Dromara CC
Club League
Round 17
Harry Ferguson Memorial Road Race  -  (2.86 mile circuit)

21 August 2008

After 3 missed weeks of club league cycling it was great to get back out on a Thursday night with the club, and what a great event to come back to.  This is only the second year that Dromara Cycling Club have been competing for the Harry Ferguson Memorial Cup and it was back to the Magheraconluce triangle circuit (map) which turned out to be quite a bit harder than most riders thought (or remembered) .  Thirty-two riders signed on in the newly opened car park beside the Memorial Garden and the weather on arrival was great, especially given the heavy downpours of late.  This was Dromara Cycling Club's 17th event in the club's 2008 calendar and the evening's racing started around 7:15 after the team of timekeepers worked out the time handicaps.  We were joined this evening by seven cyclists from other clubs including Roger Aiken (Banbridge CC) who is due to compete in the Tour of Ireland next week and Sean Downey (Banbridge CC) who will be competing in the Junior Euro Championships next month.  Dromara CC wish both riders every success.  Also tonight we had a group of spectators from the Harry Ferguson Celebration Committee including George Cormie who took video footage of the race.  

The race had barely got under way when Davy Robb had a mechanical failure (rear derailleur broke) on the first hill.  With a few more drop outs as the race went on we ended up with 27 finishers.  Darren Weir took the honours in a close bunch sprint and he expressed his joy at crossing the line first with a loud roar, a real gutsy performance from Darren after a long recovery period from injury.  Hot on Darren's heals were Fergus Rooney (Phoenix CC) and Ronnie Smyth, Darren's team mate and main rival.  The cup was presented to Darren from a member of the Celebration Committee, Eric Jess, with a press photographer there to capture the moment for the local paper.  Many thanks to all the marshalls and timekeepers who helped out, especially to Martin Downey for doing a great job volunteering as a motorcycle marshall.  

Details of the final times

Name
 Club
 Handicap
 Finish Time
Ave Speed#
Darren Weir
 Dromara CC
 06:18
 00:57:20
24.0
Fergus Rooney
 Phoenix CC
 06:18
 00:57:20
24.0
Ronnie Smyth
 Dromara CC
 06:18
 00:57:20
24.0
Peter Lilley
 Banbridge CC
 04:00
 00:57:20
23.0
David McKnight
 Dromara CC
 06:18
 00:57:20
24.0
Stevie Baines
 East Antrim CC
 04:00
 00:57:22
22.9
Sean Downey
 Banbridge CC
 07:03
 00:57:24
24.3
Roger Aiken
 Banbridge CC
 07:03
 00:57:24
24.3
Paul Smyth
Dromara CC
 06:18
 00:57:25
24.0
Cathal Smyth
 Phoenix CC
 06:18
 00:57:26
24.0
Ross Galway
 Dromara CC
 04:00
 01:01:24
21.3
Derek Hanna
 Dromara CC
 04:00
 01:02:30
20.9
Stephen Wallace
 Dromara CC
 02:00
 01:02:30
20.2
Dennis McMullan
 Dromara CC
 02:00
 01:02:40
20.1
Alan McMullan
 Dromara CC
 02:00
 01:02:40
20.1
Alastair Kinghan
 Dromara CC
 02:00
 01:02:42
20.1
Mathew Patterson
 Dromara CC
 00:00
 01:03:30
19.2
Martin Burney
 Maryland Wheelers
 04:00
 01:05:15
19.9
Brian McGrath
 Dromara CC
 04:00
 6 laps
-
Paul Jess
 Dromara CC
 02:00
 6 laps
-
Gavin Magowan
 Dromara CC
 04:00
 6 laps
-
Chris Magowan
 Dromara CC
 02:00
 6 laps
-
# = miles per hour (mph).  This is based on the actual time taken to complete the event once the handicaps have been removed.

Other riders who did not complete the course were:
Riders
Marcus Magowan, David Robb, Michael Pyper, Neal Wilson, Nigel Sudlow

Juniors
Rider
 Time
 Laps
 Ave. Speed#
Ryan Mallon (J)
 00:41:14
 4
 17.1
Ross Weller (J)
 00:45:26
 4
 15.4
Christopher Weir (J)
 00:33:28
 3
 15.9
Conor Mallon (J)
 00:34:24
 3
 15.4


Timekeepers: Stephen Phillips, Laurene Phillips and Trevor Annett
Marshalls: Sharon Weir, Anne Maguire, Judith Robinson, Andrew Wilson, Gary Gray and Pauline Galway.
Motorcycle outrider: Martin Downey
Photography: Martin Grimley & Pauline Galway

The Harry Ferguson Memorial Garden, Magheraconluce Road, Dromore



The Harry Ferguson Memorial Cup




The starting groups
 
Group 1
  
Group 2
 
Group 2 away
  
Alastair, Starting from the back of Group 2
 
Group 3 away
  
Group 3 away
 
Group 3 away
  
 
Group 4

Group 5
Group 5 away


Action from the early part of the race

Group 4 - end of lap 1
Group 2 - end of lap 2

Group 3 - end of lap 2
Marcus & Paul,- end of lap 2

Sean, Ronnie & Fergus - end of lap 2
Roger, Davy, Cathal, Darren & Paul - end of lap 2

Darren and Paul
Chris

Gavin

View from the hill before the start/finish line


From the hill

Michael
Martin Downey (motorcycle) + junior

Here comes the bunch
Lead out by Sean

Ronnie
Dennis

Peter and Stephen on the front
Nigel and Ross

Marcus
Neal

Martin
Paul

Brian

Barry

Gavin
Chris

Cahill on the front
Sean and Ronnie

"Who organised those handicaps?"




Michael quits
Paul

End of lap 4
3 more to go


Ross


Martin

Brian
End of lap 5

Ross
Chris

Derek then Stephen
Dennis and Alan




Juniors
(not named in line with our Child Protection Policies)












A selection of photographs taken by Pauline Galway






More of Pauline's photos can be found here


The Finish

Here they come
Darren Weir celebrates early

Well done Darren
Fergus, Ronnie, Peter


Stevie & Sean

Sean Downey
Roger Aiken

Cahill
Dennis and Alan (in the background)


Post race chat and prize giving

Sean and Darren discuss the race
Darren rubbing it in

Trophy presented to Darren Weir by Eric Jess from the Harry Ferguson Celebration Committee
Posing behind the tractor



Timekeepers


Group Shot


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