Rear left to
right: Danny Hylands, Gary McKeegan and Albert Douglas. Front
left to right: Andrew Macaulay, Mel McCann and Colin McCluskey.
Mel McCann voted 2003
N.I.C.F.
Rider of the year.
Larne
cyclist Mel McCann
(Team Madigan Cycling Club) was voted Northern Ireland Cycling
Federation
'Rider of the year' at the Federations prize presentation dinner last
Saturday
night at Ballyclare Golf Club. With his long list of achievements
this
year mostly in time trialing events, he pipped last years winner Ryan
Connor of
Ballymena/Scotts Road Club to take away the coveted N.I.C.F.
Achievement Cup.
The 42 year old East Antrim
Electrical
Salesman truly had a great year clocking personal best times
throughout.
He led his team to win the first team medals in the N.I. 100-mile time
trial
championship and took the individual gold medal along with the
Anderson's Cup
in the same event. He won the season long 'Time Trial B.A.R.
series' and
received the Traders Cup for his effort, he also had an individual
bronze medal
in the N.I. 50-mile time trial championship and a first team medal in
the N.I.
25-mile time trial championship. In the British time trial
championship
he rode superbly to finish in third place in his age group.
Other local prize winners to
feature at
the presentation night were Larne's Danny Hylands (Team Madigan) who
was voted
'N.I.C.F. Mountain Bike Rider of the year' after scoring top points in
the
Masters category in a season long MTB series and taking the gold medal
in the
N.I.C.F. masters championship and a silver medal in the N.I.
championship. Ballycarry's Gary McKeegan (Team Madigan) received
an
individual gold medal plus a first team medal in the N.I. 25-mile time
trial
championship and took away the N.I. Traders Cup. He also received
the
N.I. Hill Climb championship silver medal and the N.I. 10-mile time
trial
championship bronze medal. Islandmagee man Colin McCluskey (Team
Madigan)
received a bronze medal for third place in the season long Time Trial
B.A.R.
series and a first team medal for the N.I. 100-mile time trial
championship. Jonathan Kyle (Team Madigan) from Carrickfergus
received a
N.I. 100-mile time championship first team medal. Veteran, Albert
Douglas
(Team Madigan) from Carrickfergus received a N.I. 25-mile time trial
championship first team medal. In the Under 16 section Whitehead
lad
Andrew Macaulay (Team Madigan) who shows great promise for the future
won the
Under 16 N.I.C.F. Road Race championship gold medal along with the W.L.
Smyth
shield, plus was third overall in the season long U16 time trial league
and
received the third place shield.
N.I.C.F. Chairman Alan Mark, and
President
Morris Foster addressed the seventy strong gathering and welcomed guest
of
honour David Cuddy form the P.S.N.I. David presented the riders with
their
prizes and spoke on working relationships with cycling bodies, clubs,
and
individuals, not least Police involvement with the 5-day P&O Irish
Sea Tour
of the North. He went on to encourage the development of young
people
coming into the sport of cycling. David's comments were well
received as
he and the Police were given a rousing round of applause for the
terrific way
they escort the big races around the roads of Northern Ireland.