A bit of a "Holy Day" in Northern Ireland as competitive cycling started again yesterday (Sat 24th April) with the "Travers Engineering Annaclone GP" promoted by Banbridge CC...The support race (A4+women) in the morning and the main race for A1-A2-A3 (incl. Juniors) in the afternoon to avoid crowding...

A thank you to our loyal Belgian Project volunteers of the media team David Mc Veigh and Jerome Mc Namara (left)

Foreword Dany B: The day finally came in the North of Ireland…competitive cycling is back, maybe in reduced form but hey…we will not complain. Up since the crack of dawn, like a wee kid on Christmas morning…My dear wife Maggie had made some food for the day and told me not to rush..she finally was freed of her grumpy ol’ man for the day…cooked up home both since last December does that to you …lol…A big smile on her face to see us going too. Only an hour away to the rolling countryside of the Banbridge area near the foot of the Mourne Mountains in the sleepy village of Annaclone (Down) Sunshine welcomed us…Our photographer and gadget man David stayed around the finish area to do his thing, while yours truly and my brother in law Jerome took the rolling roads to take some shots and encouraging the riders when passing…just loved every minute of it…great to meet up again with the riders, getting the latest gossip and get a chance to meet up with the youngsters who race for foreign teams but still waiting to travel to their destinations in the continent or Britain, it brings a few different colours of jersey’s in the peloton and also one of the few times we will see them racing home…Here the link to David Mc Veigh’s photo album and videos of the races yesterday…they are sublime …but judge for yourself >> Well done Banbridge CC and a big thank you for putting on the race with so many headaches involved in times like this https://www.flickr.com/photos/thebelgianproject/albums/72157719017238254

Morning race with the A4’s and A3-4 women

They certainly can hold themselves amongst the male riders…Also well wishes to Katie Neill (TC Racing) here seen in the middle…she had a nasty crash passing the finish line and lots of road rash as a result…her helmet done the job as it was smashed in 3 places…we wish her a speedy recovery plus the others who came down at the same time

1 Karl Love VC Glendale 01:25:00 01:25:00
2 Chris Oakley VC Glendale
3 Peter Elliott VC Iveagh
4 John Kernaghan West Down Wheelers
5 Dermot McCabe Island Wheelers
6 Rob Adams U/A Ulster
7 David Brown Shimna Wheelers
8 John Ferrity Island Wheelers
9 Maia Simmons Canyon Development (1st Woman)
10 Irwin McKee Banbridge CC
11 Cliffy Hamilton Newry Wheelers
12 Fergus McGirr Lakeland Wheelers
13 Chris Burns Banbridge CC Para cyclist
14 Andrew Rainey Ballymena Road Club
15 Justin Bloomer Harps CC
16 Mark O’Neill Armagh Down CC
17 Darcey Harkness VC Glendale
18 Dawn Harte Armagh Down CC
19 Nigel Foster Lakeland Wheelers
20 Katie Neill TC Racing
21 Sean Jordan Island Wheelers
22 John Berry Armagh City Cyclists
23 Danny Browne Lakeland Wheelers
24 Gediminas Skirmantas Newry Wheelers
25 Ryan Andrews Ards CC
26 Philip Dickey Ballymena Road Club
27 Fergal Duffy Armagh City Cyclists
28 John McCambridge Clann Eireann
29 Chris Wheeler Team Madigan
30 Erin Grace Creighton McConvey Cycles
31 Aidan Lafferty Island Wheelers
32 Anthony Wylie Dromara Cycling Club
33 Ben Bowler Phoenix CC
34 Anthony O’Hare Armagh Down CC
35 Peadar Curran Banbridge CC
36 Jason Weir West Down Wheelers
37 Trevor Wright U/A Ulster
38 Marty Lynch Newry Wheelers

The afternoon race for A+ A1-2-3 (including juniors)

**Gareth O’ Neill (Team Caldwell Cycles Omagh) took a brilliant win helped by his teammates, who kept the door close to any party poopers**!

Result: 1 Gareth O’Neill Team Caldwell Cycles 1:51:44
2 Nathan Mullan Dromara CC 1:51:58
3 Darnell Moore Team Caldwell Cycles
4 Fergus Callaghan Four Masters CC 1st A2
5 Darren Rafferty Velleneuve Cycliste
6 Lindsay Watson Powerhouse Sport
7 Ciaran Maguire VC Glendale
8 Alan Bingham Newry Wheelers
9 Kevin McKinney Armagh City Cyclists
10 Paul-Antoine Hagan Banbridge CC 1st A3
11 Craig McAuley Team Caldwell Cycles
12 Dean Harvey VC Glendale
13 Chris McGlinchey Pro-Team Spectra
14 David Connor Armagh City Cyclists
15 Rowan Montgomery Ballymoney CC
16 Christopher Donald Spellman-Dublin Port
17 Cahir Doyle PowerHouse Sport
18 Lee Harvey VC Glendale
19 Robert Kennedy Ballymena Road Club
20 Oisin Rogers Armagh City Cyclists
21 Conor Sprice Lakeland
22 Fergus Byrne Ballymena Road Club
23 Michael Green Phoenix CC
24 Jamie Gregg Dromore CC
25 Jonathan Denvir Dromore CC
26 TBC Dromore CC
27 Nathan Keown Dan Morrissey-McArthy -Pactimo
28 Stuart Millar Ards CC
29 Jonathan Taylor North Down CC
30 Francis Donnelly Clann Eireann
31 Daniel Purdy Banbridge CC
32 Richard McBride Banbridge CC
33 Rory Loughran Newry Wheelers
34 Aaron Wiley Team Caldwell Cycles
35 Mark Kendall Banbridge CC
36 Liam Crichton Velo Café Magasin
37 Ciaran Dixon Phoenix CC
38 Phil Doyle Ards CC
39 John Morton Harps CC
40 Kevin Lynch Newry Wheelers