Club, Handicap Road Race Glenoe 20-mile, Wednesday 14th April 2010.

Congratulations Jonny on a fine display of how to win on this circuit with a solo effort, something that has not been achieved for many years when Gary McKeegan was in top form.  It was a good hard race tonight that will bring riders on.  Well done to everyone for taking part and many thanks to the Marshals and a big thank you to George Thompson who very kindly brushed the corners last night! A great team effort, many thanks!

Club, Ballygalley 10-mile Time Trial, Wednesday 21st April 2010.

A fine win Nigel on a cold night.  Well done to all, the head wind on the longer outward leg hurt the times a bit.  Thanks to Steven Stewart and Simon for measuring the course last night and setting up new start and finish points.  Bad luck Jack with the pedal.  Thanks to our Timekeepers Ian and Ronnie.

Club, MTB handicap cross country scratch race, Magheramorne Quarry Wednesday 28th April.

A superb display of MTB racing by big Danny to take the win.  Well done to all those who had a bash.  This was a scratch race to set the handicapping for the next round.  So don't worry to much lads if yo did not do so well tonight, you have a better chance in the next round due to the handicapping.  It was good to see young Ty and Sam out getting in some good training, well done lads!  Thanks to Bill Mackness and Steven Stewart for arranging the venue and setting up the course.  Thanks also to Ian Johnston for timekeeping.

Club, 25-mile Handicap Road Race,  Bellahill,  Wednesday 5th May 2010 at 7.00pm (5 Laps).

Congratulations on the win David after Mel, Nigel an you made your way up through the field in the scratch group.  Well done everyone! tough wee course!  Thanks to all the Marshals, Ronnie and Ian for results.

Club, 10 mile Time Trial, Oldwood Road / A26 Antrim, Wednesday 12th May 2010.

Superb time Jonny! also yound David! Great times recorded by everyone, well done!  Congratulations to Ian Locker and Ricky Greer in obtaining their bronze medals in only their second Time Trial ever.  I think Ian and Ricky have a great chance of getting the 10 T. T. silver medal too this year. 

Club, 25 mile Handicap Road Race, Ballycarry, Wednesday 19th May 2010.

Well done David another fine win! Close sprint with Nigel, Mel, Danny and Steven by the looks of it.  Thanks to all the Marshals and to Ian and Ronnie for another fine job keeping you guys racing. 

Club, handicap MTB league, round 2 at Magheramorne Quarry, Wednesday 26th May 2010.

Big Danny was going like a Motorbike tonight, he had to work very hard to take the win, well done Danny!  It was good crack tonight lads, I enjoyed the banter!  Thanks to Ian Johnston for time keeping and to Bill and George for helping with marshalling the riders on the correct course.  Ian's handicapping was fairly close tonight.  We should get it even closer in the next round, we hope! 

Club, 30 mile Handicap Road Race (5 laps), Ballyvallagh Road, Wednesday 2nd June 2010.

Superb weather at the Snowy Glen brought a good turnout of Team Madigan riders to the tough hilly Ballyvallagh Road circuit on Wednesday night.  Club Race Officials Ronnie McKeegan and Ian Johnston placed 10 riders in the scratch group and they all worked hard to pull back the 15 minute handicap to the first group on lap 4.  Sadly big Simon Stockton suffered a broken chain while in contention and was a DNF.  First into the final corner was Veteran Glenn Cobain from Mallusk in a group of 10 riders, Glenn was unable to sustain the effort on the steep climb to the finish line leaving the others to sprint it out for the win.  It was ace Junior sprinter David Neill from Mosley who powered ahead to take a well deserved win in a time of 1 hour 16 minutes 30 seconds.  Larne Veteran Mel McCann was a very close second at 2 seconds behind, while Larne's Davy Clarke in the Over 50 age category edged out Carrick Veteran Nigel Laffin and Ballyfore Senior rider Steven Stewart for third place, all three were at 3 seconds behind.  Geoff McCrory a Senior rider from Carnalbanagh Glenarm took 7th.  Veteran Stephen Harkens from Greenisland who was the best climber in the race finished in 8th place.  Over 50 Veteran Albert Douglas from Carrickfergus rode superbly well to take 9th and Whitehead Senior rider Gary McKeegan making a come back from a serious accident a few years ago had a great race taking 10th place in the big sprint finish.  It was nice to see Whitehead lady Wendy McKeegan out enjoying the racing, Wendy will perhaps inspire the other ladies to join in next time.    Well done to all the riders who took part in the race and many thanks to all the Marshals and Officials for making it a great nights racing.

