Tommy gives Road Club second victory of season

Veteran Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – member Tommy Wilson gave the club its second win of the season when he was first home in Saturday’s A4 race at the John Beggs memorial events at Dromore.
Ballymena Road Club veteran Tommy Wilson won Saturday's event at Dromore.Ballymena Road Club veteran Tommy Wilson won Saturday's event at Dromore.
Ballymena Road Club veteran Tommy Wilson won Saturday's event at Dromore.

Tommy gave a typically modest account of his win. “There isn’t really much I can say about the race because I was up the road for most of the three laps with Lee Clarke from Orchard CC, and I don’t know what was going on behind us.

A fair sized bunch rolled out at the start in our race and, as usual, Banbridge put on a good hard race on a different circuit which was rolling and hilly. It started to get a bit cat and mouse near the end with the chasing bunch not too far behind. I managed to jump clear, with 500m to go, and stayed away. It’s good to get a race win again.

WALLACE CALDWELL

MEMORIAL

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Following on from the success of the recent Red Hand Trophy road race Ballymena Road Club are looking forward to the club’s next big promotion – the Wallace Caldwell memorial road race - which is scheduled to take place at Galgorm this Saturday 12th April.

The local Ballymena Road Club have ten entrants in the event, they are – Chris Beattie, Matthew Brennan, Michael Carroll, Conor Crilly, George Graham, Clifford Grant, William Loughridge, Ryan Shaw, Simon Taggart and Karl Taylor.

The race starts from Galgorm at 11am and follows a route to Ahoghill, Portglenone, Maghera, Garvagh, Ringsend and then the tough climb to the Cam forest. Then it’s a fast downhill sweep to the outskirts of Limavady before turning right and the even tougher climb up to the Springwell forest. Then it’s on towards Coleraine before turning right on to the Garvagh road and left through Aghadowey to the Brown Trout.

The final miles take in Kilrea, the outskirts of Rasharkin and on to the Lisnahunshin road and on through Killyless before descending Ballyconnelly road to the Galgorm finish at Wrightbus, a total distance of 74 miles. The event starts at 11am and usually finishes around 2pm.

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Race organiser David Dougan says “The Wallace Caldwell Memorial has attracted a full field of 80 riders from all over the country.

“The recent winner of the Blair International Transport - Red Hand Trophy, Fraser Duncan, will start as a heavily marked man but others on form are Sean McIntyre - Orchard CC, Daniel Stewart - East Antrim and Ronan McLaughlin - Dig Deep Coaching.

“Ballymena have ten riders in the field with the Simon Taggart a man with good legs at present having recently taken a very good second place at the Carn Classic in
Maghera.

“I would ask for anyone who can help marshall on the day to contact me and I’d like to thank J&R Keys tile shop of Castle Street and Woodside’s Chemist Church Street for their continued sponsorship.”

HOSPICE BOOST

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A small group of Ballymena Road Club touring section members took part in a cycle ride to Stranocum last Saturday to support a fund raising “coffee morning” which took place at the home of fellow club mate Davy Rankin.

The fund raiser was to assist Jade McAfee from Stranocum, who has a very rare genetic disorder from the MPS family, called Sanfilippo 3A.

Many thanks for the kindness offered by Pearl and Davy Rankin for providing the refreshments on Saturday after the cycle ride on what was a blustery damp spring morning. Well done to all who participated. The money raised for the hospice was £150.

SYMPATHY

Ballymena Road Club members and officials were saddened to hear of the death of Mrs Maisie Bonar last week. Maisie, who was Ballymena Road Club’s “club person of the year” in 2007 passed away early on Monday 31st
March.

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Her funeral took place from West Church on Wednesday 2nd April to Ballee cemetery. There was a large representation of road club members at the funeral.

The club extends sympathy to their Club Vice President Rex Bonar, his daughters Anne and Sally his son Alex and the entire family circle at this very sad time.

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