Cycling Reports |
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Insulation domination! (By Gerard Cromwell May 12) Noel Hammond Memorial winner Paul Healion is hoping for a stage win in next weeks FBD Milk Ras. The 23 year old former national criterium champion from the Usher Insulations team in Dublin has been riding in the shadows recently but is ready to step out into the light.
With the higher standard of riders in the Ras since it went on the UCI calendar, Healion thinks Irish riders will be ready this time around. "I reckon the guys who rode it last year should know what to expect so they should be ready this year. We have a good team with guys like Dave (Peelo) and Colm (Bracken) who've been there before and have a lot of experience in these races. Me, myself, I'm just going to take each stage as it comes and hopefully I'll get something out of it." Colm Bracken is not sure what to expect from this year's 50th edition of the race. "I think it depends on the level of competition really. We could be lucky to finish...(laughs) I say that because maybe last year I wasn't in such good condition last year. Last year's Ras was the hardest race I've ever done." The Usher fastman has found a new climbing ability and it has seen him win a mountain stage of the recent Tour of Ulster and earned him second place behind Healion in Ballyboughal. "It didn't seem to be so tough a race out there today. I think a lot of people stayed at home thinking of the Ras but when the sun is shining you might as well do something. We all trained savagely over the winter, so it has to pay off at sometime. I haven't been cycling for so many years for nothing. A good group of us train together and we keep an eye on the others in the club and try to help them out."
Peelo is part of a strong Dublin Usher team for the golden jubilee of the race. "We've a reasonably strong team. Everybody who was up there today will be riding the Ras. We had two teams last week in the Tour of Ulster and that was the decider to see who would be able to do the business next week. It's hard to know what exactly we'll be able to do in the Ras. It's a little bit harder than it has been but hopefully everyone seems to be coming to form at the one time so we have a chance to do something." "There will be more foreign riders than Irish so even numerically they have the advantage and the style of racing will suit them rather than us forcing them into our style of racing. We're looking forward to it." Power takes first profesional win at Stamullen: (By Gerard Cromwell Apr 20) Waterford's Ciaran Power (Navigators) recorded his first win as a professional tonight when taking the Brendan Carroll Memorial in Stamullen. The American based Navigators rider showed an impressive turn of speed to beat last weeks Beggan Trophy winner and fellow professional David O'Loughlin of OFOTO-Lombardia Sports. The action got underway early on when Tom Hughes of Stamullen M. Donnelly attacked on the first lap, setting the scene for a fast and furious evening's racing. The main move of the race began on the second of five laps and contained Power (Navigators), O'Loughlin (OFOTO-Lombardia Sports), Dave Smith (Cahills Naas),Robert Moore (Stamullen M. Donnelly), and last year's winner, junior, Paudie O'Brien (Kanturk Credit Union). This quintet quickly built up a lead and seemed destined to spend the rest of the night in each others company. Power and O'Loughlin however, had other ideas . Robert Moore punctured on lap three and when the Navigators man attacked on Cottage Hill shortly after, only O'Loughlin could follow. "Power attacked and O'Loughlin just let the gap open and then jumped across to him." said Paudie O'Brien later, "That was the end of us!" The professional duo opened up an unassailable lead over the next two laps and continuous attacking by both in the final miles eventually saw the Navigators man cross the line in front. Home on a stopover from a recent trip to Europe (where Navigators recorded two wins and Power a 4th in a French Cup race) with his American based squad, Power was delighted with the win. "It's great to win this race. It's a good boost for the morale and I'm looking forward to tomorrow now. The race will be run on the Irish Championships circuit, which is a big target for me this year." Paul Griffin (Earl Of Desmond Tralee) led home Colm Bracken of Usher Insulation Irish Road Club to take third place on the night. Dan Nulty, with the help of a blue and red Stamullen M.Donnelly train took the sprint for the 'B' title.
