Ballymoney Cycling Club keeps on winning!

Niall O’Hagan won the Ballymoney Cycling Club 10tt on the Portrush/Ballybogey line, Steven McAllister won the Bann Wheelers promoted 25 mile road race at Stranocum and Bryan McKinney won the 10 mile circuit TT at Bann Wheelers.

Super schoolboy Aaron Swan won the first ever road race on the new Tullaghans circuit over 25 miles and to top it off winning the U14 race at RAS Loughguile beating all comers as he finished over 4 minutes up on his own.

Other riders in action were Jason Taggart, Adrian Madden, Garreth McBride, Martin Carroll, Olly Bateson and Jerome McKendry. Niall and Adrian getting a 3rd placing at Portglenone. Jason and Jerome were in action at Newtownards, and a mistake led to the Ballymoney lads thinking they were higher placed than led to believe, with bunches started in front of them and were not caught before the finish.

The girls were in action, Caitie O’Hagan, Ellen McAree and Sophie Cameron Mitchell showed the broad base of talent that the Ballymoney Club is now establishing.

It seems each week now that the club can have a group of male and female cyclists racing anywhere and representing the club and themselves at a competitive level.

There is always an air of excitement when a new boy comes along and schoolboy Stuart Laverty rode his first race and recorded a 30”.14 at his first attempt.

Results from the BCC 10TT

1st Niall O’Hagan 22.18

2nd Jason Taggart 22.19

3rd Steven McAllister 22.34

4th Derek McMenemy 22.47

5th Jason Henry 22.49

6th John McElderry 22.56

7th Damien Hazlett 23.34

8th Neville Patton 23.43

9th Oliver Bateson 23.50

10th Uel Cunningham 23.58

11th Adrian Madden 25.12

12th Conor Higgins 27.25

13th Aaron Dickie 28.09

14th Sam Greer 28.11

15th Jack Owens 29.02

16th Stuart Laverty 30.14

1st Girl - Caitie O’Hagan (U12) 38.53

Leisure Cycling and the Community

With the success of Ballymoney Cycling Club growing and growing, the largest part of the club is devoted to Health and Leisure cycling, this area has grown and grown steadily and from strength to strength. In 2010 Ballymoney Cycling Club membership registered with Cycling Ireland was around 20 members. In 2011 the membership has practically trebled and each week there are more people coming along to join in what is an excellent sport/pass time for the old and not so. Former athletes who have had to cut their careers short due to injury have found that the non-weight bearing aspect of cycling gives them another way of improving or maintaining their fitness.

With the club about to announce in September an exciting initiative promoted by Sport NI and Dalriada school, there will be bicycles available to anyone in the community who would like to come along and try it and see if you like it approach.

The club has Hybrid leisure cycles with pannier, carriers and lights, off road bikes for covering some rougher terrain. Then there are the 10 speed sports racing bikes that can be used for road racing, time trials or even triathlons.

The use of special need bikes has become more and more popular, Ballymoney cycling club cater for all abilities and disabilities with Tandems, trikes and piggy backs for use.

At the last club meeting held at Sketchers Coffee shop in Bendooragh, a representative from Compass Advocacy Network came along and explained to the club how we as a cycling club can involve the youth in the community, introducing them to the sport of cycling and the leisure and healthy pass time it creates.

Not wanting to leave out the sporting side of cycling, the Ballymoney club will have available Wattbikes, the same as used by the ultra-successful British Cycling Federation and their development of world class track riders like Sir Chris Hoy, Tour de France 4th place finisher Bradley Wiggins. These riders used the now famous Wattbikes to test and monitor their progression, this will also be available to schools and sports clubs in the coming weeks.

For anyone who ever dreamed about cycling in the Alps or in the Pyrenees, Ballymoney Cycling Club have what is call Tacx “Virtual Reality” trainers where in front of a plasma screen you can sit on your bike and cycle through France, in fact anywhere in the world using this state of the art technology.

The advantage to the racing cyclist is that they can train with the professional teams or for the leisure cyclist while it is snowing outside they can meander through the leafy lanes whilst learning how to use their gears and controlling their bike.

Exciting times ahead for cycling in the Ballymoney area, anyone interested in the meantime until officially launched, contact Maurice McAllister on 07707088396 for more information.

Coming events

This week Ballymoney CC have a road race on the Bravellen Road starting at 7.15pm. This is a handicapped event with the slower riders getting a small advantage over their fast opponents.

The club would like to apologise for having to postpone last week’s 10 TT on the Portrush/Ballybogey line due to safety concerns for the riders and the anticipated high volume of holiday traffic.

An alternative date will be arranged.