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Post by frostythesnowman on Jun 12, 2007 16:46:02 GMT 1
Dromara cc will be holding their first open race, for The Emma McMullan Cup, on the Annahilt circuit on Saturday 23rd June. The start will be from Hillsborough Village Centre at 1pm.
It is important not only for Dromara CC, but also for the saftey on all concerned that we have as many as possible to help out, marshalling etc, at least 20.
A number of Dromara members wish to ride the race as well as the hair bears. I would ask as many as possible can you supply a marshall in your place.
After the race we need to supply refreshments and sandwiches, may those racing should do the sandwiches?
We will be holding a club meeting on monday 18th June to finialise details, plesae come along.
It is important for all club members to help.
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Post by evelknievel on Jun 19, 2007 10:42:09 GMT 1
hi trev if you need any marshals let me know i will be only to glad to help and prob can speak for the wife to.
let me know or tell weir
stevie over the wall baines
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Post by Johan bruyneill on Jun 19, 2007 13:30:38 GMT 1
Trevor, if the club’s short of marshalls, put my name down instead of racing.
Neill
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Post by Bob P on Jun 20, 2007 21:32:35 GMT 1
hi trev if you need any marshals let me know i will be only to glad to help and prob can speak for the wife to. let me know or tell weir stevie over the wall baines That would be appreciated Stevie, thanks |
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Post by Bob P on Jun 20, 2007 21:33:40 GMT 1
Club members, look in the club section
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Post by bigjim on Jun 23, 2007 19:24:19 GMT 1
I THINK OUR OPEN RACE WAS A SUCESS.
A VERY BIG THANKS TO TREVOR AND BOB AND ALL THE WILLING HELPERS WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE, AND NOT TO FORGET OUR OWN CYCLISTS WHO AGAIN DID THE CLUB PROUD .
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Post by richb on Jun 23, 2007 19:46:08 GMT 1
Thumbs up for a well run event today. I think the numbers were about right for the circuit. If more had turned up you would probably have needed a handicap as that back road was tight enough with the bunch size today. Good rides by Neil and Deek getting around their first open race ;D
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Post by Deek on Jun 23, 2007 23:00:43 GMT 1
Cheers Rich, i was over the moon after finishing the race as it was 4 laps more than i've ever done on that circuit. Me and Neil were a bundle of nerves as we got ready,Neil loosing his car keys only to find them in his shoe ;D After we got over the hill at H'boro(that was my 1st target!!) I got up near the front.Good advice from the Hair Bears. Then the boot went down as we went through Annahilt at 35 mph and up to 40 headin for Ballynahinch.The sprint out of all the corners was a bit of a shock but i managed to sit on a wheel.  When we got to 4 laps i was on a real adrenaline buzz and was thinking i could finish.It was a a bit hairy riding in a big bunch for the first time especially when you clip handlebars :oThe back road was the hardest and the wee hill up at the wall tested me  On the last lap i was in the 1st dozen or so and for a split second the thought of being the 1st Dromara rider home crossed my mind.That quickly dissapeared as the train steamed passed me coming up to the wall and it reminded me were i should be!! Iwas glad to see the finish line but i had nothing left for a sprint(saving a bit for the mtb race tomorrow ;D) Well done all to Darren,Davy,Ronnie,John,Bob and fellow first timer Neil on a great race. Thanks to all the club members for organising a super race and to everyone who egged me on during the race.Hearing my name at every corner made me even more determined . Hope to do another one sometime as i loved every minute of it.EVEN THE RAIN!!!! |
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afw
New Member
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Post by afw on Jun 24, 2007 22:22:43 GMT 1
Well done all at Dromara for a well run race, hard to believe this was the first time this race was run as an open event. The facilities and marshalling was excellent, loved the stop signs!
Really enjoyed the course (slightly biased though having lived in Annahilt for 13 years..), nice and fast. The breaks were never going to stay away with that many Dromara riders riding though...
Looking forward to the hilly sportive in August.
Well done again,
Aaron Wallace
(Banbridge CC)
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Post by frostythesnowman on Jun 25, 2007 13:34:29 GMT 1
On Saturday 23rd Dromara CC promoted The Emma McMullan Trophy Open Road Race, sponsored by KJM Electrial Contractors Crossgar.. The event rolled out of Hillsborough Village Centre at 1pm heading to Annahilt where the riders started seven laps of an undulating 8.7 mile course. This was Dromara Cycling Clubs first open race for many years and it took almost twenty marshals to ensure the riders safety.
. A group of about nine riders broke clear after the first lap. Among these were Kirk Sloan, Ross Blayney and Brendan Kirk of the Ards club, James McMaster (Northern Dave Kane), Tony Boyle (Slane Cycles), Richard Watters (Harps), Neil McKenna (North Down), Tommy Wilson (Ballymena), Ronnie Smyth & Davy McKnight (Dromara CC) and Daire McCaughley (Dublin Wheelers). They managed to open up and maintain a gap of about 45 seconds for several laps. Local man Ronnie Smyth [Dromara CC], who just last weekend had a fantastic 11th place finish in the 3 day Tour of The Mournes, rode like a man possessed to try and keep the break away, but the group behind were determined to spoil a home win.