Over the weekend Stamullen M. Donnelly Road Club promote their annual Brendan Carroll Memorial Race on Saturday evening at 4:30 in Stamullen and on Sunday the village is sure to be thronged with cyclists for the annual Stamullen G.P. Races, which will get underway at 1:00 pm. The Brendan Carroll Memorial Race which will be held over 6 laps of a local circuit of Stamullen, Balscadden, Gormanston, Stamullen always attracts a fine entry and last year was won by 17 year old Paudi 0’Brien from the Kanturk C.C. in Cork. This young man will definitely be defending his title. The race will be sponsored by local businessman John Hughes of Safe-Link with lap prizes every lap sponsored by John Carroll of Navan Aluminum (father of the late Brendan Carroll). On Sunday racing gets underway at 1:00pm from the village with the Senior A race for the Joey Whyte Memorial Cup (sponsored by Joey’s son Brendan) leaving the village at 1:00 pm and covering 6 laps of Stamullen, Clinstown, Naul, Clonard Cross, Gormanston Village, Stamullen, a total distance of 72 miles. The Senior ‘B’ Race for the Pat Howard Memorial Cup (sponsored by Eastern Tarmacadam) will cover 4 laps of same circuit. The third race to leave the village will be a combined Senior 3, Junior (U.18), Ladies and Veterans Race, which will be sponsored by Laser Engineering and will complete 3 laps of this very tough circuit. The Under 16 Race, sponsored by Flo Gas, Drogheda will cover 2 laps while the Under 14 Race, sponsored by Wheel Bin Services will cover a shorter circuit. The Under 12 Race, sponsored by East Meath Credit Union is a restricted distance race and will be held over a short local circuit. There will be a huge number of local cyclists at all levels competing in Stamullen on Saturday and Sunday. With the FBD Milk Ras 8-Day International Race only 5 weeks away, both races are sure to attract all the top men, but all eyes will be on the local cyclists, Robert Moore, Tom Hughes, Craig Sweetman, Dan Nulty, Matt Kelly and Bill Moore who competed so well in the recent Ben McKenna Memorial Race in Balbriggan. Of course, who can forget the ‘evergreen’ iron man from Meath, Phil Cassidy who won this race 2 years ago? Last year’s winner of the Joey Whyte Memorial Cup was former World’s Junior Champion, Mark Scanlon from Sligo, but unfortunately, he will not be around this year to defend his title as he is racing at present in France. However, the West is very much awake in Cycling and this cup could still go west of the Shannon to the home of young Dave 0’Loughlin from Mayo, who is home for a short break from America, where he races as a professional. In the Senior’B’ Race for the Pat Howard Memorial Cup, here once again, local riders will line up for this event. Robert Black, Dan Nulty, and Peter Sharkey will represent the promoting club. While in the combined Senior ‘C’, Junior, Veterans, Ladies Race the host club will play a very strong hand with Mark Nulty, Noel Kelly, Shane Moss, Gerard Cromwell and Mickey Nulty who will be competing in the Veteran’s category. But the coveted Jimmy Gough Memorial Cup will most likely go south in the safe hands of Paudi 0’Brien from Kanturk C.C. who incidentally is unbeaten so far this season. Local cyclist Stephen McKenna, a rising star from Balbriggan C.C. and fresh from his win in the Under 16 Ben McKenna Memorial Race in Balbriggan last week, could dominate the Under 16 race. Niall Rock from McNally Swords C.C. will start mad hot favorite in the Under 12 Race. McCANN GETS CONTRACT: (By Gerard Cromwell Apr 14) Irish national road race champion David McCann has found a new team after the collapse of his Ceresit-Henkel squad in February. The Belfast man will line out for the Austrian team, Volksbank Ideal in 2002. Currently competing with the Ireland team in the Tour of Mallorca, McCann will join up with the third division outfit next week. One of only three former pros, McCann will be the 16th member of the mostly neo-pro Austrian team. Fraser McMaster of New Zealand is the only other English speaker on the Squad. VOLSBANK IDEAL SQUAD LINE UP
