Currie claims win ‘double’ in Road Club series

BALLYMENA Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – veteran rider Ryan Currie had double reason to celebrate last week whenever he won both events in the Northstone sponsored club race series.

Ryan, from Westbourne Avenue in the town, was the surprise winner of Saturday’s Grand Prix of the Glens road race for the Star Trophy and he followed this up with victory in Wednesday night’s 5 miles time trial at Woodgreen.

The Glens race started in Broughshane and was to follow a route to Carnlough, Garron Tower, Waterfoot and Glenariff before racing back in through Cargan, Martinstown and Rathkenny before finishing on the Ballygarvey road at Broughshane.

The 29 entrants were dispatched in three groups with a total handicap of ten minutes. Groups two and three came together in Waterfoot and almost immediately they then caught the front group, just as the race commenced the near six miles climb up Glenariff glen.

Chris Beattie set off at great speed at the start but mid-way up the climb Matthew Brennan and Connor Young moved clear although their lead was never more than 20 seconds with Tommy Wilson and Chris Beattie riding strongly to keep them in sight.

It wasn’t until after Cargan that these two were re-captured and then there were numerous attacks by the likes of Wilson and Beattie in the final stages of the race. A late, lone attack by last year’s winner, Michael Carroll (Bann Valley) on the Ballygarvey road, almost proved successful but he was caught virtually on the line by the sprinting pack.

Ryan Currie, by his own admission, isn’t the best climber, although he has improved considerably this season, but he certainly can sprint and he came past Carroll to take a well deserved win.

Junior rider Connor Young also had enough left in his legs, despite his earlier efforts, to take second place with Carroll holding on for third. The winner’s time was 1 hour 41 minutes 28 seconds.

Other results were (4) Matthew Brennan (5) Chris Beattie (6) Stephen McAllister (Ballymoney) (7) Tommy Wilson (8) Ryan Shaw (9) Dean McElfatrick (Bann Valley) (10) Uel Cunningham (Michelin) (11) Nigel Kernohan (12) S McNally (Bann Valley) (13) G McNally (Bann Valley) (14) Liam O’Connor (Bann Valley) (15) J McElderry (Bann Valley) (16) Alan Blair (17) Clifford Grant (18) Stephen Smyth (19) Maeve Savage (20) Emma Smyth (21) Brian Geddis (22) Peter Smyth (23) Bobby Currie.

ROAD RACING LEAGUE

The club’s 2012 road racing league series, for the William Smyth cup, has now reached the half-way point for the season. After four rounds Ryan Currie leads with 28 points, having been second in both the H&M Wilson cup (Slaght) and A Bonar cup (Broughshane) and scoring another 10 points for last week’s win in the Star trophy.

Connor Young who had a maximum score at Clough is second on 25 points with Bonar cup winner Nigel Kernohan third on 24. Next it is Chris Beattie 23 Matthew Brennan 21 and Ryan Shaw 17 points.

The next round is tonight’s Sammy Connor cup scratch road race over three laps of the Broughshane, Buckna, Sheddings circuit.

YOUTHS

George Graham won the Ballymena RC youths 5 miles time trial from the Sheddings to Broughshane on Monday night (9th July) in a time of 13 minutes 15 seconds Breandan McCavana was second with 14.04

FIVE MILES TIME TRIAL

Ryan Currie’s second win of the week came in Wednesday night’s (11th July) 5 miles time trial on the Woodgreen to Ballee course.

Currie, a former BRC time trial best all-rounder champion, produced a winning time of 10 minutes 37 seconds. Connor Young was again runner up with 10 minutes 42 seconds, while current club champion, Steven Workman, was third with 10.51.

Other results were (4) Matthew Brennan 11.01 (5) Nigel Kernohan 11.44 (6) Adrian Kerr 11.55 (7) Ryan Shaw 12.06 (8) Peter Smyth 12.16 (9) Stephen Smyth 12.19 (10) Emma Smyth 12.47 (11) Louise Fullerton 12.58 (12) Leo McCavana 13.00 (13) Bobby Currie 13.13 (14) Maeve Savage 13.20 (15) Claire Gillespie 13.28

Handicap. Connor Young continues to improve and his PB ride won the handicap section with a net time of 10 minutes 48 seconds, which was just 1 second faster than Emma Smyth’s 10.49 (3) and (4) tie Nigel Kernohan and Claire Gillespie both 11.04 (5) Ryan Shaw 11.15 (6) Maeve Savage 11.22.

The time trial handicap league has also reached the half-way point of the season and after five rounds Nigel Kernohan and Emma Smyth are joint leaders with 16 points each. Ryan Shaw is third on 9 points with Jason Burns fourth on 7 points. Sean Wright and Connor Young have 6 points each with Ryan Currie, Sammy Kerr and Eileen McFarland next on 5 points each.

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