Club 20-mile Handicap Road Race, Glenoe, 08/04/09

Congratulations David a great sprint win, Good to see Matthew in the mix along with Big Nigel and Davy Clarke.  Well done to everyone! a good race!

Club MTB XC 1, Magheramorne Quarry, 6 Laps / Scratch, Wed 15th April 2009.

The first race was scratch in order to establish the correct handicapping for the next rounds. It will become a fairer system by using this method.  Strong riding by Glenn well done young sir!  Good to see Gary trying to get himself fit again, good luck Gary!  It was nice to have our guests joining in on the fun, keep it up lads!  Thanks to Steven and Ricky who set up the course!  Great to see young Sam enjoying himself.  The Quarry must have looked like something out of Doctor Who to Sam.  What a place!  

NEXT CLUB MEETING:  Monday 20^th April 2009. At 7.30pm. Venue: Coast Road Hotel Carrickfergus, but this may change, so watch for an announcement on our club web site.

Club 10 mile Time Trial, Ballygalley, Wed 22nd April 2009.

Not a bad wee course that tonight, a pity it was measured short by myself, sorry! However with that strong head wind on the return leg I think the times would be similar on a calm night at 10 miles dead.  So the course would be fast given the right conditions and being later is the season when fitness levels are up.  Everyone seemed to enjoy it and that is good news!  I have slotted Steven and Graham into the table as their time is not dissimilar to Steven's solo time and we can review things as we go.  Well done to everyone on a hard night.  Judging by my time I have a lot of hard training to do to get back in the groove.  Bad luck Richard re the puncture!     

Club, 25-mile Handicap Road Race, Bellahill Road, Wednesday 29th April.

Congratulations Simon a fine win!  Breaking clear from group 2 after only a few miles the big man powered on with a solo effort until reaching the front with 2-miles of the 20 remaining and crossing the line 57 seconds ahead of Davy Clarke and Gary McKeegan who rode very well too.  The race was reduced to 20-miles due to poor weather and poor light.  Everyone had a good workout due to the handicapping being almost spot on!  Big Brian was gutted after being caught so close to the finish by so many, he had been leading on his own on the last of 4 laps and was close to a win.  Well done to one and all!  Thanks to everyone for your help!

Club, MTB XC 2, Magheramorne Quarry, Wednesday 6th May 2009.

Nasty weather! seemed more like January than May.  Well done to those brave souls who were not put off!  What about Jonty's good work on the race data provided below, great stuff!  Colin was fired up for this one and gaining more confidence on the MTB, he was delighted with his win.  Scratch man Steven Stewart had problems with rear tyre slippage in the wet conditions and was not able to make up sufficient ground on the ever improving front runners.  More fine tuning of the handicapping will help to provide closer racing in the next round.  Well done to everyone.  I think Ty and Sam enjoyed themselves even with the wet feet.

Club, 10-mile Time Trial,  Oldwood Road, A26 Duel Carriageway, Antrim,  Wednesday 13th May 2009.

Well done chaps!  Apologies re the wrong start point adding 1/4 mile to race, still good times recorded.  Medal's not effected by the error thankfully! Michael seems to be progressing well, 1 1/2 minutes up on his last 10TT.

Club, 29-mile H'Cap Road Race, Ballycarry, Wednesday 20th May 2009.

Race reduced to 3 laps 21-miles due to weather.  Well done Dee a fine win!  Another wet night, when will it end.  A fair wee turn out all the same!  Good turn out of Marshals too!  Well done to everyone!  Good hard training!

Club 30-mile Handicap Road Race,  Ballyvallagh Road, Wednesday 27th May 2009. 

Congratulations David great sprinting! Mel showing his sprinting has not slipped any! and Jonny Cole just rode a blinder from solo scratch making up 5 minutes to the front group and 4 minutes to the second group and 2 minutes to the third group, then attacking for the win in the closing half mile and finishing in the mix sprinting for the line and getting third.  Big Richard stood out too! riding strong on the hills tonight.  Jack Regan in his first road race did very well indeed.  Everyone rode well tonight in the wet.  Good to see young Ty out and getting some good training in.  Well done everyone! 