Cassidy goes top after Balbriggan Win: (By Gerard Cromwell Apr 7) Philip Cassidy of the Cycleways Lee Strand team staged an amazing comeback to win the second round of the National Classic League at Balbriggan Today. The race was marked by a 70-mile lone breakaway by American-based professional David O’Loughlin (OFOTO - Lombardia Sports), who held a lead of over two minutes on the main field for most of the race. The Mayo man ultimately paid the price for his efforts as a Cassidy-led chase group overhauled him in the final miles. Last weeks winner of two stages of Rás Mumhan, Cassidy, left chasing companions Willie Byrne (Hillcrest) and Andrew Donnellon (Dublin Wheelers) to take his second consecutive Ben McKenna Memorial trophy. Kieran McMahon (Earl Of Desmond Tralee) outsprinted Craig Sweetman of Stamullen M. Donnelly for fourth place with Eugene Moriarty (Cycleways Lee Strand) in 6th. Robert Moore (Stamullen M. Donnelly) took 7th with current Leinster champion, Tom Hughes (Stamullen M. Donnelly) in 8th place. Cassidy’s win now sees the veteran Clonee man shoot to the top of the Irish Cycling rankings table. Results: Philip Cassidy (Cycleways Lee Strand) Willie Byrne (Hillcrest Hire) Andrew Donnellon (Dublin Wheelers) Kieran McMahon (Earl of Desmond Tralee) Craig Sweetman (Stamullen M. Donnelly) Eugene Moriarty (Cycleways Lee Strand) Robert Moore (Stamullen M. Donnelly) Tom Hughes (Stamullen M. Donnelly) <See Pictures Here> Navigators sweep the boards at Rennes: (By Gerard Cromwell Apr 7) Ciarán Power's Navigators squad had their first major win on European soil today when US criterium champion Kirk O'Bee took the 1.3 ranked GP de Rennes in France. After a 158 kilometre solo breakaway by Lithuanian Arturis Kasputis (AG2R), the main field came to life on the 6.3km finishing circuit to ensure a bunch sprint finish. In wet and dangerous conditions the Navigators team threaded their way through the peleton to place four men in the top five, only De Nardi's Alberto Ongarato stopping the American squad from taking all top four placings. O'Bee took the race from Navigators teammate Vassili Davidenko of Russia, with Waterford's Ciaran Power in 4th place and another Navigators rider, Oleg Grischkine in 5th. This race brings to an end a successful first foray into European racing for the team, having competed in the recent Route Adelie, Paris- Camembert in France and Settimana Ciclista Internazionale in Italy. 1 Kirk O'Bee (USA) Navigators Cycling Team 4.23.10 2 Vassili Davidenko (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team 3 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa 4 Ciaran Power (Irl) Navigators Cycling Team 5 Oleg Grishkine (Rus) Navigators Cycling Team 6 Nicolas Inaudi (Fra) Ag2r-Prevoyance 7 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team fakta 8 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Ag2r-Prevoyance 9 Olivier Perraudeau (Fra) Bonjour 10 Glen Mitchell (NZl) Navigators Cycling Team 11 Jimmy Casper (Fra) La Francaise des Jeux 12 Dariusz Skoczylas (Pol) CCC 13 Jeremy Hunt (GBr) Big Mat-Auber 93 14 Gorik Gardeyn (Bel) Lotto-Adecco 15 Mickael Pichon (Fra) Bonjour 16 Christophe Capelle (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 17 Stéphane Heulot (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93 18 Yuriy Krivtsov (Ukr) Jean-Delatour 19 Jens Voigt (Ger) Credit Agricole 20 Martin Garrido Mayorga (Arg) Relax-Fuenlabrada Irish Riders at Redlands: (By Gerard Cromwell Mar 14) David O'Loughlin (Ofoto-Lombardia Sports) finished best of the Irish in the first stage time trial of the 5-day Redlands classic, in 56th place @ 57" behind stage winner Chris Horner of Prime Alliance. Navigators' Ciaran Power finished in 73rd place just 08 seconds behind the Mayoman, while Adrian Hedderman (Y2K) finished 199th @ 2'31" Regional Champions? (By Gerard Cromwell Mar 12) Ok, here’s a question for all you cycling buffs out there. Can you name the four current Cycling Ireland Regional Champions? I bet there’s not too many who can, off the top of your head now, no looking it up. <Read More Here>