The main peleton drove hard and while riders such as Mike Millar (Castlereagh CC) made several moves, the bunch stayed intact, eventually reeling in the break. With the skies opening for the last three laps, the going got tougher but the pace remained high with Danny Hyland (East Antrim/Audi) putting in a superb effort.
John Heverin (Clann Eireann/Linen Green) saw an opportunity and jumped on the penultimate lap. At one point he opened a gap of 45 seconds on the chasers but blew on the final leg to see brother Gerry take a great win, seconds clear of the remainder of the field.
In the end it came down to a bunch sprint for the next seven places with Ross Blayney (Ards CC) taking second ahead of Neil McKenna (North Down), Michael Orr (Phoenix CC), with Darren Weir putting in a great effort to grab the last points in 8th place.
Back at the Hillsborough Village Centre, Dromara CC secretary Trevor Annett presented cash prises to the first eight finishers and first lady. Kenny McMullan presented race winner Gerry Heverin, with the beautiful new Emma McMullan Memorial Trophy. Trevor then presented the Ronnie Smyth Cup, sponsor R S Contracts, to the first Dromara Rider, Darren Weir.
Dromara CC would like to thank The Hillsborough Village Centre for their great facilities, Cycling Ireland commissarie Stephen Mckenna, for all his help, St Johns Ambulance, PSNI for supplying cones etc, to G S Motorcycle Club for their marshalling help and last but not least to Wilbur Aiken for his excellent time keeping. Club secretary Trevor, thanked all the members of the club and friends who helped with the marshalling and to the two sponsors for the day KJM electrical & R S Contracts.
Dromara CC will be holding a bigger and better road race next June and are looking forward to our next event the 100 mile leisure Mourne Sportive on Sunday 12th August.
Pre entry required by Friday 3rd August.
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Post by hairbear on Jun 25, 2007 16:05:26 GMT 1
well done to all on saturday for a well organised an well marshalled race .
it was a great effort an it can only make our little club better.
well done to deek an neil massive respect as it was a very fast race an condition didn,t make it easy.
keep er lite
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Post by Johan bruyneill on Jun 26, 2007 12:16:01 GMT 1
Cheers, Darren
Sorry for the delayed response, guys... just been away for my third leg massage!!! ;D
Super adrenalin rush, think I came back down (with a crash) while I had my 3rd pint on Saturday night!!!
Thoroughly enjoyed the race, didn’t expect to finish it to be honest. A massive shout has to go out to all the guys marshalling the roads who’s shouts of encouragement helped to get you around that extra lap. And of course a big thanks to Bob & Trevor for making it possible – excellent job, guys, spot on
Deek, how ya rode that mtb race on Sunday, I’ll never know, and to get that 4th spot – go ahead, Lance!!!! ;D
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Post by Baldy Welshy on Jun 26, 2007 21:21:57 GMT 1
Thanks to all who gave up their Saturday to help out at a very well run and enjoyable event.
Too many contributions to mention everyone but I would like to say thank you to all the marshalls for their patience and diligence who did a sterling job of traffic control. In the wet conditions I was particularly grateful for a good job well done.
Top day out, looking forward to next years event already !
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Post by Bob P on Jul 1, 2007 22:59:07 GMT 1
Well that was our first attempt at running a road race and for the most part it all went very well due to everyone putting in a good effort.
With luck we will run it again next year although that may be determined by whether or not we can convince the leisure and MTB sections of the club that it was worth the £250 loss. This mainly due to the cost of the Ambulance as the Centre were fairly reasonable for the facilities they supplied.
About the only negative comments I heard concerned the Ballycreen road mainly the condition and width. Well there’s little we can do about the width and to be honest should it be an airstrip it still wouldn’t be wide enough for some. As for the dirty road, it could have been a lot worse. Thanks to Dennis and Kenneth McMullan it wasn’t, as Dennis spent most of the morning using Kenneth’s tractor and brush, assisted by Laura I should add.
Some comments were made about my stop signs. Someone wrote they had to laugh when they seen them, why??? I am not sure how drivers react where they come from but we have problems with drivers swerving round marshals with red flags. These motorists seem to count such marshals a want-a-be Matadors!
There seems to be some of grey areas regarding traffic control during road cycle races. We have been told that we do not have the authority to stop traffic therefore my signs are illegal. At the same time what would happen if we were unable to stop a speeding car as the main pelaton approached? Or how would the cyclists react if we there to advise them to stop? Then there are the race cars. How are they covered for insurance during the race?
But anyway, all went to plan again due to the great support Dromara CC can always count on from its members…. And not for getting our timekeeper, Wilbur Aiken from Banbridge CC
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Post by peterj on Jul 2, 2007 21:37:45 GMT 1
Well, am with Bob on that one, you can argue the legality of the signs but not the way they worked-perfectly. Traffic was stopped efficiently and got moving again quickly once the bikes were past.
As for the road conditions, well in my mind that is because it is a ROAD race, the road is what it is, race it and doing a few laps there should be few surprises.
And that would be the attraction road racing has, different courses and personal preference. It is not a track so some caution should be applied. Anyhow I don't think many were complaining as everybody seemed to be "enjoying" the pain of the drag up into Annahilt!
I though it went off very well, and myself and the kids enjoyed watching. Sorry I wasn't more help and hope next year or the year after I shall be in good enough shape to join in and finish with the bunch!
Peterj.
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