Ballymoney hosts Ulster Cycling Youth Academy Training day

Over 100 youth cyclists from all over Ulster travelled to hear guest speakers, Ballymoney Cycling Club Youth Officer Douglas Hill who introduced Cycling Ulster Youth Academy chair and Cycling Ulster Chair Garth Young and Maurice McAllister.

This was followed by William Wallace the Ballymoney Cycling Club event Safety officer who delivered an intertaining talk on road use, the cyclist and the motorist - ‘Let’s both share the Roads’.

Ballymoney Cycling Club’s 2016 An Post Ras team riders, Aaron Swan spoke on on what to eat on the bike, before and after training before Craig McAuley (Caldwell Cycles) talked on the need for hard training.

He explained that riding at 15 mph doesn’t cut it when your racing at 27mph. He continued talking about the three principles of training in cycling and the simplicity of base training, getting in the miles, shorter sessions at what is called threshold (Just below that 100% effort) and then raw speed work - those flat our 10-30 second maximum full gas efforts. The session was brought to a close by Cycling Ulster Youth Academy coach and Brian McCombe from Moneymore and East Tyrone CC who got the riders ready for on the road, using turbo trainers and rollers.

This was to demonstrate having the muscles warm and the heart pumping before the start of a race. With the road session over three distances, Under 12’s did 12 miles, the U14’s did 22 miles and the Juniors and U16’s on a 45 mile loop all of them taking in the famous Dark Hedges and the older riders using part of the Giro d’Italia route on the Antrim coast with the lung searing climb out of Ballintoy taking its toll on the legs as the riders headed towards Ballycastle.

Ballymoney Cycling Club’s woman’s representative Arlene Doherty had her girls and lads preparing a spread of food for the dozens of parents, supporters and friends along with the 100 plus hungry youth who descended on the hall looking to be fed.

Everyone was not disappointed and Arlene even went out on her bike with the 12’s to keep an eye on the road knowing the kitchen was in good hands with the team in full flow.

Ballymoney Cycling Club would to thank the other local clubs who helped make this event such a massive success, Dunloy CC, Causeway CC, Madigan CC, East Tyrone CC, Ballymena RC, Phoenix, Errigal CC, AAA from Donegal and I if I have missed anyone no doubt you will let us know...But thank you all again from Ballymoney Cycling Club’s Biesty’s Centra Team.

THE WAY AHEAD SEMINARS

This month Ballymoney Cycling Club will be holding discussion seminars on how to drive the club forward with their FIVE year plan and a view to the forth coming Commonwealth Games in Australia, this years An Post Ras, the Triathlon team, the top potential Race Team, our Youth, Off Road, the Woman and the role they have in sport, the new formed BCC Rouleurs on leisure, cycling for fun and just getting out on the bike.

Cycling Ulster Chairman Maurice McAllister will be announcing a new cycling initiative very soon and this will be piloted in Ballymoney and at least five other town council areas throughout Ulster.

Next week the newspapers will feature the County Antrim Ballymoney Cycling Club An Post Ras team with their big adventure for ‘8 Days in May’