The 40 year-old former national champion and twice winner of the FBD Milk Rás left his breakaway companions at Duleek on the penultimate lap and had a lead of 25” at the bell. Thriving on the bleak conditions, the ‘Iron Man of Irish cycling’ continued to forge clear and had a margin of 2’00” over nearest rival Eddie O’Donoghue of the Carrick Cidona team at the finish. “I suppose I don’t think I’m forty.” said a rain-soaked Cassidy after. “I still feel the same as I did when I was 24 or 25. I just keep training when I feel right and see how it goes. This was one of my big targets for the year because I had never won the Coombes-Connor before and this was one of the last chances I was going to have of winning it.” A change of circuit and the bad weather conditions had the field in smithereens after only a lap. “It was very windy, very hard and a tough circuit. There was no rest, there was a lot of headwind and a lot of crosswind and the drags were very hard.” Although still undecided as to his participation I this years FBD Milk Ras, a race he has won on two previous occasions, form like today may encourage Cassidy. “I still haven’t 100 per cent decided on whether to ride the Rás this year. I’m keeping my options open. Certainly if the form continues like this I may ride, but it’s only the second race of the season, it’s early days yet.” Last week’s Cycleways Cup winner,
Martin O’Loughlin, also from Carrick Cidona finished
almost a further minute back in third place as he
continued his preparation for the Tour of Saudi Arabia
next week. Chris Green of Lurgan took 4th, Stephen
Gallagher of Orchard 5th and Swedish schoolteacher
Kristian Hallsten of Hallvall in Stockholm finished an
impressive 6th. <See
Pictures Here>
The Vikings are coming !!!!! (By Gerard Cromwell Mar 10) Well, not quite. Yes he may be blonde and wear the word Vallhall (the site where legend has it that Vikings go to die) on his racing jersey but unlike his ancestors, Kristian Hallsten is not about to set fire to our homes or rob our bikes. (I hope!) <Read More Here> Moore 53rd in Giro Del Capo: (By Gerard Cromwell Mar 8) With just a 5 kilometre time trial to go in the Giro Del Capo, Stamullen Road Club's Bill Moore is lying in a respectable 53rd place overall. In one of his first races of the season, Moore lies just over 30' behind race leader Daniel Spence of the professional HSBC team. German pro Bjorn Glasner (Colgne) lies in second just 19" behind and with the first five riders on GC being within 35" of the yellow jersey, the final time trial could prove crucial. Australian Allan Davis of Mapei leads the points competition while last years FBD Milk Ras King of the Mountains, Nick White (HSBC) also leads that competition in this tour. Giro Del Capo: (By Gerard Cromwell Mar 8) With just a 5 kilometre time trial to go in the Giro Del Capo, Stamullen Road Club's Bill Moore is lying in a respectable 53rd place overall. In one of his first races of the season, Moore lies just over 30' behind race leader Daniel Spence of the professional HSBC team. German pro Bjorn Glasner (Colgne) lies in second just 19" behind and with the first five riders on GC being within 35" of the yellow jersey, the final time trial could prove crucial. Australian Allan Davis of Mapei leads the points competition while last years FBD Milk Ras King of the Mountains, Nick White (HSBC) also leads that competition in this tour. Moore riding well in Giro Del Capo: (By Gerard Cromwell Mar 5) Stamullen Road Club's Bill Moore finished safely in the main field on the first stage of this year's Giro Del Capo in South Africa. Moore has been living in South Africa for the past year with his fiancee and is riding for the Trek/ Fitz Pienaar Cycles team. The 90kilometre opening stage around