Cian turns up heat ahead of World Games
STAMULLEN Road Club rider Cian Delaney completed his preparations for the upcoming World Police & Fire Games in Los Angeles with a strong showing in Sunday’s Brendan Campbell Memorial Senior race at Donore, just outside Drogheda.
Just as in the previous three years, the promoting club Drogheda Wheelers had to cope with torrential rain, thunder and mini floods, but almost a hundred riders from as far away as Cork, Mayo, Donegal, Tyrone and Antrim set out from Donore to contest the event, held over 13 laps on a short handicap basis.
The Senior A3 and Junior riders were given an advantage of two minutes over the Senior A1 riders, but it only took four laps of the circuit for all the groups to come together. Racing was extremely fast from the drop of the flag, and with five laps remaining a seven-man group went clear which included Delaney (Stamullen Road Club) and Ian Richardson from Slane who competes with UCD.
These riders were quickly joined by three more riders, swelling the leading break to 10 men. These leaders never gained any more than 40 seconds over the peleton.
With three laps remaining Delaney went off out front on a solo run, but he too was hauled in by the break and going out on the final lap 27 seconds covered the whole race, but the original break worked well together and man- aged to hold off the chasing pack.
Inside the final kilometre Mark Potts (Neon Velo Club), the newly-crowned All-Ireland Criterium champion, sprung a surprise on his rivals by jumping off the front and grabbing a four-second lead, which he managed to hold onto, taking a fabulous clear victory.
Adam Stenson (Bikeworx CC) came home second, with Matteo Cigala (Aqua Blue Academy) third, Aengus Fyffee from Omagh CC fourth, Summerhill native Mark Reilly fifth and Delaney sixth.
In the Senior A2 section, Barry Hughes from Drogheda Wheelers finished third.
Earlier in the day, when weather conditions were much nicer, the Senior A4 race was held and covered eight laps of the same circuit. Here victory went to Robert Baer from St Tiernan’s CC in Dublin.
At the prize presentation in Donore NS, both Drogheda Wheelers CC chairman Andrew Watters and Race Promoter Gerard Campbell thanked everybody who helped make the race a success. He reserved special thanks for the race stewards who stood out all day in horrific weather conditions.
This Friday Cian Delaney will leave Dublin Airport for Los Angeles, where he will be taking part in the World Police & Fire Games.
Cian will compete in five different cycling disciplines throughout the week - a Criterium (short circuit race), Hill Climb, Time Trial, Road Race and Sprints Competition.
His Stamullen Road Club teammate Craig Sweetman was also scheduled to compete in these games, but cruelly an injury picked up in a cycle race mishap ruled him out for the rest of the season.
On Monday night of last week the Mark Mullen Memorial League came to a close. This was most definitely one of the most successful Leagues since it first began 22 years ago, with 20 clubs represented over the six weeks - including one from Australia who happened to be in Drogheda on holidays.
Going into the final round, Niall Craven from the promoting Drogheda Wheelers CC was holding a three-point lead over 17-year old Liam Hanley from Lucan CC.
After some terrific racing Craven won the sprint in the final metres from Arek Klus (Stamullen RC), with Richie McMullen from Ardee CC coming home in third place.
Craven was deemed the overall winner with a total of 47 points, Hanley was second with 39, McMullen third on 35, Alan Malone (Ardee CC) fourth on 34, Ross Cadogan (Clontarf CC) fifth with 28 and Klus sixth on 27.
The overall winner of the underage section was Seamus Connor from Drogheda Wheelers CC, with teammate Darragh Lenehan second and Stamullen’s Pearce and Grace Gorman third and fourth.
Afterwards, everybody piled into the Thatch Bar for refreshments and the prize presentation. Gerard Campbell from Drogheda Wheelers CC thanked everybody associated with the Mark Mullen Memorial League for their help.
Superintendent Andrew Watters presented the prizes and Rosemary Mullen, wife of the late Mark Mullen, presented the Marble Trophy to League winner Niall Craven, and Seamus Connor was presented with a beautiful shield for his victory.