McBride first for Ballymoney Cycling Club

The reward for hard work and a desire to win is rewarded with the trappings of success that follow. Fast improving, fast finishing Garreth McBride from Ballymoney Cycling Club was head and shoulders above his opposition as he took 1st place in the 5 race Interclub series held this summer.

Ballymoney Cycling Club, along with Bann Wheelers, Ballymena Road Club, Carn Wheelers and Bann Valley CC held an interclub road race seriesat each of their own individual venues.

The first event of the season kicked off at Slaght outside Ballymena, and the Ballymoney

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rider McBride at the fore all night getting 5th place in the final sprint.

Ballymoney team mates

Adrian Madden and Wayne Stevens were 8th and 9th.

The next round was Ballymoney’s own event on the tough Stroan circuit at Dervock/Stranocum.

Here Ballymoney took first and second with McBride and club rider Olly Bates sharing the top placings.

With Bann Wheelers showing their strength in depth it looked like this series was going to the wire.

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Other BCC riders sharing in the success were Martin Carroll and Aaron Dickie getting 6th and 8th.

As it was a clean sweep for local rivals Bann Wheelers, with Limavady man Kyle Cromie winning at

Letterloan, the Bann men were now tightening their grip for the team prize going into the final two rounds.

At Moneymore Ballymoney CC took 1st and 2nd place again. This time it was Carn Wheelers Classic winner Steven McAllister who easily won the sprint from his hard ridding team mate A. Madden and Aaron Dickie getting 5th.

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Into the final race and with eventual winner Garreth McBride having to sit out the last race due to a high speed crash and a dislocated collarbone a few weeks earlier at Portglenone. It was only McBride’s determination and his belief that he could still win the Interclub series overall drove him on.

Top local time trialist Sean Kealy got first that evening in Kilrea and the individual overall winner went to 2011 Club of the Year rider Garreth McBride secured his success with 4th place. Ballymoney riders Adrian Madden and Steven McAllister were 5th and 6th overall.

Ballymoney Cycling Club would like to congratulate Garreth on his prestigious victory and also to Bann Wheelers for winning the team prize, a big thank you goes to the race organisers and we are already getting the ball rolling for the series again to be held in 2012.

Cycling Ireland AGM 2011

On Saturday the overall governing body of Irish Cycling held their AGM at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Dublin city centre.

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Delegates from clubs across Ireland were in attendance, and as Ballymoney CC were nominated out of 7 other finalists for Cycling Ireland Club of the Year 2011 it was to prove an exciting event.

AGM’S by their nature can be vocal with delegates and rightly so expressing their opinions. Those at the top table with the President Rory Wyley negotiating through the chair, were continuing secretary and recent visitor to Ballymoney CC also past President Jack Watson and Sam McArdle Treasurer.

Anyone who knows will tell you that there is no better man to keep tabs on the proceedings than the man from Dungarvan who has led by example all year.

Motions to put £50 levy’s onto all open events was fiercely contested and after much discussion the members overturned it with a hefty majority.

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Maurice McAllister (BCC PRO) also a member of the All Ireland Road Racing Commission was in attendance and submitted it’s annual report along with the Off Road, Track, Para-cycling and Woman’s Commissions,

The Ballymoney man following the AGM is now tasked with rider and race grading of local and national races.

McAllister the now de facto chairman of the Commission is in the process of rebuilding the racing structure here in Ireland.

Looking closely at the race calendar and the quality and relevance of the races and their benefit to the national teams. When asked following the AGM, McAllister said that he would take his time in getting the right people into place, and will be travelling the length and breadth of Ireland to meet the representatives of the four provinces.

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There are already some high profile names putting themselves forward for a position in the Cycling Ireland Road Commission.

The hard work now begins to put Irish Cycling back on the world stage and attempt to bring back a feel good factor into the sport.

Cycling Ireland now have a membership of almost 12,000 and it is a great time to recruit new members into the sport and Leisure sections.

Ballymoney Cycling Club are now ready for this with the structures already in place with Racing and Off Road Teams ready for action in 2012 and the Health and Leisure sections already planning some very exciting adventures and challenges.

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