Durbanville was won by Mapei Quick Step's Alan Davis in a sprint finish with Enrico Poitshce (Wiesenhof Leipzig) 2nd and Malcolm Lange of HSBC in 3rd. The Giro is ranked 2.5 and last year was contested by Jan Ullrich as preparation for his the Tour De France challenge. This year sees the professional teams of MROZ, Nurnberger, Wustentrot, HSBC, Mapei and Microsoft all compete. Tommorrow's second stage takes the 102 riders on a 131.4kilometre trip to Stellenbosch. Moore finished in 48th place today, just behind Tour Down Under winner Michael Rogers of Mapei and in the same time as the stage winner. O’Loughlin makes it two in a row in Navan: (By GERARD CROMWELL Mar 3) Carrick Cidona’s Martin O’Loughlin left it late, in more ways than one, to take his second consecutive victory in the Cycleways Cup in Navan today. The 35-year-old schoolteacher from Carrick-On-Suir almost missed the start of the race while warming up. By the time he made contact with the fleeing bunch the main move of the day had already gone and O’Loughlin had to bide his time in a chase group before launching a blistering attack on the final lap. <See Pictures Here> <Read More Here> New results co-ordinator: (BY Gerard Cromwell Feb 21) Cycling Ireland have appointed Kay Howard of Stamullen Road Club as their new race results co-ordinator for 2002. Kay, who is a familiar face at weekly finish lines, will then pass on the results to the Cycling Ireland database where riders points will be awarded and the new rider ranking system for 2002 will take shape. The new rider rankings will be updated each month, so it is imperative that clubs, commissaires etc. send in their race resultsimmediately after each race. Results can be e-mailed to Kay at results@cyclingireland.ie or phone to 01 8411352 Scanlon gets off to good start: (By Gerard Cromwell Feb 20) Both Mark Scanlon and Denis Lynch got their 2002 seasons off to a good start when finishing 3rd and 5th respectively in the Souvenir Vietto-Gianello on the Cote D'Azur in France. The 132 kilometre race was won by their VC La Pomme teammate Stephane Mifsud, while another VC La Pomme rider and former Irish champion, Tommy Evans, completed a fine Irish performance by taking the bunch sprint for 10th place on the day.
Last night at the launch of CYCLING IRELAND in Dublin, former world No. 1 Sean Kelly was asked a seemingly innocuous question by RTÉ’s Jimmy McGee. Did he ever think about racing again? “Well, yes” said the former five times Tour De France points jersey winner. “I often thought about it allright. But then, when you go out with some of the lads who are going to be racing and you get a hammering, you don’t be long about changing your mind!” “So you're not going to ride the Rás then Sean?” enquired Jimmy as the laughter died. “No. There was talk of me riding the Rás, but I just don’t have the condition. If there was time for me to train, then yes I could do it. But I’m away for maybe five weeks on the road and in cycling you can’t go away for so long because you lose so much fitness it just wouldn’t be worth it. You lose your fitness so quickly and it’s so hard to get it back, it’s just not fair really.” “I’d say there’s a couple of hundred people who’ll be delighted you're not riding the Ras” answered Jimmy to guffaws of laughter. “Well,” continued Kelly “there’s a new category starting up. A third category, which is going to be veterans and that, so, I might ride a few races… I’ll see.” Before there is a hatful of complaints about a former professional riding as a third cat. Mr. Kelly is now over 40 years of age, a veteran, and there is nothing to stop him competing in this category. So if you're coming to the finish of the Gorey 3-Day and you think you recognise the heaving, bulking mass of muscle beside you with his head down, arse up and elbows out, you’re not suddenly hallucinating due to the severity of the course. The man the French called “The cannibal” is back. --- Forewarned is forearmed as they say.
