Irish Riders Perform Well In UK: The Irish National Development Track Team were in Uk Track Action this Weekend (July 10th / 11th).
The Team performed above expectations, coming home with a win and some good performances against tough UK opposition.
Click Here For Official Report And Results From British Cycling
===================================
10th/11th July Dudley GP (Men Jun/U25 & Women)
Report By Stephen gibbons:
The Track Commission selected a team of 10 cyclists to compete in the Dudley Grand Prix at the Manor Abbey Stadium in Halesowen on the 10th and 11th of July.
The team consisted of Enda Connoly, Tigerneach Murphy, Enda Ryan, Mark McCullough, Andrea Fagan, Claire Oakley, Rachael Mitchell, Sandra Fitzgerald and Racheal Withers, with team managers Stephen Gibbons and Anthony Mitchell.
We arrived at the Halesowen velodrome with the sun shining and the team raring to go. With the team ready we picked our spot singed on got our bikes ready and got up on the track which was similar to Sundrive. Warm up over we waited to be called for the first event which was the 200TT.
With a large field of 20 plus of top sprinters our work was cut out with each of our riders giving 100%. When it was announced that the top 12 sprinters was posted we went to have a look to our delight Eoin Mullen qualifying in 12th with a time of 12.73 this was seen as a major result by the team and you could see their confidence growing.
Eoin was in heat 1 drawing against Callum Skinner Edinburgh RC who set the fastest 200 at 11.67 and Steve Cronshaw Brerton Wheelers where he just finished in third place going into the repecharge.
Eoin was up against local sprinter Jim Varnish HA & CC and Rowan Elliot VC St Raphel where Eoin took full advantage of Jim and Rowan playing cat and mouse to launch an attack just before the bell - only getting caught on the line by Jim Varnish and finishing in 7th place overall.
In the B sprint we had three riders in heat 1 Enda Connolly, Enda Ryan, Rachael Mitchell And Ted Bate HA&CC with Ted Bate winning in a photo finish from Enda Connolly - 3rd Enda Ryan and 4th Racheal Mitchell.
Heat 2 saw Andrea Fagan take on Keith Williams Port Talbot Wheelers CC, Neill Withington VC St Raphaell and Steve Pulford Sherwood pines with Andrea coming 4th.
Heat 4 Saw Mark McCullough take 3rd behind Alex Cogwell HA&CC and Geoff Cooke Sherwood Pines. Enda Connolly was drawn in the second Semi Final which took place just after the scratch race up against Kith Williams Port Talbot Wheelers, Alex Cogswell HA&CC, John Williams Team Terminator and with a speed race to the line Enda took 3rd to finish 6th overall.
The Open Scratch had a large field of very experienced riders, and with our confidence up, our riders dominated this race with Enda Connolly, Enda Ryan, Mark McCullough And Tighernach Murphy covering any break,
Tighernach went clear, and the team worked hard to slow the bunch down. Tighernach took full advantage to lap the field and launch another attack to win with ease.
The Team then contested the Senior Points Race, and the Irish riders tried to win as much points as possible to aid Tighernach .
Enda Connolly took up the race from the gun , driving at the front and taking the first points before a small break away went clear with Tighernach in it.
The Irish team did their job by picking up points where they could and finished in the top 10 with Tighernach Finishing in a very credible 2nd behind Neil Withington VC St Raphael.
Course De Prime 10 Laps . Enda Ryan went from the gun taking the first prize of the day before rejoining the bunch where Tighernach and Steve Cronshaw (Brecton Wheelers) worked with each other to take one prize each, before Cronshaw dropped back and Julian Pearson Team Wallis Came up to join Tighernach at the front .
Tighernach came home in 1st place overall with Enda Ryan taking 3rd.
Day one was a great success for the Development Track Team with some great results and team work with the girls omnium on day two the boy's could take it easy on day two with their job done.
