More success for Stephen at Eden

McNeilly and Steven Harkens (Madigan) went ahead 11 miles into the first lap and opened up a gap of one minute. At one point this was reduced to 40 seconds, but they moved further ahead on the second king of the hills.

Stephen won the "two up" sprint from Harkens with the third rider, Jason Taggart (Ballymoney) finishing 1 minute 20 seconds behind.

Results (1) Stephen McNeilly Ballymena RC Scott Roof Tiles 1 hour 38 minutes 36 seconds (2) Steven Harkens (Team Madigan) same time (3) Jason Taggart (Ballymoney) @ 1.20" (4) Declan Quigley (Orwell) (5) Kevin McAlinden (Banbridge) (6) Jim Doyle (North Pole) all at 1.26

THREE DAY EVENT

Ballymena Road Club – Scott Roof Tiles – cyclists took part in three days of club race action last week.

The prize for the overall winner was the Ballymena Borough Council cup which was won last season, after the inaugural running of the event, by Conor McAllister.

The "three day" kicked off with the Sherdan Caldwell memorial hill climb at Crebilly on Tuesday night. Conor McAllister was fastest with a time of 1 minute 19.73 seconds which was just enough to beat second placed Simon Taggart who was only 1.63 seconds slower in second place with 1 minute 21.36 seconds.

Conor McAllister also won Wednesday night's 5 miles time trial from Woodgreen to Ballee and back. He recorded 9 minutes 52 seconds (30.405 mph) with Steven Workman second with 10 minutes 27 seconds.

Thursday night's final "stage" was the Sammy Gaston cup 25 miles road race at Glarryford. McAllister won again, this time from Alan Blair, for a hat trick of victories, and this meant that he had successfully defended the Ballymena Borough Council trophy.

RESULTS

Sherdan Caldwell memorial Crebilly hill climb

(1) Conor McAllister 1 minute 19.73 seconds (2) Simon Taggart 1-21.36

(3) Stephen McNeilly 1-25.72 (4) Matthew Brennan 1-26.00 (5) Martin Robb (Bann Valley) 1-29.14 (6) Mark McCullough 1-35.48 (7) Brian Geddis 1-36.55 (8) Adrian Kerr 1-38.98 (9) Clifford Grant 1-42.01

(10) Adam Kerr (fastest youth rider) 1-43.40 (11) Sammy Kerr 1-50.26

(12) Alan Blair 1-53.32 (13) Nigel Kernohan 1-56.49 (14) Beresford Millar 2-04.50 (15) Chris Surgeoner (2nd youth) 2-13.19

(16) John Maxwell 2-13.95 (17) Louise Fullerton 2-14.93 (18) Adam McCullough (3rd youth) 2-22.33 (19) Emma Gordon (4th youth) 3-20.36.

5 miles time trial fastest times result

(1) Conor McAllister 9 minutes 52 seconds (2) Steven Workman 10.27 (3) Sean Wright 10.41 (4) Matthew Brennan 10.42 (5) Derek Dougan 11.23 (6) Stephen McNeilly 11.28 (7) Mark McCullough 11.35 (8) David Dougan 11.39 (9) Adrian Kerr 11.54 (10) Clifford Grant 12.20 (11) Clive Morris 12.25 (12) Louise Fullerton 12.30 (13) Alan Blair 12.31 (14) Brian Geddis 12.38 (15) John Maxwell 12.44 (16) Sammy Kerr 12.58 (17) Bobby Currie 13.01 (18) Nigel Kernohan 13.15 (19) Beresford Millar 13.17 (20) Maeve Savage 13.48

Handicap result (1) Stephen McNeilly 10 minutes 30 seconds (2) M Brennan 10.57 (3) S Workman 11.19 (4) C Morris 11.27 (5) C Grant 11.35 (6) A Blair 11.45.

Sammy Gaston cup road race

The third night’s racing was the Sammy Gaston cup 25 miles road race which was held over five laps of the Glarryford circuit.

