. Martyn Irvine (Curran Racing)
2. Marcus Christie (Usher IRC)
3. Ronnie Smyth (Dromara CC)
4. Jonny Cole (Team Madigan)
5. Leo McAllister (Ballymena RC)
6. Thomas Martin (Clann Eireann)

While this weekend’s Tour of Ireland is a bit of a misnomer it nonetheless will bring to these shores the greatest cyclist of modern times – Lance Armstrong, a 7 time Tour de France winner will lead the Astana team in the 3-day event which climaxes in Cork on Sunday with the famous climb of St.Patrick’s Hill. Last year Mark Cavendish won 3 stages in what was then a 5-day event and he also returns with Team Columbia hoping to add to his summer successes. On Friday Stage 1 is from Powerscourt to Waterford. On Saturday Stage 2 takes the Tour from Clonmel to Killarney while Sunday sees Stage 3 run from Bantry to Cork.

Following the Tour Lance Armstrong will host the first Global Cancer Summit of his Livestrong Foundation in Dublin on 24-26 August.

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A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO: Tandem pairing Steven Stewart and Graham Heslip will tackle the ‘Coastal Challenge’ next Sunday.

This weekend some 700 cyclists will take part in Northern Ireland’s biggest cycle sportif: The Coastal Challenge.

The 55 mile route will take them from Bangor to Portaferry via Ballywalter returning to Bangor through Newtownards.

For the experienced cyclist it will be no more than a leisurely Sunday Training Run. For the majority, comprising occasional cyclists and family groups, completion is indeed a challenge, but for one participant the challenge is just one of many that have characterised his life, to be faced and overcome, like all the others.

Graham Heslip was born 34 years ago: a quirk of genetics meant that he was to suffer from a rare condition – Norrie’s Syndrome – resulting in him being born totally blind.

He attended the local Jordanstown School from Nursery through to GCSE transferring to RNIB New College in Worcester for A-Levels. Returning to the Province Graham completed an HND in Business Studies at the recently renamed Belfast Metropolitan College where he has been employed for the past 12 years. One might be tempted to think that these challenges were more than enough for anyone to successfully overcome. Not so Graham as he set out to broaden his horizon into the sporting arena.

Graham’s interest in sport has been a lifelong one: Running and Hill-Walking in his teens and twenties and cycling in tandem with his father Billy. With a mini-gym in the garden shed and twice weekly cycle-spin classes Graham maintains a regime with a dedication that is typical of everything else in his life. Having cycled for over 20 years, only recently has Graham decided to join a club, something he now says he wished he had done years ago. He credits his decision to an article he ‘saw’ (his word not mine) in a magazine: “That set the wheels in motion. I just didn’t realise the opportunities that were out there,” is how he tells it.

While his father may not be able to set a fast enough pace as a tandem partner for fast improving Graham, he provides an invaluable service to him in another of his sporting passions. Both are Crusaders season ticket holders and the running commentaries provided by Billy are a feature on the terrace at Seaview where they are well received by a group of regulars for whom he is better than anything that Radio Ulster can provide.

So as he sets off next Sunday morning Graham sees the Coastal Challenge not as a challenge but as an opportunity – “I just didn’t realise the opportunities that were out there.” These words tell much about the attitude of this remarkable young man to life and its challenges and which hopefully can inspire others to emulate his achievements.

ONE SIZE FITS ALL: Jonny Cole and David Neill – Team Madigan cyclists – check out their Ireland Kit for this weekend’s Edinburgh Grand Prix Track Meeting.

Jonny Cole, David Neill (both Team Madigan) Jonny Beers and Aaron Baines (both East Antrim) head for Edinburgh this weekend to represent Ireland in the Edinburgh Grand Prix Meeting. A full schedule of track events is planned on Saturday and Sunday and the all-round versatility of those selected will make them formidable opponents for their competitors from the rest of the UK.

David goes into the meeting in top form, having just last week snatched the Orangefield Stadium Track Record from none other than his elder brother – clearly a case of keeping it in the family.

