Road Club will be represented across all categories in 2014

The 2014 open racing season commences on 22nd February with the Annaclone Grand Prix road race, followed the next day by the Phoenix GP at Nutts Corner.

It’s hard to imagine shedding the thermal training tights for Lycra racing shorts in less than two weeks’ time but that’s exactly what the road racers will be doing.

Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles - will be represented across all categories from youth to veteran again this season.

Our only under 14 youth rider is newcomer Joel McCavana who is a brother of under 16 rider Breandan McCavana.

Breandan was the top Ballymena Road Club youth section cyclist for the 2013 season, when the St Louis grammar school student topped the club’s youth road racing league for the McAuley and Kerr cup and also won the time trial best all-rounder contest for the Samuel Mark shield.

Just for good measure he also earned the Dave Millar cup for the overall youth league, where he scored points in all disciplines – road race, time trial and hill climb.

He was also successful in the Ballymena schools cycling championship where he won the Greer cup as individual champion and also the Brian Russell schools team trophy which he and Caolan Stuart, won for St Louis.

Caolan has also joined again and will be hoping to build on an impressive first season which saw him win the Sandy Spence cup road race at Glarryford. Emma Gordon, who won the youth league in 2012, has joined again and Hayden Ritchie completes the youth line up so far.

George Graham has moved up from under 16 to junior and he will have newcomer Conor Crilly for company in the forthcoming season, while last year’s top junior Connor Young, who won the inter club road racing league and the club’s junior time trials best all-rounder competition, moves into the senior ranks. Ryan Shaw is another junior who moves into the senior category this year.

BRC ladies champion and time trial best all-rounder record holder Eileen Burns has also taken an open race licence this year and she is sure to challenge for Ulster championship medals in the coming season.

When it comes to taking part in the Road Club’s mid-week club race events the above list of juniors, and full licence holders will be joined by another 26 riders, including club time trial champion - Steven Workman, who hold club competition licences. This will give a panel of 53 potential entrants for the club races; this is a very healthy situation.

The cycling (Non race) membership category is the biggest section in the club with 58 members. This is where the club’s touring section and those who join the club to help out at events have their membership.

Annaclone now open for entries.

The eagerly awaited first race of the season is the Travers Engineering Grand Prix at Annaclone promoted by Banbridge CC. The event takes place on Saturday 22nd February. This year there will be a pre-entry system which went live on Sunday 9th February via “Entry Central”