Club Notes weekend 16th February 2014
Brian O’Neill and Paddy Rohan displaying fine performances at the first open race of the season last Sunday
One would need to think back several weeks to before Christmas to recall a weekend club ride where the weather was clement and cycling conditions were almost pleasant. Thankfully the predicted forecast didn’t bear as much fruit as previous weeks. Periodic spells of blue sky and low winds presented a welcomed alternative to several windswept and very wet weeks for club members and cycling continued in earnest.
Making hay on Saturday, a group of seven riders set off on the race-training spin to cover 85km. The route set off toward Portumna before two riders fell foul to the poor road conditions and had to abandon due to mechanical problems caused by the same pothole. With abandoned riders safe, the remaining riders continued on to Borrisokane and back to Nenagh.
Sunday saw the first Open Race of the cycling season, the Ned Flanagan Memorial which was held in Monasterevin, Co. Kildare. This year, this 60km race was run over three separate races accommodating A1/A2, A3/Womens, and A4 categories with each race group starting three minutes apart. Paddy Rohan and Brian O’Neill (pictured) represented the North Tipperary Wheelers in the A3 and A4 categories respectively. Over a relatively flat route, the A4 bunch split over the Heath, and Brian found himself in the right group heading home. With only a few kilometres to go, Brian moved to the front and proceeded to breakaway only to be caught in the closing metres for the line. Despite this, Brian secured a very respectable 8th position overall in the A4 category. Paddy raced equally well and not wanting to show too much early season form, secured a position within the top 15. Congratulations to both Brian and Paddy. At home, Sunday saw a number of A3 category Wheelers partake in a joint training ride with the DMG Racing Team over a 150km circular route from Nenagh in advance of next weeks Open Race – the Lacey Cup in Tralee.
Club training rides will continue this week with night cycling on Tuesday night from the Five Alley at 7.30pm, Thursday night and Sunday morning from Moynan’s Bike Shop (Nenagh) and Saturday morning 9am from Woodies carpark Streame. Members and new members are asked to check club facebook for regular club updates.
As spring is technically upon us, this is a great time for the leisure cyclist group to get back out together. The leisure cycle group is scheduled to deaprt each Sunday morning from Moynan’s Bike Shop Nenagh at 9am.