Steven to the ‘four’ as he notches another Best All-Rounder accolade

Steven Workman has successfully retained his Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – Time Trial best all-rounder champions title for a fourth successive season.
Steven Workman has retained his Ballymena Road Club Time Trial best all-rounder champions title for a fourth successive season.Steven Workman has retained his Ballymena Road Club Time Trial best all-rounder champions title for a fourth successive season.
Steven Workman has retained his Ballymena Road Club Time Trial best all-rounder champions title for a fourth successive season.

Steven, who first joined the club in 2009, had another great season in the club’s Northstone sponsored series of club time trials and he will collect four items of silverware at next week’s club prize presentation dinner.

The premier prize is, of course, the Sam McQuigg cup for the club’s senior time trial best all-rounder competition. This has three qualifying distances at 10 miles 25 miles and 50 miles.

Workman’s winning times were; 20 minutes 00 seconds for 10 miles, 55 minutes 04 seconds for 25 miles and 1 hour 53 minutes 51 seconds for 50 miles. This represents a winning overall average speed of 27.863 mph, a speed which is the fastest of Steven’s four winning rides. In 2010 Workman won with 27.408mph, in 2011 it was 27.181mph, while last year it was 27.290 mph.

Runner up this season is the veterans’ age standard club champion Michael Carroll with times of 21.39 (10 miles) 55.26 (25) and 1 hour 57 minutes 41 seconds (50 miles) for an average speed of 26.755 mph.

Last year’s runner up, Ryan Currie, is third this time with 25.844 mph while Nigel Kernohan takes fourth with a personal best speed of 25.301 mph. (5) Tommy Wilson 25.062 mph. (6) David Kennedy 23.847mph. (7) Jason Burns 23.735 mph. (8) Adrian Kerr 23.726. (9) Jim Burns 23.589 mph (10) Martin Ruddy 22.921 mph. (11) John Maxwell 22.732 mph. (12) Bobby Currie 22.121 mph (13) Beresford Millar 20.499 mph.

Trophy two for Steven was the Ernie Mark cup 25 miles time trial at Woodgreen on 19th June when his winning time was 55 minutes 04 seconds.

Workman also won the Grand Prix of the glens time trial on 3rd July, when his winning time of 1 hour 38 minutes 23 seconds earned him the Tommy Talbot cup. This year’s glens event was different to normal as it started on the Carnlough road in Broughshane, instead of the Ecos roundabout. The race finished back in the Ballygarvey road to Broughshane, this was to avoid a band parade in the village.

Steven’s fourth trophy was 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 00 seconds recorded at Woodgreen on 10th July.

YOUNG TOP JUNIOR

Connor Young has won the Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – junior time trial best all-rounder competition for the 2013 season.

Connor’s best all-rounder times were: 5 miles 10 minutes 22 seconds recorded on the Woodgreen to Ballee course on 17th July. His 10 miles time was 21 minutes 05 seconds at Woodgreen on 10th July and 57 minutes 31 seconds in the Combat Cancer cup 25 miles Time Trial on 1st May, again at Woodgreen.

These times represented a winning average speed of 27.826mph, an improvement from his 2012 winning speed which was 27.466 mph.

Connor Young also emerged as the overall winner of the Inter-Club road race series for the 2013 season and he repeated his achievement of last season by winning a silver medal in the 2013 Ulster Road Race Championships on the “Dark Hedges” circuit at Stranocum.

FUN TOUR TEN

The cyclists on Saturday’s Ballymena Road Club – Chain Reaction Cycles – fun tours certainly made the most of the bright and dry conditions.

A total of 62 riders assembled at Rex Bonar house at the start and once again they headed out in three groups.

The touring section completed a 45 miles ride which took in Caddy to Randalstown, Antrim, Dunadry, Parkgate, Doagh, Ballyclare, Ballyeaston and back to Ballymena in the main Larne road via Glenwherry, the Battery and Moorfields.

Club chairman John Maxwell led a group of eleven on a 54 miles circular route to Kilrea, Garvagh, Maghera, Portglenone and Ahoghill.

The “A” group had the furthest and fastest tour as they completed a 60 miles ride at 18.9 mph. Their route was Whitesides corner to Randalstown, Staffordstown, Toomebridge, Ballyronan, Loup, Moneymore, Desertmartin, Tobermore, Maghera, Portglenone, Tully and Ahoghill.

Another £20 was donated to the charity fund on Saturday and this now stands at a total of £930, and, with three more weeks to go the £1000 target may still be reached, especially if those who haven’t made a donation yet can do so.

Saturday was ride ten in the series and 16 riders earned bronze or silver medals.

The successful riders were: Bronze (for five tours) Maura Bradley, George Graham, Paul Jackson, Leo McAllister, Alice McClean, Harold McKinney, Owen McLaughlin, Sean Wright and Laurence O’Neill.

Earning silver for eight tours were: Sammy Connor, Bobby Currie, Iris Grant, John McAllister, Martin Ruddy, Andrew Wills and Wilnor Worthington.

DINNER A SELL-OUT

Ballymena Road Club’s annual prize presentation dinner and dance, which is scheduled to be held at Eaton Park on Friday 22nd November has sold out.

Several club members are on a reserve list and are eagerly awaiting a cancellation, in order to be able to attend. For this reason ALL those who have booked a ticket and haven’t paid yet must do so this week. All unpaid tickets will be sold at next Monday night’s club meeting. Please contact Richard Wilson for details.

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