Date: Sunday 11 May 1997
Event: NI MTB League Round 1
Location: Ballykelly Forest
Host club: Roe Valley CC
There were three descents which conspired to make things difficult for even the so called downhillers taking part with a short, steep climb, two river crossings, a four foot drop off and a section of mud that the Eurosport Tractor Pulling TV show would have been proud of completing the lap.
The Under 12’s got the ball rolling and the Ferguson Boys did their bit to have their parents puffing out the chests with pride, Lewis taking the win while younger brother Matthew was fifth. Philip McLaughlin was a good second from William Britton while Matt King, one of the regular travelling members of the Drogheda Wheeler’s Club, was a pleasing fourth on a nice, new Kona. The Under 14’s were next up with Belvoir’s Graham Laird getting his ‘97 Season off to a belting start with a win over the ever present and always smiling Jamie Scott. Mark McKillop was only a few seconds back in third from the Toyota duo of Keith Benson and Matty Blaney.
Duane McCreadie carried on where he left off in 1996 with a convincing although possibly not comfortable win in the Under 16 class from Michael Dempster and Keith Leinster. Neil McCallum was suffering to finish fourth while Ricky Blaney proved that another year’s experience had improved his fitness and competitiveness. James McMaster was another who had already benefited from a good winter’s training with impressive wins and high placings in the early season road races both North and South. That fitness was clearly evident with a clear win being the inevitable result in the Junior class. Stephen Koehler was a good second after enduring the long trip North as a passenger in the Drogheda bus, beating his fellow Mexican, John Lawlor, into third. Philip Geddis was lower down the field in fourth place than he has been used to of late while another long distance traveller, Paul McCarthy was fifth.
The fast starting Liam Nelson was to prove able to hold his quick pace throughout the Senior event to record the win. Aidan McDonald was a surprising second given that he had inspected a Ballykelly Forest on Sunday 11th May was the venue for the first round of the six counting races for the Northern Ireland Cross Country League. Roe Valley Cycling Club were the staging people and the torrential rain of the previous days downhill at Binevenagh had thankfully eased with scores of riders turned up to race on a testing and technical course. The course started on a section of fast fire road before entering the first of many sections of rooty, twisting tree at close quarters the previous day resulting in a need for a new helmet and forks from his bike shop owning friend and Apollo Team Manager, Myles McCorry. Simon Loughlin had left behind his unattached days and was taking a new Specialized to a competitive third place in a McConvey’s Cycles team strip while John Mason was claiming fourth place, just reward for another long distance account holder. Davy Tommons was the first local North Western finisher in fifth on his “shopping” bike ahead of Peter McConville, Andy Layle, Ryan Hamilton, Eamon Guilfoyle and David Ward.
Other winners on the day? Joanne McCallum as first Underage Lady, Gill Smith, again, in the Senior Ladies and Willie Nelson in the Vets category. With Sponsorship for both Cross Country and Downhill Leagues coming from The Cycle Shop-Lisburn, Armstrong Bike Dock, McConvey’s Cycles and Chain Reaction there are no on the day prizes. Instead a raffle is held for Discount Vouchers from each shop, based on rider’s race numbers. Something worth hanging about for and returning your number at the end of the race.
RESULTS
Under 12
1 Lewis Ferguson ……….Armstrong Bike Dock
2 Philip McLaughlin ……….
3 William Britton ………SEMC
4 Matthew King …………Drogheda Wheelers CC
5 Matthew Ferguson ……..Toyota North Down
6 James Wray …………..Bann Wheelers CC
7 R Whitehouse……………………………………….
8 L McCreadie…………………………………………
9 D Hodsman ……………Ballymena Road Club
Under 14
1 Graham Laird………… Belfast Belvoir Road Club
2 Jamie Scott…………..NICF Private
3 Mark McKillop ………..Bamford Cycles-Glenarm CC
4 Keith Benson …………Toyota North Down
5 Matthew Blayney ………Toyota North Down
6 N Moore ……………..
7 Clay Scholes …………North West Cycling Club
8 A Ward ………………
Under 16
1 Dwayne McCreadie ……..
2 Michael Dempster ……..Toyota North Down
3 Keith Leinster ……….Toyota North Down
4 Neil McCallum ………..Armstrong Bike Dock
5 Ricky Blayney ………..Toyota North Down
6 Andrew Coupland ………Apollo Cycling Team
7 Neil McCluney…………
8 S Palmer …………….
9 Owen Jeffries ………..
10 A McDonald ………….
Juniors
1 James McMaster ……….Ards CC
2 Stephen Koehler ………Irish MTB Racing Team
3 John Lawlor ………….
4 Philip Geddis ………..Armstrong Bike Dock
5 Paul McCarthy ………..Cycleways
6 Peter Murray …………
7 Liam Baxter ………….Newry Wheelers
8 Darren McCluney ………
9 Dermot McIntyre……….North West Cycling Club
10 G McKay …………….Toyota North Down
Seniors
1 Liam Nelson ………….BRC Raleigh
2 Aidan McDonald ……….Apollo Cycling Team
3 Simon Loughlin ……….McConvey Cycles
4 John Mason …………..Premier CC
5 Davy Tommons …………North West Cycling Team
6 Peter McConville ……..Newry Wheelers
7 Andy Layle……………Apollo Cycling Team
8 Ryan Hamilton ………..Phoenix
9 Eamon Guilfoyle ………McConvey Cycles
10 D Ward ……………..Sorrento Cycling Team
11 Darren Quigg ………..Bann Wheelers CC
12 Simon McConnell ……..Queens
13 Andy Laverty ………..Giant UK
14 Owen Byrne…………..Newry Wheelers
15 Colin Loughrey ………North West Cycling Club
16 Clive Caldwell……….North West Road Club
17 Mark Bartley ………..Armstrong Bike Dock
18 Conor Campbell ………Newry Wheelers
19 Jim Laird……………Toyota North Down
20 Dale McMullan………..Bann Wheelers Cycling Club
21 Colin Greyson ……….Apollo Cycling Team
22 Philip Gray …………North West Cycling Club
23 Tony McConville ……..Apollo Cycling Team
24 Joe Ward…………….
25 Paul Reid …………..McConvey Cycles
26 Nigel Farquhar……….Apollo Cycling Team
27 Eamon McConvey ………McConvey Cycles
28 G Patterson …………
Vets
1 Willie Nelson ………..Ballymena Road Club
2 V Murphy …………….
3 Michael Murphy ……….
Ladies – Underage
1 Joanne McCallum ………Armstrong Bike Dock
Ladies – Seniors
1 Gill Smith …………..Armstrong Bike Dock
2 Ciara MacManus………..Armstrong Bike Dock
Report by: Uberdog
Original report location here