In Club Road Race action last week David Neill made it three wins out of the four races completed so far when he edged out Mel McCann by less than a foot after thirty miles of racing on the Ballyvallagh circuit. Jonny Cole finished a close third almost beating the handicapper’s time penalty which saw him forced to ride alone for most of the race in pursuit of a group of riders who had the luxury of sharing the workload.

The Time Triallers were in also in action at Brown’s Bay – a course with enough hills to upset the rhythm of the riders and throw the Form Book out of the window. It proved to be a successful night for Chris Roper who finished 23seconds ahead of Mel McCann who in turn was 2 seconds in front of Stephen Harkens.

This year National Bike Week runs from Saturday 13^th until Sunday 21^st June – that’s 8 days for the price of 7! Where else would you get that kind of offer?

As it approaches it is perhaps an appropriate time to consider just two of the many benefits of cycling:

With the completion of the path through Monkstown Wood providing additional access to the Loughshore Path, a traffic-free cycle route into the heart of Belfast is now available to even more South Antrim residents and there is no better time of the year to enjoy its benefits.

For those who endure the twice daily crawl to work on the Shore Road there is another way - Many employers are now signed up to the Cycle to Work scheme which can save employees 40% of the cost of a bike. Cycle time from the University at Jordanstown to the Albert Clock is a stress-free 30 minutes.

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How would you fancy it if quite a lot of your ‘sitting down’ time was spent in a car driving the length and breadth of the country so that you could spend the rest of your waking hours on a bike.

“When you are not performing – never stand when you can sit. Never sit when you can lie down. Never just lie down when you can sleep.”

Life then is a cycle (no pun intended) of training, travel, performance and sleep.

There can be no days when it’s too wet, too cold because the Turbo Trainer is always set up in the garage for just such a contingency.

To help you make up your mind, here’s a list of David’s major achievements as an Under 16 rider last year:

Add to that the fact that as an Under 16 David broke the Senior Irish Record for the 500 metre Time Trial, lowering the record by almost a second (0.99sec to be precise) and you begin to realise that here is a serious talent.

The yellow wristband of the Lance Armstrong Livestrong Cancer Foundation that he wears might be a clue as to his inspiration but his current form in sprint finishes suggests that he has genes more like Mark Cavendish than the aforementioned seven time Tour de France winner.

What is certain is that cycling has its specialities, road racing, time-trialling and track racing and all make different demands both in terms of the machinery and the rider himself. It is this fact which makes David’s success across the different facets of the sport all the more commendable.

Success at this level doesn’t come cheaply certainly in terms of dedication and time commitment but also financially – in this era of budget airlines the baggage allowance doesn’t come close to covering a bike, spare wheels and all the kit that comes with it. So trips abroad, even to the ‘local’ National Velodrome in Manchester, the scene of British Cycling’s World Cup Triumphs don’t come cheap.

Luckily for David it was a year that brought recognition in the form of a bursary from SportsAid through the Mary Peters Trust and also a grant from Newtownabbey Borough Council to help develop David’s considerable skills and help pay the expenses and for which he is hugely grateful.

Grateful also for the support of family and friends, as of course David is still too young to drive himself around.

David has stepped up to the Junior ranks this year and in the early season races has already shown that he is undaunted by the challenge that poses.

Another year like last year? Possibly not, but you can be sure it won’t be for the want of ‘sitting down’ on the job.

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Winners of the Elite Categories at the XC NPS Mountain Bike Race at Magheramorne – Ciara MacManus and Peter Buggle pictured with Steven Stewart of host Club Team Madigan.

Glorious weather greeted the competitors in Round 5 of the National Mountain Bike Cross-Country event hosted by Team Madigan in Magheramorne Quarry last Sunday.

The spectacular 4.5 mile lap proved a worthy challenge to the best that Irish Mountain Biking has to offer and it was no surprise therefore that the current leaders in their respective Championships – Peter Buggle and Ciara MacManus – emerged victorious after an exciting day of racing.

