Bingham in pole

WITH just two rounds to go in the Bike Station Summer Cycling League Alan Bingham has a slender lead at the top of the table.

The long standing stalwart of Dundalk cycling, leads newcomer William Loughlin by just nine points.The two have been victorious over the last two rounds with Bingham taking round 15 in a mass sprint, while Loughlin was the winner of round 16, where his group managed to evade the clutches of the scratch group, which contained Bingham.

Loughlin is only 16 years old and rides with the newly formed Armagh South Down team. Behind these two sit Rosena Lynch and Andrew McAfee of Dunleer’s White River Wheelers, some 12 points behind Bingham.

The battle for the top spot will be played out on the Sportsman Circuit in round 17 followed by the final night on the Dunleer out and back course.

The leading rider’s are very dependent on their fellow group members. In Loughlin’s case he needs those around him to ride hard enough to hold off Bingham’s group, while Bingham in turn is reliant on his fellow group 6 riders to capture those in front.

McAfee, who is caught in the middle in group 5, needs to catch Loughlin’s group wile holding off group six from behind.

Lynch, despite being in the second race, is in the same situation.

On the open racing front Bingham’s good form continuedwhen he placed fourth in Saturday evening’s Kilmessan Grand Prix. The short race was furiously fast, yet despite this Bingham managed to form part of the four-man winning group which escaped with 15km to go.

The race was won by Daire Feely of Roscommon.