The result here was in doubt until the last lap when the leaders were finally reeled in. Conor McAllister then applied the pressure and only Martin Ruddy and Alan Blair could stay with him.

McAllister went on to win in 1 hour 1 minute 44 seconds with Blair second and Ruddy third just immediately behind him.

Matthew Brennan led in a group of six some 13 seconds behind for fourth place. (5) Sam Campbell (Bann Valley) (6) Simon Taggart (7) Brian Geddis (8) Clifford Grant (9) Sammy Kerr all at 13 seconds (10) Sean Kelly (Bann Valley) (11) Ryan Currie both at 27 seconds (12) Colin Scullion at 1.26 (13) Paul Patterson (14) Nigel Kernohan both at 1.31 (15) Bobby Currie at 3.14 (16) Stephen McNeilly (17) Mark McCullough both at 4.15 (18) Sean Wright at 5.37 (19) Beresford Millar at 5.48.

The youth section was also in action with a one lap road race over the same circuit. Adam Kerr won in 14 minutes 39 seconds (2) Chris Surgeoner 15.28 (3) Adam McCullough 16.14 (4) Emma Gordon 19.48

Top 12 overall result of three day

(1) Conor McAllister 60 points (2) M Brennan 51 (3) S McNeilly 40 (4) C Grant 38 (5) B Geddis and A Blair 37 each (7) M McCullough 36 (8) S Taggart 35 (9) S Kerr 29 (10) A Kerr 26 (11) S Wright 23 (12) N Kernohan 21 points. Altogether 29 riders registered a score over the three events.

CALENDAR

Tuesday 10th August: Bann Valley are holding a road race on their Gortmacrane course at Kilrea which also doubles as the final round of the four race inter club road racing league series.

David Dougan gave Ballymena Road Club – Scott Roof Tiles – a “home win” when he took the honours in the opening round’s H&M Wilson cup event at Slaght. Then Ahoghill’s Ryan Connor won the Bann Wheelers round at Macosquin while round three at Curran went to Carn Wheelers’ rider Stephen Walsh. BRC’s Brian Geddis was runner up at Curran.

Walsh has amassed 21 points and cannot be beaten overall.

However the runner up spot is still to be decided as the minor league positions are very close. David Dougan’s and Ryan Connor’s wins earned them 10 points each and they share second place, while Brian Geddis (BRC), Robert Kennedy and Kyle Cromie (both Bann Wheelers) are equal fourth with 8 points.

Wednesday 11th August: Ballymena Road Club’s 10 miles time trial scheduled for Wednesday night and next weeks Ernie Mark cup 25 miles time trial have both been postponed because of the road works on the A26 Lisnevenagh road. Club officials expect that the disruption to traffic and possible delays will make racing conditions unsafe.

The club hopes to hold the 10 miles event on an alternative circuit while the 25 will hopefully take place on a Saturday morning in September after the completion of the road works.

Thursday 12th August. 10 miles time trial league event at The Birches from 7pm.

Saturday 14th August. West Down grand prix 50 miles road race, Katesbridge 11 am.

Saturday 14th August. Michelin team Bibsport cycling club are holding their annual BBQ tours this Saturday at 1 pm. There will be a choice of distance with 50 miles and 75 miles tours on offer. Then at 8 pm the club will host a barbecue and dance at the Michelin athletic club on the Woodside road. The entry fee for the bike ride is 5 while those doing the bike ride and attending the BBQ will pay 10. (It is also 10 for the BBQ so that means a free ride for those doing both!) Contact Stuart Knowles on 07842 879 010 for further information and for bookings.

Monday 16th August. Ballymena Road Club youth section cyclists will hold a 4.8 miles time trial from Broughshane to the Ecos roundabout and back from 7pm.

Wednesday 18th August. Ballymena road club may hold their postponed 10 miles time trial on this date if a suitable alternative venue has been sorted out.