Sunday’s success meant that Peter and Ciara completed back to back victories, having both won the previous round in Carlingford 3 weeks ago.

Of the local riders taking part there was success for Jonny Beers who was first in the Junior Category and for Gary McKeegan who finished second in the Sport grouping.

The Veteran’s and Women’s National 10 mile Time Trial records were both broken at Woodgreen last week in the latest round of the Dave Kane Time Trial League. John Madden (Bann Wheelers) lowered his own record by 15 seconds and dipped below the magical 20 minutes for 10 miles by recording 19m58sec.

Heather Wilson took 2 seconds off her own record which now stands at 21min 47sec. Both times have been submitted for ratification by Cycling Ireland as new National records on a night which saw a number of riders record Personal Bests.

In Club action this week there was another victory in a bunch sprint for David Neill. Team Madigan’s Ballycarry Road Race gave another sight of the power of Junior rider David who outsprinted his senior rivals over the final hundred metres. Like Mark Cavendish he seems to be establishing a dominance over the rest of the field if the race comes down to a sprint finish. His rivals will have to change tactics in this week’s race if they are to upset David’s winning streak.

Next week will feature a profile of David and his success in cycling to date. Who knows, with Bike Week just a couple of weeks away his story may inspire someone to take up the challenge.

MTB NPS Results in full:

Elite Men 6 Laps = 38.4Kms:

1 Peter Buggle (Rocky Mountain); 2 Aiden McDonald (Revolution Bike Pure); 3 James McCluskey (IMBRC); 4 Lewis Ferguson (Curran Racing); 5 Graham Boyd (XMTB McConvey Cycles).

D.N.F. Colm Mullen (Team WORC).

Elite Women 4 Laps = 25.6 Kms:

1 Ciara MacManus (Unattached); 2 Valerie O'Neill (Dromara CC).

Experts 4 Laps = 25.6 Kms:

1 Ray O'Shaughnessy (Revolution Bike Pure); 2 David O'Neill (Swords CC); 3 Kevin Stanley (IMBRC); 4 David O'Brien (IMBRC); 5 Ross Galway (Dromara CC); 6 David Askin (LCRC); 7 Michael McCutcheon (Unattached).

D.N.F. Ross McClure (EPIC-MTB).

Masters 4 Laps = 25.6 Kms:

1 Luke Manning (IMBRC); 2 Stuart Gallowway (WORC); 3 Robert Tobin (IMBRC); 4 Oisin Boydell (MAD-MTB); 5 Alfie Wallace (EPIC-MTB); 6 Oscar Mac Ananey (EPIC-MTB); 7 Clive Caldwell (Total Cycling); 8 Daniel Morrogh ((EPIC-MTB); 9 Lance McCarthy (Castlereagh CC); 10 Brian Hutchinson (EPIC-MTB); 11 Morgan O'Connell (MAD-MTB); 12 Mark McGauley (MAD); 13 Phil O'Neill (Dromara CC); 14 Martin O'Reilly (Unattached); 15 Gene Ryan (MAD-MTB); 16 Mark Kidd (IMBRC); 17 Paul Bell (Banbridge CC); 18 Tony Kelly (Cuchulainn CC); 19 Fergal Kilkenny (MAD-MTB); 20 Cormac Ahern (MAD-MTB); 21 Steven Stewart (Team Madigan); 22 Andy Bate (Bann Whs); 23 Ben Marchant (IMBRC); 24 Stephen Curry (CCAR).

D.N.F. Cornelius Duffy (IMBRC); Ronan Corrigan (XMTB McConvey Cycles).

Veterans 4 Laps = 25.6 Kms:

1 Paul McMenamin (Leisure Lakes CC); 2 Robbie Lamont (XMTB McConvey Cycles); 3 Willie Mulliagan (Banbridge CC); 4 John O'Reilly (EPIC-MTB); 5 Simon Curry (Banbridge CC); 6 Andrew Wallace (Northern CC - Dave Kane); 7 Joe Jones (IMBRC); 8 Glenn Cobain (Team madigan); 9 Danny Hylands (East Antrim - Audi); 10 Mark Bartley (Unattached); 11 Jonathan Buller (Banbridge CC).

