Kevin McCambridge tops Irish cycling junior rankings | Sticky Bottle

Kevin McCambridge has enjoyed a flying start to the season so far and he's top of the Cycling Ireland junior rankings; already upgraded to A2 (Photo: Toby Watson)

Kevin McCambridge has enjoyed a fantastic start to
the road racing season and is Ireland’s top-ranked junior rider after two
months of racing.

The NRPT-Vitus-Chill rider is the only junior to
have surpassed 60 points scored, thus securing promotion to A2.

That means that he is now included in the official junior
rankings published by Cycling Ireland. However, he has gained 12 more points
since passing 60 points and disappearing from the top of the rankings.

That leaves him on a total of 72 points before this
weekend’s racing began. He leads the rankings from Matthew Devins (Yeats
Country) and Nathan Keown of North Down CC.

Last weekend McCambridge enjoyed his best form yet
since the start of the season when he lined out in a quality elite field at the
Tour of the North.

He took off with David Montgomery (Kinning Cycles)
in a long range effort before they were joined by Reece Wood (Zappi Racing) and
Craig McAuley (Caldwell Cycles).

Wood went on to win the stage but McCambridge was 2^nd
on the stage and ended the race 3^rd overall. It was a fantastic ride
in that he rode from the front on very hilly terrain against a field with
impressive quality in depth from both Ireland and Britain.

Matthew Devins, left, and Nathan Keown are 2nd and 3rd in the Cycling Ireland junior rankings at present (Photos: Sharon McFarland)

As well as those results last weekend, Kevin McCambridge
has also won the John Haldane Memorial and the TT in Rás Mhaigheo.

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He also wore the yellow jersey in the Mayo stage race, which included A1 elite riders this year. Kevin McCambridge was also 2^nd in the Des Hanlon Classic in Carlow.

And
he was 4^th overall after an attacking ride in the Junior Tour of
Mendip earlier this month. He placed 8^th in the prologue and was 5^th
on the hilly third stage when the racing split to pieces.

That
event is part of British Cycling’s national Junior Road Series, or classic
league.

After
McCambridge in the Cycling Ireland rankings comes Matthew Devins; the Yeats
Country man riding very well despite being in his first year in the juniors.

He
has won the East Tyrone GP this year and Rás Naomh Finian. He was 2^nd
on stage 3 of last weekend’s Gorey Three Day and 3^rd overall.

Devins
was a stand-out performer in the youth ranks and though there is a long seaon
ahead, he has already made his mark.

Next
in the rankings is Nathan McKeown, who has gone about his business impressively
and with precision this year.

He
has won the Bann Valley Classic and the Derrymacash GP; both after attacking
breakaway rides.

Keown
was also 2^nd in the Carn Classic and PJ Logan Cup and like
McCambridge and Devins, he looks set to have a big influence on racing for the
remainder of the season.