Date: Sunday 26 September 2004
Event: Final round Irish & Ulster MTB League
Location: Lead Mines, Conlig
Host club: XMTB
MTB Season Closes With E2 Event At Conlig
The Irish and Ulster Cross Country Mountain Bike seasons came to a superb ending at the XMTB Club’s drama packed E2 promotion at the Leadmines, Conlig, on Sunday. The event attracted a bumper entry, and the tough demanding course provided a day of excellent racing with the added touch of drama being added by punctures, mechanicals and crashes.
The feature Pro/Elite race brought together the best riders from both sides of the border with a number of English and Scottish riders adding to the occasion.
At the end of the first of six laps local hopes were raised as Lewis Ferguson led the field through the start finish area, the Holywood teenager closely followed by Irish Olympian Robin Seymour. Ferguson still held the advantage at the end of lap two but on lap three, as expected, Seymour took up the running. Again at the end of lap four the Wicklow rider kept a slender advantage over Ferguson, but just after the leading duo had begun their fifth lap Seymour punctured. Five minutes later came the news that Ferguson had punctured. Incredibly by the end of the penultimate lap Seymour had retaken the lead with Scottish rider, James Ouchterlony, now in second ahead of English rider Adrian Lansley and the luckless Ferguson in fourth. Seymour held the lead to the finish with Ouchterlony, second. Then came the battle for third, plucky Ferguson just edging out Lansley before the finish line. Ritchie McCauley was fifth with English visitor Phil Cooper completing the top six. Lewis Ferguson also had the joy of taking the Irish Pro/Elite crown, this being the final race in the league.
Banbridge CC rider William Mulligan had a day to remember. He won the Vets race, in which his chief rival Knud Jensen retired with a broken chain on the last lap, the win giving Mulligan both the Irish and Ulster Vets titles. Johnny McCabe from Dundalk was second with Scottish visitor, Colin Murley, third. In the Masters race, race organiser Robert Lamont overcame an early challenge from Newry rider Peter McConville to score a popular win for the promoting club. Martin O’Hagan, another Newry rider, was third. Second place was good enough to give McConville the Irish crown.
The Sports event saw the best entry of the day, 27 riders on the start line. For two of the three laps it looked as if Newtownards rider Johnny Reid was going to make a winning return to the sport after a two year break. However on the last lap Reid was over taken by Dundalk ‘muscle-man’, Gerry McCabe, though Reid held on to take a very popular second with Dubliner John Oram a good third. In the Ladies race Tarja Owens ended her season in style with a resounding win, though second place gave Beth McCluskey the Irish title. Andy McCullough was another XMTB winner as he easily took the Junior race ahead of Barry Nolan from Dublin. In the final series standings, it was Nolan taking the crown ahead of McCullough.
The U-10 race provided the only non XMTB winner in the Under age program as
Banbridge CC rider Mark Downey won for the second race in a row. Chris Oakley took second and Toby Niblock third. Banbridge rider Daniel Runciman overcame an early crash to take fourth and with it the Ulster crown. William Boyd, XMTB, completed his U-12 campaign unbeaten, grabbing a brilliant Irish and Ulster league double. Micheal Runciman from Banbridge was second in the race and in both leagues with XMTB rider Robbie Lamont third. British Champion Neil McGimpsey, XMTB, was in dominant form as he led from start to finish in the U-14 race leaving English rider Thomas Coballa to just take second from Banbridge rider Sean Downey. In the Irish Championship standings, McGimpsey had to settle for second place behind fellow XMTB rider Christy Brown with Downey in third. XMTB completed their Underage domination with Connor McConvey sweeping to victory in the U-16 race ahead of Dublin’s Chris Jensen with XMTB rider Andy Hunter celebrating the end of his first full season with an excellent third. McConvey took the Irish crown with fellow XMTB rider Graham Boyd second and Hunter a super third.
The E2 event at Conlig was a splendid end to the season and the XMTB Club should be congratulated on such a well run promotion.
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REPORT : Andy Potts
Original report location here