Still able to smile after 100 hard miles in the saddle! well done the lad's

Centre, Mel McCann (Team Madigan) from Larne celebrates his 2003 Northern Ireland 100-mile Time Trial championship win at Ballymena last Sunday (24th August 2003) along with club mates Jonathan Kyle from Carrick (right) who won the silver medal and Colin McCluskey from Islandmagee (left) who secured the team medals for all three and the Madigan club. 

McCann wins gold in N. Ireland 100-mile TT championship.

Larne's Mel McCann (Team Madigan) is the 2003 Northern Ireland 100-mile Time Trial champion after a display of true grit in the toughest time trial event on the calendar.  In the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation promotion at Ballymena last Sunday the lightly made-up veteran set a new Team Madigan Club record of 4 hours 15 minutes and 29 seconds, taking 6 minutes 16 seconds off Gary McKeegan's best time of 4h.21m.45s.

       Last years runner-up and pre race favourite Ryan Bankhead (Ballymena Road Club) was the only rider holding the flying McCann, but surprisingly at mid distance he retired from the race leaving McCann well in command for the gold medal.  Meanwhile there was a great scrap developing in the last 20-miles for the silver medal between Madigan's Jonathan Kyle from Carrickfergus and Ballymena's James McClean with McClean eating into Kyle's 3-minute lead.  Mile after mile the gap was closing as Kyle the former BMX ace began to tire.  In the closing 3-miles the determent Kyle managed to lift the pace and hung on to take the silver medal by the smallest margin, only 5-seconds split the pair after 100-miles.  Jonathan Kyle in his first ever 100-mile time trial recorded 4h 26m 30s and James McClean 4h 26m 35s to take the bronze medal.  Rounding off a hard day's racing the Madigan club took the team medals with Islandmagee man Colin McCluskey's 4h 50m 37s effort clinching it for the Carrick club.