Club Notes Weekend of Sunday 7th September 2014
A selection of the Cycle to Croker group from last Saturday
For most, the weekend sports action may have been dictated by events in Croke Park, but for five Wheelers, their attention was firmly fixed in competing in the last multi-stage event of the cycling calendar – the Charleville 2 day race in Co.Cork. This two-day 3 stage event includes two road races and one individual time trial with the winner in each category decided on the shortest combined time over the three events. In the A3 event, the efforts of Pat Bergin and Dan Hogan would prove unfruitful. Despite going into the last road race in 7th position overall, Pat Bergin would suffer in the final road race losing vital time on the climbs and both riders would finish well down on general classification. It was much better news in the A4 category with Mikey Connors taking 12th spot in the final 80km road race thereby securing 10th position overall in the A4 general classification after consistent results in the first road race and in the time trial. This is an incredible result as Mikey’s overall time after the 3 events was only 54seconds off the winning time after 5 hours and 18 minutes of racing. Well done to Mikey, and to Eoin Woods who also raced the A4 category and to Julie White in the A4/Ladies race.
Weekend training spins and leisure rides are still continuing into September making use of the warm autumnal conditions. Thursday night club racing has been replaced by a training ride that leaves Moynans Bike Shop, Nenagh shop at 6pm and is provided in addition to the Tuesday night training ride which also leaves the same location and same time. The senior group are still putting in high mileage spins recording a 100km route on Sunday last taking in a return route from Nenagh that included Borrisokane, Cloughjordan, Shinrone, Roscrea and Toomevara. A total of 20+ riders departed on this same route with the leisure group taking a shortened version after a well deserved coffee stop in Cloughjordan. Certainly an attractive component to any Sunday spin and perhaps this is something that the senior and racing groups could learn from the leisure group.
The Road to Croker
On Sat morning last a small group from the club joined with members of the Lower Ormond Cycling club and participants from our own Women on Wheels programme at the Courthouse in Nenagh as part of the “Blue and Gold Cycle” where members were invited to participate in the first leg of the cycle to Croke Park. The awareness raising exercise was to promote next Saturday’s Shannon Suir event in aid of North Tipperary Hospice. The group were led out from Nenagh by one of our own members and former Tipperary star, Dinny Ryan (1991 All Ireland winner) as well as Michael Cleary from the victorious 1991 team. On arrival in Roscrea the group were joined by members of Upperchurch Cycling Club and greeted by another Tipp star from the past, local man Francis Loughnane. Henry Healy was also present representing the Obama Plaza, sponsors of next Saturday’s event.
From Roscrea two members of the club, John Foote and Michal Molamphy, continued to Dublin along with four cyclists from Borrisokane and four from Upperchurch. Conditions were perfect, the atmosphere superb and a superb spin was enjoyed with the riders arriving at City West Hotel in the mid afternoon. Sincere thanks to the staff of the hotel, led by Borrisokane man John O’ Farrell, for the fantastic reception, use of leisure facilities and very welcome refreshments.
Don’t forget all this was to raise awareness of next Saturday’s Shannon Suir Cycle which departs from Dromineer at 10am. As our club is the official partner of this event we really need as many as possible to help out on the day. If you are willing to cycle, marshal, drive or just give your time is any way on Saturday please phone or text 087 2044324. We are particularly looking for people to help with the family cycle which leaves from the town at 3.30. Also perhaps you could consider holding a collection in your place of work on Friday, a euro or two from all our colleagues would all add up to a sizeable sum.
Evening and weekend spins will continue this week including the very successful ‘WoW’ (Women on Wheels) programme being run jointly with the North Tipperary Sports Partnership that will leave Stereame Car Park Neangh again on Wednesday at 6.45pm. All female cyclists are welcome. Road worthy bicycle and helmet compulsory. Tuesday and Thursday nights soins are as previously stated, Saturday morning for the race training and intermediate group (9am from Stereame Car Park) and Sunday morning for leisure, intermediate and senior groups (9am from Moynans). All levels are catered for on Sunday morning so feel free to come along if you are new to cycling and a specicial welcome to any of those new WoW cyclists. For further details of any club events or club membership please contact club chairperson Pat Bergin 0876744400.