Cycling club announces race programme for 2015

Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – race secretary David Dougan has issued details of this season’s club race calendar.
Ballymena Road Club.Ballymena Road Club.
Ballymena Road Club.

The 23 event programme commences on Wednesday 8th April with a 22 miles “scratch” road race over two laps of the Sheddings circuit at Broughshane.

This event forms part of a three race mini series for the Tommy Smyth cup. Round two of this scratch league will be at Ahoghill on 22nd April, while the series is concluded at Slaght on the Caddy circuit on 13th May.

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The first club time trial of the season is scheduled for 15th April when the Stan Finlay memorial 10 miles event takes place on the A26 course at Woodgreen.

The first month’s racing is completed on 29th April when the H and M Wilson cup 26 miles handicapped road race takes place from Slaght over three laps of the Caddy circuit.

The majority of the club race events take place on Wednesday evenings from 8th April until the end of August.

During that time the club will promote a total of twelve road races, three 10 miles time trials two 5 miles time trials, three 25 miles time trials and one 50 miles time trial. They will also have the Grand Prix of the glens time trial over the Broughshane, Carnlough, Waterfoot, Glenariff circuit on 10th June.

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The club race season is concluded on Friday 28th August when the Sherdan Caldwell memorial hill climb takes place at Crebilly.

Race secretary David Dougan commented on this year’s programme. “There aren’t too many changes this year. The main difference is that the road race championship is a stand alone event in 2015. We have switched from the mainly flat Sheddings circuit to the more undulating Lisnamurrican course at Broughshane. It will be held on 8th July and will cover six laps – 30 miles. We can’t be running it on a flat course every year so we are varying it this time.”

The Sammy Connor cup scratch event, which in recent years has doubled up as the club road race championship, will still be held on the Sheddings circuit, it takes place on 3rd June.

The other change to the calendar relates to the running of a 25 miles circuit time trial from Slaght corner on 12th August.

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Before that however marshals needed for Wallace Caldwell memorial Open Road Race on Saturday 21st March.

David Dougan and assistant race secretary Nigel Kernohan have appealed for volunteers to assist with marshalling duties at the event, which forms part of the new National Road Series for 2015 which gets underway on the 8th March with Rás Luímní.

Entries for this Ballymena Road Club promotion opened on Monday 2nd March.

As this is the second round of the National League it is anticipated that entries will fill up quickly. The entries will be prioritised for A1 and A2 category riders with a few A3 and second year juniors to be selected by the promoting club. A reserve list will be in operation.