Cycling club celebrates 60th anniversary at prize night

This year’s event will also celebrate the club’s 60th anniversary.

This is the highlight of the club’s social season and represents an opportunity, not only to present the perpetual trophies and honour their recipients, but also to acknowledge the support and assistance, both financial and in kind, of all the club’s generous backers. Amongst the guests this year is founder member Sammy Kerr and his wife Prudence.

All the winners.

This season’s club race series was sponsored by Northstone, which was the company’s thirty second season backing the Railway Street based club.

The youth section events were organised by Leo McCavana, who was kept very busy throughout the season.

Breandan McCavana was again the top youth section rider and won four trophies, which included the Samuel Mark shield for the youths’ time trial BAR, with an average speed of 25.793 mph. This was a marked improvement from his winning speed in 2013 which was 22.796 mph. Caolan Stuart finished second in the B.A.R. with 22.380mph with Joel McCavana third with 20.774

Breandan also won the “schools championship”, which this season was decided over two events – the Sandy Spence cup at Glarryford, which he won, and the Sherdan Caldwell memorial hill climb at Crebilly.

Breandan, as the individual winner, will collect the Greer cup and, along with his St Louis school mate Caolan Stuart, the Brian Russell inter schools trophy.

Breandan’s brother Joel won the Kerr and McAuley cup for the youth road racing league. Joel also won the Dave Millar cup for the season long youth racing league which included time trials and road races and the Clarkes tyres cup for the road race at Broughshane.

The club’s ladies champion is Eileen Burns and she will collect the “rose bowl” as winner of the ladies time trial BAR, with a record average speed of 26.836 mph. She also finished first in the ladies league.

John Maxwell topped the veterans section for the Henderson cup. He won this age standard contest by beating his standard times, over 10, 25 and 50 miles, by a total of 48 minutes 14 seconds.

Ryan Bankhead won the William Smyth cup for the club’s road racing league series. This series included his win in the Star Trophy GP of the Glens RR. Ryan also won the three event “scratch road race” mini-series, for the Tommy Smyth cup. Ryan also tied with Matthew Brennan for the Ballymena Borough Council cup in the three day race.

Matthew Brennan won the Tommy Talbot cup for the GP of the Glens time trial.

Jason Burns won the club’s time trial handicap league competition. Jason will be one of the major winners on Friday night as he will have four pieces of silverware to collect. These will include the Combat Cancer 25 cup, The McQuigg 50 cup, the Rex Bonar road race cup and the season long Time Trial handicap league cup.

Sean Wright was back on form in 2014 and he had two road race wins with success coming in the H and M Wilson cup event at Slaght and the Sammy Gaston cup road race at Glarryford.

Steven Workman has successfully retained the Club’s Time Trial best all-rounder champion’s title for a fifth successive season and he too will collect four items of silverware. These include: the Sam McQuigg cup for the club’s senior time trial best all-rounder competition, with an average speed of 27.640 mph.

Steven’s other trophy wins are the Stan Finlay memorial 10 miles time trial, the Ernie Mark cup 25 miles time trial and the Water Margin cup, which goes to the club rider with the fastest 10 miles time trial of the season. Steven’s winning time was 20 minutes 37 seconds.

Other winners of perpetual trophies in 2014 include:

Karl Taylor won the Sammy Connor cup at Broughshane, which this year was the club’s road race championship.

Harry Thompson won the Will Henry cup road race at Glarryford.

Laura Blair who won the Gardiner cup 10 miles time trial.

Colin Scullion won the Sherdan Caldwell memorial shield for the Crebilly hill climb.

The final trophy in the club’s collection is the “Friendship cup” which is awarded each season to the club member who is deemed to have made the best non-competitive effort during the year.

This “club person” of the year award won’t be announced until Friday night, we will just keep you guessing until then.

TICKETS. If you haven’t paid yet then please get your money to club treasurer Richard Wilson urgently.

FUN TOUR ELEVEN

Sixty eight riders took part in last Saturday’s fun tour which was the eleventh in the series and the first opportunity to win gold medals.

Nine riders have full attendance so far this year and they earned their gold on Saturday, they were, Sean Elliott, John Elliott Iris Grant, Sammy Kerr, Jackie Knowles, Pius McKernan, Martin Ruddy, Maxine Surgenor and Rex Bonar.

Eight earned silver for eight or more tours: Geoff Bell, Jackson Currie, Jim Doherty, Ronnie Grant, Peter Kearney, Harold McKinney, Alastair Petticrew and Peter Simpson.

Seven won their bronze for five tours: Declan Butler, Michael Carroll, Christina Clarke, Judy Mahon, Gary Simms, Emma Smyth and Gary Worthington

The touring group completed a 40 miles ride to Dunminning, Glarryford, Dunloy, Ballymoney, Bravallen, Duneaney, Carclinty and Cullybackey.

The B run was 50 miles at 17.2 average. There were 24 riders and they went by Cullybackey, Kilrea, Upperlands, Maghera, Knockloughrim, Gulladuff, Culnady, Clady, Portglenone, Ahoghill and home.

The “A” group had 13 riders and they completed a hilly 65 miles route. This took in Larne, Gleno, Ballycarry and back to Larne. Then it was over the Star Bog road to Carnalbanagh and home.