D.N.F. Declan McCabe (Cuchulainn CC); Paul Anderson (Banbridge CC); Maurice Mayne (Banbridge CC).

D.N.S. Derek Hanna (Dromara CC); William Forsythe (Banbridge CC).

Juniors 4 Laps = 25.6 Kms:

1 Jonny Beers (East Antrim - Audi); 2 William Boyd (XMTB McConvey Cycles).

D.N.F. Jonathan Maunsell (MBCC).

Sport Men 3 Laps = 19.2 Kms:

1 Barry Russell (Carn Whs); 2 Gary McKeegan (Team Madigan); 3 David Hickey (Unattached); 4 Paul Barry (IMBRC); 5 Niall Clarke (Cuchulainn CC); 6 Martin Grimley (Dromara CC); 7 Andrew Sloan (Unattached); 8 Andrew Craig (Unattached); 9 Ronnie Ogilby (XMTB McConvey Cycles); 10 Simon Stockton (Team Madigan); 11 Raymond Beers (XMTB McConvey Cycles); 12 Ricky Greer (Team Madigan).

D.N.F. Ryan Hubbard (Unattached); Kelvin Hughes (EPIC-MTB); Dwane McCreadie (North Down CC).

Sport Women 3 Laps = 19.2 Kms:

1 Maeve O'Grady (EPIC-MTB); 2 Julie Watt (Dromara CC); 3 Nicola Oldham (Banbridge CC).

D.N.F. Dee Mullan (Unattached).

Under 16. 3 Laps = 19.2 Kms:

1 Matthew Adair (Banbridge CC); 2 Robert Scanlon (Team WORC); 3 Claire Oakley (XMTB McConvey Cycles); 4 Stuart Ballantine (XMTB McConvey Cycles).

Under 14. 4 small laps:

1 Chris Oakley (XMTB McConvey Cycles); 2 Daniel Runciman (Banbridge CC); 3 Zak Hanna (Dromara CC); 4 Martin McGauley (Carn Whs); 5 Ty Mackness (Team Madigan).

Under 12. 2 small laps:

1 James Currie (Banbridge CC); 2 Eoghan O'Reilly (EPIC-MTB); 3 Richard Baird (Banbridge CC); 4 Joe Baird (Banbridge CC); 5 Rachel Mayne (Banbridge CC); 6 Shannon Buller (Banbridge CC); 7 Cian McConvey (Newry Whs); 8 Aaron Swann (Unattached).

Under 10. 4 mini laps:

1 Joan Buller (Banbridge CC); 2 Fergal McConvey (Newry Whs); 3 Shenna McKiverigan (Banbridge CC); 4 Sam McCluskey (Team Madigan); 5 Ben Hanna (Dromara CC); 6 Kieran Mulvenna (Unattached); 7 Jack Lamont (XMTB McConvey Cycles); 8 Kendal Mackness (Team Madigan); 9 Craig McCarthy (Castlereagh CC).

Under 8. 2 mini laps:

1 Mark Buller (Banbridge CC); 2 Jack Baird (Banbridge CC); 3 Scott Swann (Unattached); 4 Drew Armstrong (Dromara CC); 5 James Buller (Banbridge CC); 6 Anna Russell (Carn Whs); 7 Kaitlin Swann (Unattached); 8 Niamie McKiverigan (Banbridge CC).

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Mountain Bikers from all over Ireland will descend on Magheramorne Quarry this coming Sunday when local club Team Madigan host Round 5 of the Irish Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Points Series.

A packed day of racing covering all classes begins at 11.30 with the Under8 and Under10 events.

At 12.15 it’s the turn of the Under12, Under14 and Under16s along with the Men and Women in the SPORT category. This category is designed for those, new to the sport who wish to gain experience in race conditions without committing to the full national competition.