Club, Hilly 10-mile Time Trial, Brown's Bay, Wednesday 3rd June 2009.

Great weather hey!  Congratulations Chris on a fine win! Big Nigel was flying too and may well have made a top 3 placing were it not for missing the Hollow Road turn and heading to Mill Bay.  Ricky was unlucky to make the same mistake.  Young Ben rode very well indeed for an under 14.  Steven and Graham mastered the hilly course well, the Tandem is a tough push up the hills! Well done to everyone and many thanks to Time Keepers Ian and Ronnie and Marshals Brian and John.  It's back to the drawing board for me, need to start training for a start! It was better that sitting at home! 

Club, MTB XC 3 / Championship, Woodburn Forest, Wednesday 10th June 2009.

Congratulations Colin!  Having shortened Colin's head start by a considerable amount on the two previous rounds he rode out of his skin to finish first again / back to back.  Big Simon rode very well to claim 2nd place and take the silver and Mark Brakley finished 3rd on the night.  However with members of the club only counting in the championship the championship bronze goes to Glenn Cobain who was the fastest man on actual time.  I feel really sorry for Steven Stewart the 2nd fastest on actual time just losing out on a championship place.  With 3 rounds remaining and the Handicapping becoming tighter it will be all to play for!  It was nice to have Steven's work colleague Roland from Germany as our guest tonight too!  Sam's yer man!  Well done to young Sam he is improving every race and he keeps me on my toes too!  How many laps has he to do? How far back is he? The midge were out in force tonight big time!  Well done to everyone for battering away regardless!

Club, 28 mile handicap road race, Brown's Bay, Wednesday 17 June 2009.

A good race even with the low turnout and so it was reduced to 21-miles.  Congratulations Mel on the win! Pushed all the way by Nigel, Davy, Steven and Glenn, these five remained together for the last two laps of four and it then went to the sprint for the line.  

Club, 17-mile Hilly Circuit Time Trial, Killroot finishing on Bellahill Road, Wed 24 June 2009.

Sorry about the delay in putting up the result, I was away for a few days!  Many thanks to Ian for kindly typing up the result table below, a fine job!  Congratulations Nigel! looks like a good turnout of big hitters too! well done everyone!

Club,  24-mile H'Cap Road Race, Moss Road, Ballyfore, Wednesday 1st July 2009.

Well done Mel it was hard work that paid off.  All three scratch men Mel, Nigel and Davy were made to work all the way until merging with the front groups at the end of lap five of the six lap 24-mile race on a hilly circuit.  A lap later the three still had something left in reserve in a 6 up sprint for the finish line.  It was a good race and it was thought the early pace setters Brian and Ben would stay clear, but when groups 4 and 5 merged the speed went up greatly and Brian and Ben were reeled in to their dismay.  Every one did well even with that beast of a hill every lap hurting some of the riders.

Club, Handicap MTB XC 4, Magheramorne, Wednesday 8th July 2009.

Well done Simon and bad luck Glenn.  Close enough at the end!  A pity Mark went off course or things could have been very interesting.  Well done to everyone!  Magheramorne Quarry is hard to beat for a venue and if you don't know it has been given the green light last week to be a world class MTB  Centre and work may begin in a years time.  Congratulations to big Bill and Steven as they have played a part in helping to bring this about by promoting events at the venue for the past two years! and thanks to all those who have given their time in helping at these events!

The 5th and final round of the Club MTB Series will take place at Woodburn on Wednesday 22 July at 7.00pm.

Club, 25 mile Time Trial, Antrim / A26, Wednesday 15th July 2009.

Congratulations Nigel on a PB.  Congratulations also to Graham Heslip on winning his bronze and sliver medals in his first 25-mile Time Trial and well done to Steven too!  Bad luck Simon puncturing when on a possible PB ride, but hey a 55 having stopped to change a wheel, great stuff!  What about that lashing rain!  I'll be down to Ronnie's to get a red flashing light, they were great in those conditions in the mist and murk and could be scene for half a mile!

Club, MTB XC Handicap race 5, Woodburn Forest,  Wednesday 22 July 2009.

Poor weather / Poor turnout / Holidays etc.