teammad80

Team Madigan have retained their Northern Ireland 50-mile Time Trial title for the third year in a row at Glarryford north of Ballymena on Sunday 13th August 2006.

This year Mel McCann from Larne was supported by Carrick's Simon Stockton, Larne's Davy Clarke, Colin McCluskey from Islandmagee and Gary McKeegan from Whitehead. With the best three times to count for each team it was Mel McCann's 2.02.27; Simon Stockton's 2.05.39; and Davy Clarke's 2.10.40 that counted for the team gold medal's. Had any one of the three dropped out Colin McCluskey's useful 2.18.59 would have been called on. Gary McKeegan who has been injured for more than a year after being struck by a car tried a comeback ride, but found he was well down on his normal low 2 hour times that he was capable of in past years. 2.34.20 was the best time his back pain would allow on this occasion.

Conditions were far from ideal with the strong North wind on the outward leg from Glarryford to the dead turn a few miles from Portrush. However it was a good following wind on the way back, but the punishing ride out to the turn would mean all the times were slower than other years. Simon Stockton picked up a puncture but swift service by Ronnie McKeegan got him underway and his loss of time was minimal. The whole team including backup stuck to the job in hand to make it a hat trick of wins in the last three years.