CYCLING | McDermott takes the flag at first night of Bike Station League

Cuchulainn CC riders excel at multiple events across the country

The lambs are running around, the daffodils are in bloom and the yellow ball in the sky has been spotted once or twice. Summer is slowly but surely on its way.

That, of course, means one thing, the beginning of the Cuchulainn Bike Station Summer Cycling League which kicked off last Thursday.

The first round was the short Dunleer and back course, a distance of only 26km, however this allowed for high speeds, with group six averaging over 44 kph on the night.

Despite this, they couldn’t catch either group in front on them and group four avoided those in pursuit of them to take the spoils.

Fastest on the night was Gavin McDermott (Cuchulainn CC), ahead of David McMahon (Ardee CC) and Declan Rafferty (Cuchulainn CC) in third place.

Meanwhile in Race Two, three riders from group one also managed to avoid the clutches of those behind and take the top three podium spots.

Cuchulainn’s Gary O`Mahony was victorious ahead of Michael Dunne and Mairead Holden, who also both ride for Cuchulainn.

Group three had managed to catch and pass group two and underage rider Dean McArdle led them home with a brilliant finishing kick.

A large turnout on the night meant that the marshals performed a top class job to ensure everyone’s safety.

The organisers again emphasise to riders the importance of riding on their own side of the road and any crossing of the white line will result in an automatic disqualification. Also, before and after races riders need to be aware of oncoming traffic and not block the road.

On the open racing front Cuchulainn Cycling Club enjoyed an excellent weekend.

On Saturday, April 8th, Alan Bingham traveled to Tyrone and took an outstanding third place in the main event. The 100km race was run on a handicapped basis and Alan was strong throughout ensuring those ahead were hauled back before the line.

Elsewhere, in Stamullen on Sunday, with multiple ascents of Snowden Hill, Aidan Cunningham took second A3 in the combined A3 and Junior race.

Meanwhile in the hills of Craigavon, Anne Duffy took second position in round two of the Ulster Mountain Bike Series. This result comes on the back of Anne winning the first round of the league the previous week in Tollymore.

Underage section

Cuchulainn Cycling Club will be starting its underage section on Monday, April 24th from 7–8pm at The Bike Station. It will be suitable for children between the ages of 7-14 years of age. The course is primarily grass based and is suitable for most types of bicycles. The is no charge but children will need to become members of the club. See more at www.cuchulainncc.com/membership