======================
- Enda Connolly U25 (Lucan)
- Tighernach Murphy U23 (Sth Dublin)
- Enda Ryan J (Sorrento)
- Eoin Mullen J (Sundrive)
- Mark McCullough U23
Womens Team:
- Andrea Fagan U25 (Sundrive)
- Clair Oakley J (XMTB)
- Rachel Mitchell U23 (North Down)
- Sandra Fitzgerald U25 (Lucan)
- Rachel Withers U23 (Fintona
.
The Dudley Grand Prix at the Manor Abbey Stadium in Halesowen, was organised by HA&CC’s Geoff Dingley, the third round of the British Cycling Sprinters League was held along with many other support races. The riders were greeted at this well used outdoor velodrome by glorious sunshine with a gentle breeze to keep the high humidity and temperature tolerable.
Sprinters League
The day got under way with the Sprinters Time Trial to establish the fastest 12 times to go through to round 1 of the Sprint. The windy conditions in the back straight kept the Time Trial times down with only three of the top riders achieving sub 12 seconds times.
Flying 200m Time Trial Result
Callum Skinner City of Edinburgh RC 11.63
Kian Emadi Tunstall Wheelers 11.84
John Paul City of Edinburgh RC 11.95
Thomas Gregory Halesowen A & CC / Wood & Loines 12.08
Tom Powell Newcastle RC 2001 12.13
Jim Varnish Halesowen A & CC 12.39
Rowan Elliott VC St Raphael 12.44
Steve Cronshaw Brereton Wheelers 12.46
Barnaby Swinnerton Swinnerton Cycles 12.48
Tom Baker Halesowen A & CC 12.57
Alexander James Halesowen A & CC 12.65
Eoin Mullen Irish Development (Track) Team 12.73
Round 1
The first round of the Sprinters League was well contested with each of the heats going to form with the strongest riders winning
Heat 1 Time 12.16
1. Callum Skinner City of Edinburgh RC
2. Steve Cronshaw Brereton Wheelers
3. Eoin Mullen Irish Development (Track) Team
Heat 2 Time 12.41
1. Kian Emadi Tunstall Wheelers
2. Rowan Elliott VC St Raphael
3. Alexander James Halesowen A&CC
Heat 3 Time 12.44
1. John Paul City of Edinburgh RC
2. Jim Varnish Halesowen A & CC
3. Tom Baker Halesowen A & CC
Heat 4 Time 12.59
1. Thomas Gregory Halesowen A & CC / Wood Loines
2. Tom Powell Newcastle RC 2001
3. Barnaby Swinnerton Swinnerton Cycles
Repecharge
Heat 2: There was a slow tactical cat and mouse start to the next heat which only came alive with the sound of the bell. Eoin Mullen took full advantage of the tactics to lead the race but Jim Varnish coolly powered up the finish straight and past Mullen to take the win on the line.
1st Jim Varnish HA&CC
2nd Eoin Mullen Irish Development (Track) Team
3rd Rowan Elliot VC St Rapheal
Open Scratch Race
Irish Development (Track) Team’s Tighernach Murphy dominated the Open Scratch race. The alternate race for non qualifing riders of the Sprinters League. The Irish rider’s lone attack after only 8 laps enabled him to not only lap the field but he attacked again to win the race.
1st Tighernach Murphy Irish Development
2nd Julian Pearson Team Wallis
3rd Jason Streather VC St Raphael
4th Tim Lawson Science in Sport
5th Ian Cooper Planet X
Open B Sprint – Non Sprint League riders
With only the first two from each heat going through to the semi final later in the day, the heats of the Open B Sprint were each closely fought with the exception of the last heat where Halesowen A&CC rider Alex Cogswell went for the long sprint. At the bell, he was still way ahead of his nearest rival leading all the way to the finish line to win.