Club, 10 mile circuit Time Trial,  Brown's Bay, Wednesday 9th June 2010.

The wee report will follow tomorrow!  Well done all.

Club, 28-mile Handicap Road Race, Brown's Bay, Wednesday 16th June 2010.

Handicapped:  Group 1 @ 0.  Group 2 @ 10 Mins.  Group 3 @ 20 Mins.

Geoff McCrory from Glenarm had a fine win in tonight's Team Madigan Club 28-mile handicap Road Race at Brown's Bay with only 6 seconds to spare from David Neill (from Mosley), Mel McCann (from Larne) and Stephen Harkens (from Greenisland) who chased relentlessly over the 5 very hilly laps.  Earlier Sylwek Furman (from Carrickfergus) started on his own and managed to hold off everyone until the 4th lap.  At the end of the race only 2 minutes separated the winner and the last man home.  Even thou the numbers were down tonight it was a super race and the handicapping was close.  Thanks to the Riders and to all the Marshals and Officials for their support.

 Club, 17-mile Hilly Circuit Time Trial, Kilroot A2 Larne Road / finishing on Bellahill Road, Wednesday 23rd June 2010.

Congratulations to Stephen Harkens! the Greenisland man was on mission in tonight's hilly 17-mile circuit Time Trial on the tough  Larne Road, Glenoe, Beltoy, Ballahill course.  It was always going to be a battle between Stephen and Chris Roper from Islandmagee who is also a super climber, plus Nigel Laffin from Carrickfergus who has been in superb form all season.  But there was no stopping Stephen Harkens he stormed around the course enjoying every minute of the climbs and came home 2 minutes clear of Chris Roper who had his first race this season, and also 2 minutes ahead of Nigel Laffin who is Stephen's Iron Man colleague in the Triathlon circuit.  Carrick's Albert Douglas has been training hard this season and he finished in 4th place and was the first of the over 50 category riders home, while Larne's Davy Clarke took 5th place and second in the over 50 category.  The Tandem boys rode very strong to take a well deserved 6th place and second in the senior category behind Chris Roper, Graham Heslip from Jordanstown was piloted by former ace Time Trial specialist  Gary McKeegan from Whitehead.  Sorry to see Jack Regan was out of luck once again in a Time Trial picking up another puncture.  It was nice to see two new lady members out touring around the the course tonight, if they keep it up they may be giving some guys a hard time in the club races, big Simon is training them, so you have been warned!  Get out and get some hard miles in guys!!  You are very welcome to the Madigan Club Ladies!  Thanks to everyone for taking part and to Billy Heslip for helping with Marshalling and Ian Johnston and Ronnie McKeegan for Time Keeping.

Club, handicapped MTB league race at Maghermorne Quarry, Wednesday 30th June 2010.

Congratulations to John Magill from Larne on a fine win, it looks like John has been training for this one!  It was 8 hard laps tonight at Magheramorne Quarry due to a small section of the course being overgrown since the last round making the course a little shorter hence the extra lap.  However Simon Stockton from Carrickfergus was a very close second by the smallest margin possible one second.  Larne's Danny Hylands starting from scratch and giving away some 18 minutes handicap on John was making very short work of the 8 laps and in the end was only 37 seconds behind John after explosive riding on the tough course that seen Danny take third place on the night and first veteran home.  Only 23 seconds behind Danny was Glenarm man Geoff McCrory who rode very strong.  Ian Lockyer from Newtownabbey in his first year of completive Cycling rode very well indeed to finish only 2.37 down on the winning time.  Brian McCammon from Beltoy near Carrickfergus was giving a lot away in age to the rest of the field, but showed his strength to keep going and take full points in the plus 50 category.  Heavy rain that was forecast kept the numbers of competitors down, but it turned out to be a dry night with the rain coming in after the racing had been completed.

