Aiken takes Seymour scalp for Ulster clean sweep, Adair puts up brave fight

Aiken was out on his own and took an impressive win (Photo: Dany Blondeel)

Roger Aiken has completed a clean sweep of the Ulster cyclocross series, making it six wins from six as he stormed to an impressive victory in the beautiful surroundings of Kilbroney Park in Rostrevor today, Sunday.

While matched blow-for-blow in the early stages by Team WORC’s Robin Seymour, when Aiken decided to make his move he simply hit the afterburners to continually pull clear. National champion Seymour, who had made his first journey North this season for today’s event, easily maintained second place all the way to the finish.

Aiken enjoyed a winning margin of around one minute over Seymour at the end of the contest, with Matthew Adair (Unattached) adrift in third by a similar margin.

However, while clearly the strongest riders today, Aiken and Seymour did not have it all their own way. Teenager Adair was clearly determined to go out with a bang in the final round of the series and from the gun threw the gauntlet down to his older rivals.

He stormed into a commanding early lead, moving well clear of the rest of the field led by Aiken and Seymour.

The early pace, though, soon caught up with the enthusiastic Adair, as he was overhauled on the third lap by the two chasers. His fast-start tactic was not helped by a mechanical that forced a bike change.

When he was caught and passed, Aiken and Seymour moved forward together before Aiken’s strength soon proved too much for the usually masterful Seymour.

Aiken went clear alone and never looked back, wrapping up his sixth victory from six and the overall 2012 Ulster series win, of which today was the last event.

As first and second places in today’s race were being settled up front, Adair steadied himself well despite his blistering start and held onto third place.

Behind him, local boy Conor Campbell (Newry Wheelers) and Evan Ryan (TEAM Word) slogged it out for fourth and fifth, with Ryan winning out in the end after Campbell led him for much of the race.

Peter McConville (Newry Wheelers) took the vets prize with Gill Smith taking the women’s prize.

Drew McKinley of the promoting club Newry Wheelers tells us there were some technical problems today, meaning the full results are not yet available.

But please come back later and we’ll have those results and a full set of photos.

We do, however, have the MTB results below and a first few photos of the main event, also below.

Men

1. Roger Aiken
2. Robin Seymour
3. Matthew Adair

MTB support race (men)
1. Mark Farrell (63) 45:19
2. John Heverin (96)
3. Barry Keleltt (108)
4. Conor Grimes (83)
5. Conor Young (109)
6. Patrick Kelly (79)
7. Brian Wilson (20)
8. Patrick McCole (68)
9. Leslie Mitchell (62)
10. Martin Grimley (64)
11. Michael Kelly (82)
12. Brendan Kirk (14)
13. Ed Boyle (50)
14. Jonathan Buller (59)
15. Duane McCreavie (97)
16. Richard Faloon (69)
17. John Shanks (57)
18. Ronnie Ogilby (73)
19. Brian Kellett (18)
20. Campbelll Armstrong (98)
21. Shane Elder (74)
22. Ronan Campbell (70)
23. William Forsythe (75)
24. Maurice Mayne (67)
25. Derek King (27)
26. Kevin Byrne (84)