Round 8 Cyclo Cross – Drum Manor, Cookstown

ULSTER CHAMPS – Drum Manor   Report by BVK

Congratulations to Lisa on her Silver Medal yesterday in the Ulster Champs.

Great result for the club!

Yesterday saw the Final round of the league at Drum manor, cookstown. The race hosted by Carn wheelers also doubling up as the Provinicial championship race. Gridding was based on overall league positioning, and being the most persistent of all the racers, I found myself on the front row by virtue of attending every round so far. Take note at the back here my new fellow club cyclocrossers!!

For the third week running – I managed to pull off a pretty decent start. With Holeshot specialist, Matt adair, sitting this round out, I managed to sneak into the first corner and downhill with nobody in front of me. Makes a change from my traditionally abysmal race starts of old!

Happily hurtling down the grassy straight for the first corner and into the spiral of doom, but Jason Henry had other ideas, pedalling in the big ring, in the drops, no fear. I was pretty sure he was about to test the limit of grip on his tyres past the point of no return, but he somehow held it and made it in first, with Aiken also squeezing me out. Not to worry. Men of that calibre are as good to follow as they are to lead.

HOLESHOT! by barry_kellett99, on Flickr

By the end of the field Mini beast Montgomery and NDCC’s James McMaster had also slipped past and Phoenix Junior Rory maguire was also snapping at the heels. Graham Boyd completed our happy group as we made our way out round the back of the course. A massive pile up just behind us on the next section sounded pretty bad, turned out John Bogues was practising his superman pose over the bars. Thankfully he was ok and was able to race on.

Glenn Kinning came past and so did Rory. I was just about managing to hold on to Graham as I struggled badly with the first lap pace. As the laps progressed I got round Graham and Jason and set out after Young Maguire, with the top couple of guys a wee bit too far ahead to seriously chase. Ronan McLaughlin then upset me by arriving late from nowhere. Must have been at the toilet when we started or something. Tried to draft him downhill, but that is just as ridiculous as trying to sit on him uphill. I waved as he cruised off into the distance.

Caldwell cycles Junior, Darnell Moore was hot on my heels, or maybe Rory’s, whatever, I was sandwiched between two children who were making my life complete agony. Quite amazingly (to myself) i caught Rory on the 3rd last lap and briefly passed him before he decided enough was enough and stuck in two astounding last laps to Gap me convincingly. Meanwhile Darnell got held up by a B racer on the climb, I tried to attack but it was pitiful at best and he was soon back up with me. Thankfully there were two “bus stop” sections on the final fireroad which was proving difficult for him and i got the time i needed there to hold him off.

7th Overall, scalped by two cubs just out of nappies but happy to hold off the 3rd of them, its all about small victories. 5th Senior. No cigar, or medal. But a good hard race.

Well done to all the winners, and to all the racers in general.

Photos can be found here