06/05/14 – Madigan and Ballymena Take Ulster Team TT Champs

This morning some of the visiting teams in this year's giro D'Italia were sampling Irish roads and unfortunately, Irish weather. However today was a 'soft' day in comparison to the condidtions which the thirty three teams from around Ulster experienced last night at Woodgreen. The Ulster team time trial championships were being promoted by Phoenix CC and everyone was in high spoirtits. The weather was dry and the  sun was trying to come out. But it was only an illusion of good weather to come.

Not long after the last of the teams were pushed off the sky began to darken and it looked like the end of the world. Then the skies opened to torrential rain which continued until just after the last rider finished.

One or two teams took the sensible approach and pulled out seeing the road conditions. The organisers wanted to halt the event but could not attract riders' attention as it was heads down into the wind and rain and group prayers that they could hold on the tri-bars and keep the bikes upright. All those who finished the 25 mile course were either Champions or Madmen and women.

Despite this the timekeepers, Gordon Parker and Colin Hughes recorded the times as each team finished. For Madigan's squad of Jonathan Kyle, Nigel Laffin, Paul Stenson and Stuarty Scott it was a long wait until the last team crossed the line but for them it was worth it. After a number of years of coming very close Team Madigan eventually emerged the victors with a winning time of 00: 53:04. Despite taking over an hour to thaw out this was the best news the team could receive.

Phoenix CC's team of Mike Millar, Stuart Bennett, Christian Nachtigall and John Smyth took the silver medal with a time of 00:54:20. The newly formed Cookstown CT   outfit of John McGlaughlin, Stephen Hutchinson, Conor McAteer and Johnathan Dempsey filled the bronze medal position with a time of  00:54:30.

There were five women's teams taking part and the competition was very fierce. In the end it was the local club, Ballyment CRC comprised of Eileen Burns, Emma Smyth, Claire Gillespie and Laura Blair who took gold with a time of 01:04:36 much to their delight. Phoenix CC's Women's Team of Judith Russell, Therese Smyth, Julie Rea and Val ONeill llifted silver in  time of 01:07:23. The North Down women, Gillian Orr, Louise Togneri, Alison McMullan and Ange Perrott managed to take Bronze with a time of 01:07:52 ahead of the Madigan women. This was  great achievement for Team Madigan Women, relative newcomers to the bike, who were coached for the event by Gary McKeegan. They finished in a time of 01:09:16.

Well done also to the Ards CC team of Richard Hanna, Graeme Brown, James McFarlane and M Price. They completed the course in atrocious conditions in a time of 01:00:24. It shows that the club is progressing as it many years since they fielded a team in an event such as this. William Orr had to give up his place to another rider such was the interest in the club.

Many thanks to Comm (Martin Lees) and Timekeeper (Gordon Parker) who worked so hard with the Chief Marshall (Colin) on an awful night to produce a set of results. While everyone else was on the M2 with the car heater on full blast, they were still working to ensure reliable results. Thanks also to Eamon Burns Eamon Jr, Dermot Hughes Bob and Seamus Doyle  for sign-on and starting.

Report and Pics Marian Lamb
Results Gordon Parker and Colin Hughes.

Ulster Team Time Trial Championship Results

1. Team Madigan                    53:04      (J Kyle, N Laffin, P Stenson   S Scott) (Gold)
2. Phoenix CC                           54:20      (M Millar, S Bennett, C Nachtigal, J Smyth) (Silver)
3. Cookstown CT                     54:30      (C Hutchinson, J Dempsey, J McGlaughin, C McAteer) (Bronze)
4. Newry Wheelers A               54:57      (D Woods, S Featherstone, M McKinley, B Convery)
5. Phoenix Road Team           55:46      (N O'Gorman, C Rea, C McVeigh, M Kock)
6. Shelbourne Orchard          55:54      (S McIntyre, J McCusker, A Stewart, R Timmis)
7. Carn Wheelers                      56:04      (D Heagney, C Doyle, D Barton, M Scullion)
8. Velo Café Magasin            56:08      (S McGreavy, J Henry, P Dorman, M Millar)
9. Phoenix CX                           56:29      (D Tweed, J Bogues, P O'Neill, L Ireland)
10. Island Wheelers                    56:29      (N McLoughlin, K Talbot, G Donnelly, O Campbell)
11. Ards Vets                                56:59      (P McMinn, I Robinson, R Millar, W Gill)
12. Newry Wheelers B                57:58      (K Lynch, P McConville, D Reid, J Sands)
13. Phoenix PIGS                        58:56      (G Garrett, I Steele, S Walsh, P Trainor)
14. Roe Valley                             59:00      (C Mullin, C Magee, J M****)
15. Team Madigan 2                 59:02      (J Neill    D Neill, C Power,I Lockyer)
16. Ballymoney                           59:03      (U Cunningham, M Linton   S McAllister)
17. Bann Valley RC                    60:04      (G McNally. J Dickey, M Robb)
18. Ards CC - Spin doctors       60:24      (R Hannah, G Browne,  J McFarlane, M Price)
19. NDCC Vets                            1:01:28   (J Hunter, J Rafferty, P Nugent, P McArthur)
20. Phoenix Velominati            1:01:31   (J Heggarty, T Nixon, J Rooney,M Short)
21. Phoenix 2 generations       1:03:45   (G Hewitt, M Tolan, E Tolan,, A Flannery)
22. Phoenix Z                               1:04:00   (S Stewart, M Ruddock, T Montague, J Cole)
23. Phoenix Catalunya            1:04:05   (J Lundy, M McLaughlin, D Johnston, T Lamb)
24. Phoenix Pink                         1:44:09   (G Millar, G Maguire, P Toner, G Gilbride)
25. Ballymena CRC Women 1:04:36   (E Burns E Smyth, C Gillespie, L Blair) (Gold)
26. Phoenix Rubble                   1:55:11   (B McCartan, C McCann, S McDonald, B Henry)
27. Phoenix Women                  1:07:23   (J Russell, T Smyth, J Rea, V O'Neill) (Silver)
28. North Down CC women                        1:07:52   (G Orr, L Tognieri, A McMullan, A Perrott) (Bronze)
29. Team Madigan Women    1:09:16   (J Lennox, A Neil, K Smyth, P Lindsay)

Not Classified                      

Dig Deep - Inspired             53:36      (J Madden)

BRC B                                      1:00:59   (G Graham, C Crilly, J Burns, S Teggart)