The Senior race for Elite Men & Women, Juniors, Experts, Masters and Veterans gets under way at 1.30 with the different groups setting off at 1 minute intervals.

While the setting at Magheramorne Quarry is not the ‘normal’ forest based MTB course it will provide the riders with a number of technical challenges and the views around the course are spectacular. Highlights of last year’s event can be viewed on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrCUKztkK7g

Sign-on for the races opens at 10.00am on Sunday with car parking at the Blue Circle Sports & Social Club. Access to the race HQ and car-park is at the Oxygen Therapy Centre on the Shore side of the A2 just on the Larne side of Magheramorne.

All those attending, including spectators should be aware that no vehicles will be allowed onto the Quarry site itself and that there will be no access from the Quarry Face side of the main road.

The course will be open for Practice on Saturday afternoon from 2-4pm with registration for this session open from 1 o’clock.

The event has been blessed with sunny weather for the last two years but whatever the weather this year a spectacular day of Mountain Biking is guaranteed from a quality field of competitors.

For the second consecutive week the Dave Kane Time Trial League race was abandoned as rain swept over the Nutt’s Corner venue and riders voted on safety grounds not to compete. The League continues tomorrow (Thursday) on the Woodgreen course between Antrim and Ballymena.

Team Madigan was more fortunate with the weather last week when the second in the series of Club Time Trials was held on the Antrim – Ballymena route. This race saw the welcome return to race action of Albert Douglas after a long lay-off due to a serious injury. Albert’s 8^th place overall was enough to win the Veterans 50+ category on a night when Veterans took second, third and fourth places behind Senior Simon Stockton.

As ever David Neill was well to the fore and his fifth place overall confirming him as leading Junior.

1. Simon Stockton 2. Nigel Laffin 3. Mel McCann 4. Davy Clarke 5. David Neill 6. Colin McCluskey

This week’s club action is a 29 mile Road race on the Ballycarry circuit with everyone out to beat the Handicapper and Jonny Cole.

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Last Thursday night’s round of the Dave Kane Time Trial League was abandoned 20 minutes into the event as torrential rain and gale-force winds swept across the course on the Antrim-Ballymena dual carriageway.

Forty riders had signed on at 6pm, some coming from as far away as Dublin and Donegal to compete in this popular series of races.

Conditions were windy but dry at 7pm as the first of the riders set off on the 25 mile test but by 7.20 conditions were such that the race was abandoned as rider number 20 was shivering on the start line and succeeding riders sheltered in their cars from the driving rain.

With the road awash and with spray making visibility minimal the decision to abandon on safety grounds was an easy one to take.

It came too late however to save the majority of local Team Madigan members from the onslaught as they had started within the first 15 minutes and were out on the road when the deluge struck.

All were marshalled to safety by Cycling Ulster officials and will have to try again when the event is rescheduled later in the season.

A wet night too on Wednesday night at Magheramorne Quarry when Team Madigan held the second round of their MTB XC Series.

As the competitors waited on the start line it became apparent that the Race Officials had become lost within the vast site and were unable to find the start location. Much to the amusement of the competitors a successful mobile phone and satellite navigation ‘search and rescue’ operation was mounted and the start of the race was subject to only a fifteen minute delay.

With start-times based on their Round 1 performances the riders faced a tough challenge to ‘beat the handicap’ and as usual the Handicapper’s judgement was called into question by most, if not all concerned.

Despite gaining around a minute a lap on those ahead of them neither Simon Stockton nor Richard Greer could make that final connection and it was fast improving Colin McCluskey, a relative newcomer to the club’s off-road scene who claimed victory from the fast closing Simon and Richard. Scratch rider and course designer Steven Stewart finished 4^th admitting to an incorrect tyre choice for the conditions and struggling to find traction in the muddier sections of the course while Bill Mackness, making his first outing of the season was 5^th.

Team Madigan club action is back on the road this week with the 10mile Time Trial on 13^th, again using the Antrim /Ballymena dual carriageway with the hope that Summer will have returned by then.