Club, 28-mile handicap Road Race, Moss Road, Wednesday 7th July 2010.

Handicapping: G1 at 0.  G2 at 5 minutes.  G3 8 minutes.  G4 at 10 minutes.

Not a bad wee race considering the low turn out.  A clash with the semi final of the world cup football may have played a part.  But never the less congratulations to Carrick's Nigel Laffin on winning the five up sprint.  The scratch group Nigel was in managed to remain together for the entire hilly race which was reduced to 5 laps / 20-miles due to the low numbers.  Nigel came in 2 seconds clear of Larne's Davy Clarke and 7 seconds clear of Carrick's Simon Stockton.  Larne's Danny Hylands was back to better form on the hills and did very well to take 4th place ahead of flying plus 50 veteran Albert Douglas from Carrickfergus.  Next home was Beltoy's Brian McCammon a plus 50 category rider.  Brian had led the race for 3 and 3/4 laps and was only caught in the last one and a half miles on the final climb of Castletown Road and deserved more from the race for his effort.  Islandmagee's Michael Gillespie was next home, the big man getting around the tough hilly circuit to take 23 points in the Senior category.  Making a welcome return to Team Madigan was Peter Crawley from Greenisland.  Peter missed his start slot and conceded some 8 minutes to the scratch men.  It was July 1992 when Peter last rode competitively.  A very serious illness put Peter out of the sport for many years and we are delighted to have Peter back as a veteran enjoying the sport he gave so much to in the late eighties and early nineties.  Many thanks to all the Marshals, Riders, and to Ronnie and Ian on the finish line.  

Club 10-mile Time Trial & Handicap Trophy Race, Ballygalley, Wednesday 21 July 2010.

Congratulations Ken on winning the Handicap Trophy, you had the most improved time on the night.  Well done to Nigel recording the fastest time.  Conditions were better than expected as the heavy rain that was forecast never arrived, however the wind was up making it a hard leg out to the Glenarm turn.  Big Simon was not too far away in second and Mel lashed around the turn taking a well deserved third place. Well done to all the riders!  Bad luck Stephen in getting that puncture, not nice!  Thanks to Ronnie and Ian the Time Lords.

Club MTB Handicap Time Trial Championship, Woodburn, Wednesday 28th July.

Congratulations to Davy Clarke from Larne on his fine win.  The event was low on numbers but was high on effort from the riders.  Big Nigel Laffin from Carrickfergus was back to form again after his crash in his last MTB race and took a fine second place.  Big Danny Hylands from Larne was the fastest man on the night covering the gruelling Farm lane and Forest course in 49 minutes and 16 seconds to take third spot on the night.  Time Trial ace Simon Stockton from Carrickfergus lost time in the muddy stuff but managed a fine 4th place overall.  Well done to all those who took part in the Hell of Carrick one hour gut buster!  

Our next event is a 25-mile Time Trial on Wednesday 4th August at 7.00pm Antrim.  Meeting point is Oldwood Road near the Ramble Inn on the Antrim - Ballymena Duel Carriageway (A26).

Postponed to another date still to be confirmed is the Tommy Givan '50' Time Trial - Ulster 50 mile T.T. Championship - It was to be run on Sunday 4th July but bad weather caused it postponement.  Simon is to find out from Marryland Whs when they plan to re run the event and we will update you when we know the new date.  The venue will remain unchanged as will the course details below:
The event is to be run on the Woodgreen course covering 3.5 laps of the course.
Sign-on is at the lay-by adjacent to Tannaghmore Texaco Service Station on the A26 dual carriageway midway between Antrim and Ballymena. Riders can enter on the day of the event. Sign-On opens at 8.15am with the first rider off at 9.00am.

Please Note: The entry fee is £10 or 10 euros per rider.

 Links to the Local Newspapers  where on occasions Cycling Reports can be viewed in the Sports sections. 

  Carrick Times                 Carrickfergus Advertiser