Second Win For Ferguson

(reports Andy Potts, with local update from Davy Ross)!

(Photos and youtube movies by Simon Stockton)!  Cyclo-Cross on youtube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLgUvGYugus
MTB race on youtube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7b0pJkAjSc

    Lewis Ferguson from Holywood (Team BHB) snatched his second win of the Cyclo Cross season with victory in Sunday’s Team Madigan promoted event at Carrickfergus.  This was a new venue on the calendar, the course measuring just under one mile in length and included step overs and ditches.  Sunshine prevailed for the programme of support events, but when it came to the Cyclo Cross race it was a case of rain, rain, rain, just like the summer again!  The event was kindly sponsored by Carrickfergus Borough Council who also kindly provided the race venue on the lower fields of Eden Playing Fields in Kilroot.

The cyclo cross race attracted 43 starters, Banbridge CC’s former Irish Champion, Roger Aiken, having his much anticipated first outing of the season.  From the off, IMBRC’s Luke Manning made his now typical rocket like start, the Dubliner leading the pack on the first of 10 laps.  Manning still held the lead ending the first lap heading a group which included Lewis Ferguson, Liam McGreevy (Banbridge CC), Dave Gill (Team Worc), Conor Campbell (Newry Wheelers), Paul O’Reilly (IMBRC), Roger Aiken and Philip Roche (Team Worc).

Aiken shot into the lead on the second lap with Roche, Manning, O’Reilly, Ferguson, McGreevy and Campbell queuing up behind him.  Having made an excellent start, Gill had bike problems, he was to retire after three laps.  The race took a dramatic turn at the end of the third lap.  Aiken came into the race control area still in the lead; however he had sustained a front wheel puncture.  Aiken dropped his bike, rushed to the car park and got a wheel, but on returning to his bike he was informed by race Commissaire, Andy Potts, that he was disqualified as riders are only permitted to take wheels from the designated technical area.  Aiken did rejoin the race, eventually pulling out on the penultimate lap after having caught the leaders!

With Aiken ruled out of the running, Ferguson was the new leader with five riders on his tail, O’Reilly, Roche, McGreevy, Campbell and XMTB rider Graham Boyd.  Early pace setter Manning had slipped down the leaderboard to seventh place, just behind the leading pack.  The end of lap five saw the riders reach the half way point, McGreevy taking a turn in the lead ahead of Ferguson and O’Reilly, this trio having pulled out a small gap over Campbell and Boyd.  Roche made a trip into the technical area to change bikes.

The second half of the race saw Ferguson hold a slender lead over the Junior duo of O’Reilly and McGreevy.  Behind these three, Roche was the main mover, passing Campbell to take fourth place on the sixth lap, with three laps to go he was visibly closing on the three leaders.  Boyd was now on his own in sixth, Manning seventh, with a superb battle being fought for eighth between Peter McConville (Newry Wheelers), Alan Clogher (TC Racing) and Ross Blaney (Ards CC).  O’Reilly moved into the lead on the eighth lap and as the leaders set off on the final circuit, the young Dubliner still held a slender lead ahead of Ferguson and McGreevy.  Roche was in fourth but looked to be out of contention for a top three placing. Wrong!

Just as at the Larne race, the final outcome was going to be decided by a sprint with the final set of step overs proving decisive.  The leading trio had been joined by a fast finishing Roche, all four riders reaching the step overs at the same time.  Ferguson took a perfect line through the obstacle and made the short sprint to the finish to grab victory just ahead of O’Reilly, Roche and McGreevy, the later having being passed by Roche at the step overs.  In fifth was Campbell, the Newry rider having another excellent outing.  Boyd completed the top six.  Having hit his knee at one of the ditch sections, Manning did well to finish in seventh.  Downhill ace Clogher won the battle for eighth, pulling clear of Blaney and McConville on the last lap.  The U-16 winner was William Boyd (XMTB) with Jane Halliwell (Swords CC) taking the Women's class.

Paul McMenamin (Specialized/Leisure Lakes) easily won the nine lap MTB race, the Omagh rider leading throughout.  A superb battle for second saw John Neill (Phoenix CC) just pip Michael Holland (Lakeland CC) and Paul Ferguson (North Down).  Valerie O’Neill was the Women’s winner while Matthew Adair (Banbridge CC) took the honours in the U-14 class.

XMTB rider Chris Oakley won the U-12 contest from Ards CC’s Nathaniel Smyth and Banbridge rider William Heslip.  The U-8 class produced an ultra close finish with victory going to Stuart Dunlop (Banbridge CC) just ahead of Joel Smyth of Ards CC.  Kendal Mackness of the promoting Madigan Club was third. 

The next race of the cyclo cross season is this Sunday, Dromara CC holding their event at the popular Lisburn course, based at the Island Centre.

Results

Cyclo Cross Race 10laps

1. Lewis Ferguson (Team BHB) 46.37;  2. Paul O’Reilly (IMBRC) 46.38;  3. Philip Roche (Team Worc) 46.39;  4. Liam McGreevy (Banbridge CC) 46.40;  5. Conor Campbell (Newry Wheelers) 46.54;  6. Graham Boyd (XMTB) 47.21;  7. Luke Manning (IMBRC) 47.36;  8. Alan Clogher (TC Racing) 49.40;  9. Ross Blaney (Ards CC) 49.50;  10. Peter McConville (Newry Wheelers) 50.27;  11. Danny Hylands (East Antrim Audi) 9 laps;  12. Gareth Gormley (Team Worc) 9 laps;  13. William Mulligan (Banbridge CC) 9 laps;  14. Michael Cowan (Chain Reaction) 9 laps;  15. Sam Craig (North Down) 9 laps;  16. Simon Curry (Banbridge CC) 9 laps;  17. Junior McAuley (Apollo CT) 9 laps;  18. Fred McSorley (Apollo CT) 9 laps;  19. Les Walpole   (IMBRC) 8 laps;  20. Michael Hamilton (North Down) 8 laps;  21. Dale McMullan (Chain Reaction) 8 laps;  22. William Forsythe (Banbridge CC) 8 laps;  23. Ian Nevin (Bann Valley) 8 laps;  24. Jane Halliwell (Swords CC) 8 laps;  25. Maurice Mayne (Banbridge CC) 7 laps. 

U-16  8 LAPS

1. William Boyd (XMTB) 44.26

MTB Race 9 laps

1. Paul McMenamin (Leisure Lakes) 45.52;  2. John Neill (Phoenix CC) 47.35;  3. Michael Holland (Lakeland CC) 47.35;  4. Paul Ferguson (North Down) 47.35;  5. Paul Anderson (Banbridge CC) 48.03;  6. Ross Galway (Dromara CC) 49.48;  7. Ronan Corrigan  (U/A) 49.59;  8. Derek Hanna (Dromara CC) 8 laps;  9. Martin Grimley (Dromara CC) 7 laps.

Women 6 laps

1. Valerie O’Neill (U/A) 40.26.

U-14 4 laps

1. Matthew Adair (Banbridge CC) 22.20

U-12 5 small laps

1. Chris Oakley (XMTB) 13.50;  2. Nathaniel Smyth (Ards CC) 15.46;  3. William Heslip (Banbridge CC) 15.51;  4. Rachel Mayne (Banbridge CC) 17.45; 5. Ty Mackness (Team Madigan) 4 laps;  6. Aimee Ogilby (XMTB) 4 laps.

U-8  1 small lap