Photos BP Media & Results Ian Barfoot (photo finish) & Promoters Lakeland CC
What a day we had in Irvinestown (Fermanagh) last Saturday…29 Celcius…on a race in Northern Ireland !! It never happened before here!! I only had to do the commentary and a few photos to be taken… these athletes have to race in it and it was at times a battle to grab a “bidon” for the welcoming water within. A fairly flat course with a straight slightly uphill finish just outside the town. The promoters Lakeland CC got about 40 entries in each of the 2 separate races which are not bad for an evening race and considering the location in the far corner of Northern Ireland. The Lady of the Lakes Race has been a feature in the calendar for many years past and is suited for a sprinter. In both races, a sprinter won…The A4 & Ladies race stayed mostly together and it was the expected bunch sprint, in the A1-2-3 & Junior handicapped race the race came together very early on and some of the big guns took charge with going up the road for most of the remainder of the race…a mini-sprint of 6 to the line as a result! One wee anecdote about the prime sprints held in the main race and sponsored by the Boatyard Distillery and the main sponsor Mozzarella Fellas…I didn’t check twice about what laps the sprints would be held at the finish line and announced at the 2nd lap as sprint lap, which was right, but some confusion about the second one…in the program, it said 4th lap ( I didn’t read…so… me bad…lol) Someone told me the 6th..not the 4th and you can guess what happened…I announced to the riders the 6th lap and my good friend and ex-graduate of the project Nathan Mullan (Dromara CC) got the first prime (a voucher for a big pizza) and he didn’t bother at the 4th lap to sprint for the second prime, as I had told the wrong info to the riders…he went for the line in the 6th lap…but the local rider Conor Sprice had read the handbook and went for the line at the right lap and won the beautiful prize, a box presentation of a locally produced bottle of gin (see the below) and donated kindly by https://www.boatyarddistillery.com…lesson learned …double check Dany boy!! Nathan and I had a laugh about it after, and gin is not good for a cyclist anyhow…lol. Thank you Lakeland CC for a brilliant HOT evening and the donation to the project..it makes a difference and able us to work in races far away from home too…the Mozzarella Fellas pizza half-time was delicious, and the soft drinks are especially appreciated on such warm day…regards Dany B and Jerome
The A4 & Women’s Race
1.Mervyn Kinkade DB Cycling Club
2.Rory Gamble Lakeland CC
3.Fergus McGirr Lakeland CC
4.William McFarland Unattached Ulster
5.Pearse West DB Cycling Club
6.Christopher Babb Lagan Valley Cycling Club
7.Karl Atkinson Emyvale CC
8.Simon Gray Unattached Ulster
9.David O Neill Inspired Cycling
10. Gary Donnelly Fintona CC Westtyronevelo
Women’s Podium 1st. Emma Smith Navan RC, 2nd.Alison Higgins Four Masters CC 3rd. Maria McAllister TC Racing
Unplaced Promoting Club Rider: Michael Pickles Lakeland CC
The A1-A2-A3 & Junior race
1.Darnell Moore Team Caldwell Cycles
2.Mark McGinley Four Masters CC
3.Nathan Mullan Dromara CC (1st prime winner)
4.Conor McCann Inspired Cycling
5.Darragh McCarter Spellman-Dublin Port
6.Conor Sprice Lakeland CC (2nd prime winner)
7.Ciaran Dixon Phoenix CC
8.Michael Gormley Carn Wheelers
9.Aaron Quinn Four Masters CC
10.Mark McGirr Lakeland CC
Unplaced A2: Keith O’Donnell Four Masters CC
Unplaced A3: Gareth Talbot Harps CC
Unplaced Junior: Joseph Owens Team Caldwell Cycles
Unplaced Promoting Club: Philip Bremner Lakeland CC