Ms. Harney said she was “delighted with Cycling Ireland’s four year strategic plan and I have no doubt it will be a template for the future.” She also praised Kelly and Roche as being “fantastic role models providing unspeakable inspiration and giving Ireland many reasons to be proud of what we can produce on a world stage.” Team Ireland also came in for praise. “I think the Team Ireland initiative is a fantastic idea and it will give young Irish cyclists a chance to learn from the best in a controlled environment.” she said. “I think it is only right that we should be looking to produce more cyclists and sportspeople of the calibre of Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche.” President PJ Nolan unveiled a new logo, a new four year strategic plan – with the emphasis on getting people and especially youngsters involved in the leisure side of cycling as well as the competitive side of the sport and a new Pedal For Points scheme whereby members will enjoy many benefits of association, including discounts in many retail outlets across Ireland. There will also be a free members draw for a holiday each month for six consecutive months, starting in February. Underage licences (up to U/14) will be free, while there will be a new third category in senior racing and a new campaign for safer roads and off-road access for cyclists. The building of a National Cycling School at the Eamonn Ceannt Track at Sundrive Road in Crumlin in also on the agenda. National Bike Week will begin on the 1st of September and there will also be a National Cycle To Work Day later that month. Team Ireland will this year be based in Belgium, with the emphasis on younger riders gaining more experience. The squad will ride top-of-the-range Merlin bikes sponsored by the American Bicycle Group, each of which would cost a cool £7,000 euros. Team Ireland clothing will soon be available to the public through the network of retail partners and will also be distributed worldwide. Glandular fever strikes again: (By Gerard Cromwell Jan 21) Scot David Millar's start to the 2002 season has been put on hold due to a bout of glandular fever. The virus was detected by a French Cycling Federation blood test a couple of days ago. Glandular Fever previously put paid to the career of Ireland's Morgan Fox and has also disrupted Belgian sprinter Tom Steeles' 2001 season. Millar has been told to stay off his bike for several month, depending on the severity of the virus.
Hodnett all set for pro season: (By Gerard Cromwell Jan 5) With the 2002 cycling season almost upon us, Corkman James Hodnett is the latest Irish cyclist to sign a professional contract for next year. With Waterford’s Ciaran Power due to race for the American Navigators team and Irish road race champion, Belfast’s David McCann having signed for Polish team Ceresit-Henkel, Hodnett will add another splash of green to the professional peleton when he turns out for an American based team in 2002. <Read More Here>
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"I
was doing exams all through the winter," says
Healion, " so I couldn't train much. I'm only
starting to come into form now, so hopefully I'll have a
fairly good end of the season. My main ambition is to
get a stage win in the Ras. That's what I'm hoping
for... if I don't it doesn't really matter. The win
today was great after coming second to Philip Cassidy
last year it was one of my main aims for the
season."
Third
placed Usher Insulations rider Dave Peelo agreed.
"It's a good morale boost for the Ras. I'd been
struggling for form recently but I suppose with the race
at Easter and then last week up the North we've put in a
good base so hopefully things will work out well enough
next week."
O’LOUGHLIN
FAVOURITE FOR STAMULLEN G.P. By Gerard
Cromwell
GRE19751220
ANASTOPOULOS Vasilis
LIFE
BEGINS AT FORTY FOR CASSIDY:
(By Gerard Cromwell Mar 10) Evergreen Cycleways
Lee-Strand rider Philip Cassidy added the Coombes-Connor
Memorial to his impressive haul of victories when
winning the wind-swept event at Drogheda today.
KELLY
Set For COMEBACK?
(By Gerard Cromwell Feb 12) Just when you thought it
was safe to take that old dusty bike out of the shed
and apply for a third category licence, the
competition seems to be hotting up already.
CYCLING
IRELAND GETS ON THE ROAD: (By
Gerard Cromwell Feb 11) An Táinaiste Mary Harney
presided over the launch of Cycling Ireland in
Ballsbridge last night. Flanked by cycling legends Sean
Kelly and Stephen Roche, John Treacy of the Irish Sports
Council, Irish Cycling president PJ Nolan and renowned
RTÉ sports commentator Jimmy McGee the Táinaiste joked
that the last place she opened was an off-licence and if
she had travelled there by bike she wouldn’t have
gotten into as much trouble as she did.
O’LOUGHLIN
LATEST IRISH STAR TO TURN PR