With Magheramorne Quarry being the venue for a round of the Irish MTB XC Points Series on Sunday 24^th May it is interesting to see plans to make part of the site a World Cycling Centre. These plans have been around in various forms for quite a while but interesting to see what may be possible one day. A history of the site and possible future developments are on the Britishtrails website.

When the Irish Squad for next month’s Edinburgh Track GP was announced following Saturday’s Trials in Dublin it was revealed that all 4 Juniors in the six strong Junior & Under23 combined squad were local riders.

Jonny Cole and David Neill, both from Team Madigan will be joined by Jonny Beers and Aaron Baines of the East Antrim Audi club in the Edinburgh races scheduled for the June 13 & 14.

Earlier this year Cole, Neill and Beers had spent time at the National Velodrome in Manchester training alongside the British Olympic Development Squad and the experience gained was no doubt a contributory factor in their weekend success.

Jonny Cole’s passport doesn’t have time to gather much dust these days, just back from racing in the Tour of Malta (and the Isle of Man!) next month he’s off to Minsk for 3 weeks training. Anyone know where to get a Visa for Belarus?

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Simon Stockton rode alone to victory in the recent Team Madigan 20 mile Handicap Road Race at Bellahill Road.

Starting 6 minutes down on handicap Simon had caught the first group by the end of lap 2 as he broke away from his own group.

Using his Time Trialling skills he powered his way home from Davy Clarke who won the sprint for second from Gary McKeegan.

The Scratch group made up 2 of their 3 minute handicap by working together and finished 40 sec behind the second and third riders.

As usual the handicapper received more than his fair share of criticism from all concerned proving that as ever, ‘You can please none of the people, none of the time!’

There were other notable performances by local riders in other recent Cycling Ulster Open events.

David Neill finished 4^th overall and 1^st Junior in the McCann Cup Seskinore ‘B’ race:

Jonny Cole also finished 4^th overall and 1^st Junior in the Dave Kane Time Trial League race at Ballydonaghy and had an identical result in Round 1 of the Super Six Time Trial League at Woodgreen with a performance described by Cycling Ulster as ‘superb.’

It is performances like these that have confirmed Jonny as one of the country’s up and coming stars and which have earned him selection for the Irish National Youth Team in last weekend’s Isle of Man Youth Tour.

Calling all Mountain Bikers – As part of the programme of races on Sunday 24^th May at Magheramorne Quarry there will be a race suitable for Men & Women who are Novices. Why not come along and get a taste of this exciting sport.

Full details will be given next week and on the Team Madigan website: www.team-madigan.org.uk

David Neill, last year’s Irish Under 16 Double Irish Champion has made successful start to the 2009 season.

Stepping up to the Junior ranks this year held no fears for David who finished as 1^st Junior in last weekend’s Bann Valley Classic Road Race.

Meanwhile on the Club front Wednesday 22^nd April saw sixteen members sign-on for the first Time Trial of the season over the 10 mile Ballygalley – Glenarm - Ballygalley course.

With Jonny Cole just off a flight from Switzerland where he had been on a week long Track training camp and not racing, an open race was expected.

First off the start line was the Tandem of blind athlete Graham Heslip with Steven Stewart as ‘pilot’ and their time of 24min 52sec was good enough for 7^th place overall and was an excellent debut performance for Graham.

Fast times were recorded on the sheltered coastline course with Time Trial specialist Simon Stockton claiming 1^st place from Nigel Laffin with David Neill 3^rd and again 1^st placed Junior. In 4^th place overall and 1^st Veteran was Mel McCann with Davy Clarke and Colin McCluskey close behind in 5^th and 6^th places.

The next club Time Trial is scheduled for Wednesday 13^th May at Oldwood Road on the Antrim / Ballymena dual carriageway.

Also next month at 11.30am on Sunday 24th the Club is hosting a round of the Irish National Points Series of Mountain Bike Cross-Country at Magheramourne Quarry.