Last Road Race of the season (A3) in Ulster (Armagh City) won by 1st year Junior Matthew Devins from Yeats Country (22nd September)

Photo’s and report courtesy of promoters Armagh City Cyclists

The weather may not have favoured us but that didn’t deter 47 eager A3s from pinning on their numbers for one last time this season. The race started off steadily due to the torrential rain and slippery under wheel conditions. This, however, wasn’t to the liking of Micheal O’Neill (unattached) who decided he would go full gas from halfway round lap 1. He eeked out the gap second by second and at 35 miles he had 1min 45 seconds on the bunch. Unfortunately for him tho this was as good as it got and as the main peloton picked up the pace the gap wud fall rapidly. He was caught at the bell and at this point, the attacking also kicked off. Three men would eventually form the race-winning break and they were the in-form junior from Yeats Country CC, Matthew Devins, Richard McCarron of Phoenix who was an ever-present at the front and Alan Mackay the big powerhouse from Rossbury racing. These three proved they were the strongest on the day and as they came round the final corner they had enough of a gap that they could play cat and mouse until Devins dropped the hammer and took off around the 150m mark and that was that. Well done to all the riders today in testing conditions, and to all the marshals and helpers, whom without, these races wouldn’t be possible, and especially Greg Rice for pulling everything together & DC Boats for sponsoring the prizes.