Heat 1
1st Ted Bate HA&CC
2nd Enda Connelly Irish Development (Track) Team
3rd Enda Ryan Irish Development (Track) Team
4th Rachel Mitchell Irish Development (Track) Team
Heat 2
1st Keith Williams Port Talbot Wheelers CC
2nd Neil Withington VC St Raphael
3rd Steve Pulford Sherwood Pines Cycles/Co-op Motor Grp
4th Andrea Fagan Irish Development (Track) Team
Heat 3
1st Helen Scott HA&CC
2nd John Williams Team Terminator
3rd David Rutherford Solihull CC
Heat 4
1st Alex Cogswell HA&CC
2nd Geoff Cooke Sherwood Pines Cycles/Co-op Motor Grp
3rd Mark McCullough Irish Development (Track) Team
Open B Sprint
Semi Final 1
A class ride from Masters champion Geoff Cooke (Sherwood Pines/Co-op Motor Grp) took him to the final in a superbly timed ride. On the last lap, Ted Bate (HA&CC) went for a long sprint gaining a good lead, but the three reamining riders turned on the speed and as Bates legs died, Geoff Cooke over took them all in the finish straight by a good bike and half length
Semi Final 2
Port Talbot Wheelers rider Keith Williams secured his place in the Open B Sprint final with a full speed race to the line.
1st Keith Williams Port Talbot Wheelers
2nd Alex Cogswell HA&CC
3rd Enda Connolly Irish Development (Track) Team
4th John Williams Team Terminator
Course De Prime
The Irish riders dominated the course de prime, Enda Ryan went on the first lap to gain the first prime of the day, but soon dropped back. Steve Cronshaw then took the lead and the next prime as the race splintered. Tighernack Murphy went for a long lead, taking the next two primes and was joined by Julian Pearson who took the next prime and they worked together over the next four laps, alternating the primes until 3 to go when Pearson tired and Murphy continued to power ahead on his own a good half lap ahead of the main field.
Senior Points race
Enda Connelly took the first points after taking the lead early on but was soon caught. Jason Streather attacked to take the points on the next sprint resulting in the race fragmenting. Robert Lambton took advantage of the situation and put himself at the head of the race gaining more distance with every lap. T Murphy kept his pace high to try and bridge the gap but couldn’t and eventually dropped back to the main field. Lambton’s lead was now 100m and he kept up the momentum right up to the last lap, only easing up as he crossed the line in first place.
1st Robert Lambton Brook Cycles
2nd Tighernach Murphy Irish Development (Track) Team
3rd Jason Streather VC St Raphael
Open B Sprint
Minor Final
The riders watch each other all the way to the start of the last lap. Neil Withington (VC St Raphael) used the height of the banking to overtake the other riders and won by 10 yards wagging his finger in salute with 80m to go all the way to the finish line.
1st Neil Withington VC St Raphael
2nd Enda Connolly Irish Development (Track) Team
3rd John Williams Team Terminator
4th Ted Bate HA&CC.
Open Danish – Points Race followed by a Devil
Irish rider Enda Connolly drove the Points race from the start taking the lead early on. He was soon reeled back in by the bunch when the first sprint for points was signalled. After the first sprint, Tim Lawson (SIS) attacked from the front gaining a 1/4 of lap over the bunch but when the bell went for the next sprint, again the bunch reeled the lone race leader back in
After the sprint Jason Streather (VC St Raphael), Tom Gregory (HA&CC) and Tim Lawson (SIS) pulled away from the bunch however this attack fell apart when no-one wanted to commit to the break. Upon seeing this, Robert Lambton (Brook Cycles) took full advantage and in a lone attack, passed the three riders and managed to pull away with every lap.
Unfortunately Lambton was finally caught with 5 laps to go by Tom Gregory (HA&CC) and Neil Withington (VC St Raphael) who worked together well to gain a healthy lead for the rest of the race where Gregory took the final points. The race was now neutralised for a few laps to allow everyone to come together before the final “Devil take the Hindemost” race eliminating a rider a lap until there were only three riders remaining for the final sprint. The final sprint was won once again by Tom Gregory from Ian Cooper (Planet X) and third spot to Tim Lawson (SIS).